To explain the title, one of the most common cognitive biases in how we see the world is encapsulated as ‘what you see is all there is’. In other words, we have a tendency to overlook what is not immediately visible or obvious. We tend to assume that the elements we see in front of us are the only aspects at play. We are slow to consider that there might be additional unseen factors at work that might lead us to an alternative explanation for what we are seeing.
Weekly Reflections: Go Armed with Questions..
The theme for this week’s offering is the need to go armed with the right questions when working with a coach or practitioner of any kind (the credit for this idea goes to a former colleague of mine who had the dubious pleasure of being my line manager). There are numerous steps and a host of pertinent questions when we embark on the search to assemble the best team of professionals to provide guidance, assistance, and support for our chosen mission.
Weekly Reflections: Coaching the Mind
Once again welcome to our regular update on the Prepared ATH project with reflections on the journey. This past week saw activity on both the Prepared ATH front and the sister initiative Informed Practitioner in Sport. The latter involves a highly enjoyable collaboration with Volleyball Canada, working with the team to consult on the rebuilding and return to performance process for a member of the women’s national team. The major update with respect to the Prepared ATH project that I can now report, is an exciting joint venture with The Workshop Performance Clinic based at their location on East Georgia Street in Vancouver, which is due to commence imminently. More details to come on that as everything becomes finalised…
Weekly Reflections: Partnerships
Welcome back to regular readers, and a warm welcome to those who are new to the Prepared Athlete Training & Health project. The theme of our regular update this week is partnerships. As noted in the prologue we shared, the genesis of this project was built upon the ultimate partnership, in the sense that my wife Sian is the most important partner, enthusiastic supporter, de facto benefactor, and business coach behind this endeavour. Beyond that, this thread of partnerships runs through all aspects of how Prepared ATH operates and our work with athletes. And as luck would have it, each of these various facets have been evident over the past two weeks!
The parallels between coaching and parenting are striking and both of these elements naturally come together with youth sports. The concept of free-range kids popularised by author (and parent) Lenore Skenazy thus readily applies to how we coach young athletes (as well as sport parenting). In each case, free play and participating in unsupervised games are essential parts of how children and young athletes develop. Engaging in play is central to how we learn to navigate the world and engage with others. Voluntarily participating in games with others (without intervention from the grown ups) teaches kids how to conduct themselves and develops the capability to interact with peers in a competitive context and a cooperative manner. A less structured environment where the kids themselves decide the playing area and the rules of the game affords the opportunity to apply what they have learned, explore different tactics and engage in trial and error. As such, free play and unsupervised games are particularly rich in opportunities to acquire and adapt sport skills and develop game sense. Given the myriad benefits and the essential role that these opportunities play in developing adept athletes and capable humans, it seems baffling that they are systematically being eliminated with today’s youth. So here we will make the case for applying the free-range perspective to rethink youth sports participation and talent development in a way that fosters engagement and creates self-reliant athletes.