I AM…
I am known as a Naturalist Speed Coach. I take what the body shows me, tighten it up where needed and let it go. I then make corrections as the athletes show me they need it.
This brings up a point….
My Teaching Style…
My teaching style of many skills as an encouraging style rather than a directing style. I direct when I need to make strong points, but for the most part I encourage athletes to let their bodies lead the way. I make the corrections initially if needed but more I rely on kinesthetic feedback and having the athlete figure out how to move. This is a more ingrained form of learning. The athlete has to feel what was correct rather than me just telling him or her.
When you think of the big skills I advocate….
- Plyo Step
- Hip Turn
- Directional Step
- Decelerating Patterns,
- Lateral Gait System
They all happen quite naturally without any input from a me. I encourage these skills more than teaching them. If I see a faulty pattern due to a correctable mistake or posture I will kick in my coaching skills and guide the athlete to a correction.
Let me give you an example. If an athlete continually drives his shoulders up too high (rears up) during the Plyo Step linear acceleration, I would make him aware of it first. Sometime this is all that is needed. If he needs more, I will then give him exercises that break the pattern of rearing up. It might be core strength, but I think it is more of a firing pattern that needs to be re-adjusted.
The more I allow athletes to figure things out for themselves and the less I say, the better results I have seen for long lasting results. You should give it a try.
To learn more about my teaching style I recommend Ground Breaking 2