Setting Your Athletes Up For Success

Hello!

It has been a long few days of travel and learning. I just returned from Las Vegas where I attended a mastermind exclusive seminar with my mastermind coach James Malinchak. He taught me and the rest of the group about advanced marketing techniques. It was OUTSTANDING! I learned so many secret techniques being used by top marketers and you would never know they are being used. I can't wait to share these techniques with my mastermind and coaching members, as well as my Speed Insiders. These techniques will make a huge difference in your marketing.

As I have said many times, you need to find a mastermind group or form one of your own. The ideas you will learn from others are valuable to your business and personal growth.

Setting Your Athletes Up For Success

The most important thing you can do as a coach is set your athletes up for success each and every time you train them. Many times coaches and trainers are un-knowingly setting their athletes up for failure.

When an athlete comes to you as a part of your sports team or as an athlete joining your athletic development program it is your responsibility to set them up for success. You need to do what ever you can (ethically) to give them success. Success comes in many different sizes and shapes though.

If you have an athlete that wants to make the 7th grade soccer team, it is your job to do what ever you can to safely and ethically help them do so. It might be making them faster or stronger or simply have more confidence in their ability. Now if a college athlete comes to you wanting to be drafted to a professional team, then you have to put a program together that will set this individual up for success. Don't mis-understand me, I am NOT saying hand them success. You have to teach them to work for their success. What I am talking about is you as their coach making the correct decisions during training to lead them toward a successful outcome. I also believe, if the athlete fails, it is your job to teach them failures are a step in the process of being successful.

Why am I writing about this topic anyway? I know many coaches want to do the best they can but they forget the goal is to have success on the court or field not necessarily in the weight room or agility room. Of course, you want them to be successful in the training room, but not at the cost of success in the sport.

I have seen many programs spend so much time in the weight room or doing "Plyos" that they over-train the athletes to the point of poor performances in their chosen sports. This is not setting an athlete up for success.

A smart coach who is working backwards from the final desired outcome to the start of the training program will recognize what is needed for success. Let me give you some examples of what this means to me.

1. Ultimately, I want the athlete to be strong, powerful, mobile, and well conditioned through out the season but especially at the end of the season.

2. I am not concerned about "beating their last weight lifted" in the weight room. I want an athlete that has the strength and power needed to perform safely and well at the end of the season.

3. I always look at the risk reward scale. If having an athlete attempts a new max lift has a higher risk of injury, but has little improvement in performance, versus doing an exercise that will challenge the nervous system (balance, body awareness, power output/force production), movement economy, and transfer to sport participation with low risk of injury, I will go the lesser risk exercise every time.

4. I always consider the fact that many high school athletes don't sit dormant when they are not training with me or playing their sport. They are involved in other activities as well that add to the fatigue factor. So, I always use less volume with greater focus and intensity on skill development.

These are just 4 things, of many, I consider. The fact this method has proven well for me for so many years, I tend to believe it works. I have had state champions in many sports, athletes go on to earn scholarships, and play professional sports. I think much of this success is because of what I didn't do (put them at high risk) as well as what I did do.

I believe athletes bring a lot to the table. They have natural abilities. It is my job to bring out the best I can in each athlete so they can go to the next level. It is also my job to back off and realize my job is only one step in their progression to being a better athlete. They have to put lots of practice in, eat well, hydrate well, sleep well, handle emotions, and many other social needs. I don't want to over-play my part and dominate the athletes time and energy. I simply want to set them up for success by giving them what they need and so should you.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: A quick tp all of my Speed Insiders and Mastermind Members...I have an amazing interview coming soon with a man they call "Mr. Unstoppable." You do not want to miss this interview. He will make you realize how lucky we all are and the true abilities we have. If you want to listen to this exclusive interview go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ to sign up now.

The Speed Formula Is.....

Family Update

The toughest part about the Lee Taft Speed Academy being in NY yet having my home in Indiana is the time away from my family. My daughters will be attending a volleyball camp at the YMCA and I hate not being there to drive them to it every day. I get so much joy out of watching them play. Sometimes they don't even know I am watching. My girls are doing 4-H projects and are having a great time working on them. Obviously, I will be missng this too. It won't be long though. At the end of July I will be heading back to Indiana to be home with them again.

What is the True Formula for Speed?

I bet if you were to search for products on speed development you would come across several hundred. The truth be told, many of them are good resources. The reason I say this is because, even though each one may be focusing on what they consider to be the key to speed, it is still good information.

I believe products are often dismissed as poor if the product doesn't meet the demands of the potential buyer. That certainly isn't a good reason to call the product poor. It just isn't what the buyer wanted.

To switch gears a little bit, I want to talk about what really is the speed formula. The truth is "it depends on the type of speed and the issues the athlete may have".

When I am coaching a basketball player to be quicker on the basketball court, I need to make sure he or she can accelerate in all direction, change directions quickly and under control, make sharp and speed cuts, and retreat all with great speed and quickness. So in this case the components that are going to be most important are; body mechanics as it relates to the speed skill (change of direction, cutting, accelerating...), force production and force reduction ability, and of course stride length (both linear and lateral). Stride frequency is harder to control and I would rather have more power and stride length resulting in greater speed anyway.

If I am coaching a sprinter, then my concerns change. I no longer need to focus on lateral or change of direction skills. My technique work needs to be geared toward efficiency while accelerating and at top end speed.

What if I am coaching hockey players. I really must emphasize explosive acceleration and deceleration.

Do I believe all athletes should be taught proper mechanics of accelerating, sprinting, lateral quickness, change of direction skills, jumping, and all the other movement skills- ABSOLUTELY! I don't believe we teach athletes to be well rounded movers any more. Believe me, when an athlete has developed the ability to be coordinated in all directions both in acceleration and deceleration, then they will have a greater foundation to be better at their chosen sport.

Getting back to my title, I believe there are many formulas to improve speed. The constants are strength and power, technical mastery, tactical and strategic mastery, and concentration and relaxation. But, I feel each situation demands a different formula. I need to know what the athlete brings to the table before I start coaching them. I want to know how they move and what their movement background is. Coaching speed is a mix of science and art. Good coaching is understanding when to put more emphasis on the most needed (science or art).

Yours In Speed,

Lee

PS: If you are really looking forward to improving your knowledge in multi-directional speed training then go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and become a Speed Insiders Member. Read what one member had to say about her membership as a Speed Insider:

“My favorite part of being a Speed Insider is the knowledge that Lee passes onto us every month. It is so invaluable. I can use it immediately with my athletes and clients.”

-Kris Massaro

Just Get It Done!!!

As you may or may not know, My wife and I own several businesses together. We have staff who takes care of various aspects of our businesses, but we are the decision makers and take the credit for our failures or successes.

We are often frustrated when we are not getting results fast enough on certain areas of our business. Don't get me wrong, we are patient and understand creating a foundation for the future of our businesses, but there are time when things need to get done ASAP.

We not only have businesses we run but we also have a wonderful family. We have 3 children, Jae, Bailee, and Brennen. They deserve our time even more than our businesses, but as you have probably felt before business keeps calling all day and all night long. It is always on your minds it is easy to forget to take the time and just go play with our kids. But then again our kids are great at reminding us we need to spend more time with them and that is a good thing!

The purpose of this blog is to talk about getting things done. My frustrations in business arise when things are not getting done. Those who are in my http://www.speedinsiders.com/ membership or the exclusive members of my coaching and Mastermind group know I work really fast. Before writing this blog I have already written an article and drafted a 4 page sales copy letter for a program we are offering at the speed academy. It is only 11am and it is Sunday. I know if I can get things done quickly I will continue to build momentum in my business. Plus, it allows me to do others things not related to business for the rest of the day.

Getting back to my wife and I. We had a long phone call this morning that was not all lovee dovee. It was about getting our butts in gear and getting things done. To be honest with you, we did have legitimate reasons for being behind on some of our work; My father's passing, Jenn and the girls had many events and activities, and we have all done a lot of traveling recently. But, business and opportunity doesn't wait for any one for any reason. So our talk this morning was basically about holding each one us accountable for getting STUFF done.

You Know- it isn't a coincidence people who work right and work fast have great results. People who make excuses and try to be perfect get little if any results. Before Jenn and I hung up the phone- she made a guarantee to me a project that has been hanging over our heads for months will be finished by the end of the week. I made a promise to my elf that I would have an article written, this blog written, the sales copy done, and a proposal to a sports complex finished by the end of the day today. You see, this is how we need to be each and every business day.

Success isn't a mistake or luck. It comes from deliberate and consistent action. We made a decision and promise to each other that we would get things done now.

My wish for you is that you would find the motivation, regardless of if it is coaching, writing a book, shooting a video, or whatever, to get your projects done so you can feel the rush of success in your life.

I'll be talking to you soon- have a great week!

Yours in Speed,

Lee