COACHING

1. COACHING State Coach WA James Cooper Reviewed: 21/10/2005

2. GFA Requirement for Coach Level 1 • 300 hours • 3 x 300k or 1 x 500k flight

3. Maintaining currency • In last two years 40 hours solo or coaching • This is not instructing • At least 2 coaching events or flights

4. Role of State Coach • Training of coaches • Conduct of coaches • Maintaining register • With coaches identify and develop talent in the competition field • Provide periodic reports • Attend national coaching panel meeting • Assist coaches • Supply reference info www.jamescooper.com.au

5. Training Units • The role of a coach nutrition/hydration /drugs • Weather analysis • Preflight preparation • Flying with other gliders • Lead and follow • Physical conditioning • Sports psychology • Planning a training program

6. Reference material • Beginning Coaching - Australian Coaching Council • The Gliding Coach Manual - GFA • Flying further and faster - GFA • MOSP part 4 (Sporting) - GFA • X-Country Soaring - Reichmann • Meteorology for Glider Pilots - Wallington • Soaring Australia Articles - Eckey

7. This Course • Attend lectures rather than read Beginning Coaching • Assess with questions 1,2,8 • Assess with flight units • Give a Lecture

8. What is a Coach? • A teacher passing on information and ideas • Trainer improving athletes fitness • Motivator instilling a positive attitude • Advisor and Councilor • Friend • Scientist • Student • Sets an Example

9. Additional Coach’s roles • Disciplinarian • Organiser • Public relations • Planner

10. Personal Characteristics Are you? Always Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never Confidence Building           Constructive           Encouraging           Enthusiastic           Good Communicator           Honest           Knowledgeable           Likeable           Motivator           Organiser           Patient           Polite           Positive           Potential Developer           Respectful           Sense of Humour           Sensitive to needs           Showing interest           Understanding  

11. Personal Characteristics • Fill in the attributes that are valuable to be a coach • It is highly unlikely that you will score well for all so • Consider where: • you can be best used • you are best to step back • you should improve

12. Style of coach • Authoritarian • Business-like coach • Nice guy • Intense coach • Easy-going coach • What are you? • How can you use your style to help and • Where should you step back and pass to another coach?

13. Who are you coaching? • I just like flying and staying up • I want to fly cross country • I want to go round the clubs and get badges • I want to win championships and set records (The information given is assuming pilot wants to achieve.)

14. The coach needs to be able to coach all these groups • Or pass the athlete on to a coach who can • Remember that the pilot who just wants to fly a little more than local will enjoy their flying more with coaching • as they will be more reliably staying up

15. All coaches must be • Positive and • Encouraging

16. Two skills required to function effectively • The knowledge of the sport • Understanding of coaching technique

17. Communication • Perhaps the most important ability to help the athlete improve performance is for the coach is to communicate to the athlete.

18. Communication • Verbally • Diagrams (overheads, slide shows or charts) • Cheat sheets • Demonstrate • Logger traces • Videos

19. Comments Sandwich • Praise “your speed control was good” • Criticise “your lookout needs working on” • Praise “your radio calls were excellent”

20. Observing • The coach must continually observe the athlete • This will allow the coach to change the program • And attend to individual athletes needs • When flying write down issues otherwise you will forget • Use a notebook

21. Analysing The coach needs to analyse student so as to • Look for repetitive problems • Work out reason for error • If multiple errors exist • determine if they are linked • Look for new techniques • Observation and Analysis will dramatically help improve performance

22. Goals • Measurable • Observable • Challenging • Achievable and Believable • Short term and Long term

23. Goals Purpose • To plan and monitor your progress • Be a motivator • Help in the 7 P’s • Prior preparation, practice and planning prevent poor performance

24. Goals Measurable • Athletes will achieve a Speed or Distance • The team will score in inter-club and fly round the task • Good angle of bank is constantly achieved • Saw tooth graphs are created on logger

25. Goals Observable • Athletes are enjoying their flying • Athletes flying more regularly

26. Goals Challenging • Goals push athletes more, so perhaps more outlandings • this shows the athlete that they are trying, • an outlanding is NOT a failure but signs that the athlete is trying. • Goals are to inspire the athlete • Have a goal to land out more than 4 times a year?

27. Goals Achievable and Believable • Goals should be within the bounds of the athlete’s ability • if not they become a failure in their own eyes. • A 750k the year after a 500k is not generally reasonable. • The goals may be set for the athlete both by the athlete and the coach, • these may be different

28. Goals Short term • Act as stepping stones to achieve long term goals • 50k 100k 300k 500k • Performance segments like • Constant angle of bank 45° • Concentration • Social goals • Competition strategy

29. Goals Long term • Generally come with a string of short term goals

30. Coaching Females • Females are lighter • Ballast • Shorter • Specific aircraft issues (dive brake operation) • Firm cushions • Seat adjustment • Strength • Assistance with rigging and derigging • Technique for ground-handling glider • Toilet issues • Equipment available for women • Social attitude • In the minority, easily don’t feel like they belong • Avoid using gender specific language written and spoken

31. Coaching Veterans • Reduced cardiovascular performance • Reduced flexibility of the muscles ligaments and tendons • Bones more brittle • Reduced muscular power and strength • Slower nervous system • Reduced vision • Lookout • Basal metabolism • Weight increase

32. Cardiovascular • The heart is less efficient and weaker • Blood vessels may become narrower • Lung function declines less flexibility • thus less efficient delivery of oxygen to the tissues including the brain

33. Slower nervous system • Allow athletes more time to react • this may need reacting to preliminary weather inputs • Allow time for athlete to comprehend what is happening • Extra training of lookout be aware of evenings • Be patient • Shorter flights

34. Coaching Veterans • Exercise • Should perhaps replace runs with long walks or jogs • Less high impact

35. Smoking • Will have many of the effects of aging particularly cardio vascular and vision

36. Nutrition • Advise your athletes on Nutrition priorities • Prevent heat injuries • Counsel on common drugs

37. Basic Food Guidelines • Dairy • Meat • Cereals • Fruits • Vegetables

38. Eat More or Less • Complex carbohydratesPasta, Bread brown, Potatoes, Fruit, Veg • Eat Less sugarSoft Drinks, Chocolates, Sweets • Eat Less FatFatty Meat, Butter and Margarine, Deep fried foods • Use less salt • Use less alcohol

39. Eat normally • Eat in principle what you would eat on weekdays

40. Glider pilots need • Slow release energy - Complex Carbohydrates • Wholemeal, Pasta • Not sugars that give a sugar low • Protein is necessary but not too much • 1g of protein per Kg of body weight is a good guide. • Plenty of water and a means to get rid of it • Not too much food in one go makes you tired

41. High Energy Foods • High energy foods may be good for sprinters • but they have the pitfall of having a short term effect followed by fatigue • The only time to consider these foods may be on final glide

42. Heat injury • Be aware of using energy in hot conditions • Prepare early • Loose fitting clothing, light in colour • Permeable clothing • Be aware of heavier athletes

43. Liquid intake • Hydrate well before an event • Keep hydrated during the event • Hydrate after the event • guidelines urine is clear and does not smell • If drinking fluid replacement drinks dilute more than recommended

44. Drugs • Performance enhancing • Tobacco • Alcohol • Pain killers

45. Drugs • We are obliged not to use performance enhancing drugs, stimulants etc in line with the Olympic codes • This is not only drugs but also masking agents

46. Tobacco • Tobacco decreases the athletes ability to intake oxygen • Oxygen should be used earlier than a non smoker, performance will start reducing at 8000ft as a guide • Do not expect you student to perform as well at altitude • Do not expect to teach as well at altitude

47. Alcohol • Effects hand eye coordination • Accuracy and balance • Thermalling • Complex coordination • Body temperature regulation • Cardio-vascular • Brain function • Are you prepared to be coached by or coach someone who is slightly alcohol affected?

48. Painkillers • Depression of respiration • Euphoria • Sedation • Nausea

49. Caffeine • Caffeine is a diuretic • Caffeine is a stimulant so may help overcome short term tiredness

50. Physical fitness • A physically fit pilot has better cardiovascular system • When physically fit athlete will be mentally fitter • When physically fit will be able to last longer tasks and longer competition