Over a week on from 'Clubs' Day' when thousands of students sign up for membership to everything it is worth reflecting on the progress made to date. We had in excess of 300 sign up. 95 turned up to the first meeting on Monday evening. The content of this meeting was deliberately honest, there has been a massive amount of thought about the best way to manage the beginners. The objective being not to waste the time of either the beginner or the students running this part of the club. A significant part of the meeting was given over to a talk by Sanita Puspure. She was very honest about her experience as an athlete. The sacrifices made and the opportunities that have arisen as a consequence. This was Sanita's first public speaking engagement and it was hard to believe it. She spoke with a calm delivery, I hope others noticed that a truly elite athlete is a normal human being with the same vulnerabilities and stresses as the rest of us who then trains hard to reduce the impact of the weakest link in that chain.
Jonny, the Novice Manager tells me that he has had a significant improvement in communication regarding non-availability. This won't necessarily help with training but it certainly shows some part of the message has got across from day 1. The first session was attended by 37 total beginners and of critical importance was that it was entirely run by students for students. Ian Kerins ran the circuit session and I understand members of the senior squad were on hand to demonstrate exercises. While it is important Senior squad members don't compromise their training it is also vital that this level of responsibility and club awareness is going on.
It is not just heartening but very important that this initiative and responsibility is happening.
On the Senior side of training there is some sickness doing the rounds but the morning's training was productive. On the theme of development it is great to see the returning athletes quietly getting on with warming-up and then putting into practice the technical elements they have been focusing on. There was some work in this morning's session and as can be expected at this point in the season the technical focus weakened slightly but only because the determination to work, and work consistently became the focus. With regard to this area of training it is my objective to have no impact on a split when I step behind an athlete on the machine and certainly not need to verbally encourage- the coach is not out on the course during the race, the coach doesn't win or lose the race. The athlete must own their race, they must own their training.
Jonny, the Novice Manager tells me that he has had a significant improvement in communication regarding non-availability. This won't necessarily help with training but it certainly shows some part of the message has got across from day 1. The first session was attended by 37 total beginners and of critical importance was that it was entirely run by students for students. Ian Kerins ran the circuit session and I understand members of the senior squad were on hand to demonstrate exercises. While it is important Senior squad members don't compromise their training it is also vital that this level of responsibility and club awareness is going on.
It is not just heartening but very important that this initiative and responsibility is happening.
On the Senior side of training there is some sickness doing the rounds but the morning's training was productive. On the theme of development it is great to see the returning athletes quietly getting on with warming-up and then putting into practice the technical elements they have been focusing on. There was some work in this morning's session and as can be expected at this point in the season the technical focus weakened slightly but only because the determination to work, and work consistently became the focus. With regard to this area of training it is my objective to have no impact on a split when I step behind an athlete on the machine and certainly not need to verbally encourage- the coach is not out on the course during the race, the coach doesn't win or lose the race. The athlete must own their race, they must own their training.
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