What Defines A Coach?

Having coached various sports ages & boys, girls, men and women since my teenage years, I started to wonder recently – what defines a coach? This is NOT an easy question but it is an important question. Many simply think a coach is someone who decides, “hey, I played soccer as a kid. I think it would be cool to coach”. Well, thank God, it’s not that easy to become a coach today. In the humble opinion of coach Jeff, the following are essential components of what defines a coach (and, of course, there may be many more):

* a passion to teach a sport or activity

* knowledge of the sport or activity (either through playing or studying or both)

* certification(s) relative to coaching techniques and/or systems

* police check(s) updated as per law

* a sense of humour when appropriate

And now my ‘ABILITY’ segment:

* ability to LISTEN intently

* ability to make it about the athlete(s) and NOT about the coach (in other words, no Super Ego allowed!)

* ability to communicate simply (yet powerfully) messages to all team members

* ability to lay down the law fairly yet firmly as necessary

* ability to know when to push and when to lay off an athlete or team

* ability to recognize weaknesses and put in place corrective action

* ability to motivate quickly and efficiently without ‘falling in love’ with the sound of one’s voice

* ability to develop training techniques and plans that guarantee injury-free performance whilst developing specific skills

* ability to encourage DEEP practice (repeat skills and make corrections till they become automatic – no matter how long it takes) and incorporate a philosophy of Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.

As I said earlier, this is my priority list. If it helps any of you re: choosing a coach, then I’m good with that.

coach Jeff

Don’t forget to register for the MADD 5 km road race & breakfast on Sunday, June 9 at J.C. Saddington Park in Port Credit, Ontario, Canada.

Squaring Up to Assist in Barefoot Running:

What do I mean by ‘squaring up’. Well, after coaching for God-knows how many years, I came to the conclusion about 12 years ago that those who exercise basically had no idea how to protect the body from what I call ‘avoidable’ injuries. Many of these stemmed from a lack of ‘squaring up’ the feet, hips & shoulders most specifically. In other words, they were keeping these EVEN (SQUARE) whilst active.

Why do I consider this so important? When the body is level or square, it means that all active muscles are braced and doing what they are supposed to be doing – keeping the feet aligned forward, the hips even and balanced and the shoulders low, ‘quiet’ and level. When you are locked into this, your body moves smoothly and efficiently with virtually no excessive strain on the ligaments, tendons and joints. This results in the elimination of ‘avoidable’ injuries.

As the title of the blog suggests, my focus will be on how ‘squaring up’ helps you run barefoot. Incorporate the following circuit into your barefoot off-road drills and reap the injury-free benefits. To remind you – running safely barefoot is all about bracing against gravity in order to land lightly and push off powerfully. The circuit is as follows:

1. Shoulders – standing on rounded section of Bosu Ball running arm swings tight to body and full arm swings. MUST keep shoulders still & square (do these in front of full length mirror) – 60 secs x 2 sets

b. 1/2 shoulder shrugs – standing in running position, hold 10 lb. dumbbells in each hand with palms facing body and hands in front of chest. Lift up the weights to eye height whilst pulling the shoulder up level to the ears – 60 secs x 2 sets

2. Hips – 1-legged squat hops forward, backward, side-to-side in a circuit. MUST keep hips level at all times. Alternate legs after 60 secs. Do 2 sets. Mix up the direction to ‘confuse’ your neuromuscular system

b. 1-legged bent-knee drops from a step. Do these to a 5 count down and up. Try to NOT use hands to support you on a railing or wall. Repeat 15 times per leg x 1 set

3. Feet – make an outline of your feet in running position out of rope or some such material. It should be about 2 sizes bigger than your feet. Stand inside the outlines and run on the spot – 60 secs x 2 sets then switch lead legs and repeat. Your feet MUST be perfectly lined up forward and NOT touch the outline

b. ladder drill – use an exercise ladder or make your own out of rope, twine or some such material. The ladder squares should be no more than 14 square inches. Run forward through the ladder at as fast a cadence as possible facing a full length mirror (ideally). Your feet must stay ‘square’ in order to land INSIDE each ladder section. 60 secs x 3 sets.

If weather permits, do these outdoors on asphalt, concrete or gravel surfaces BAREFOOT. Once you transition to your run, ‘squaring up’ will come natural AND your avoidable injury days will be a thing of the past!

Coach Jeff

Don’t forget to register for the MADD 5 km road race & breakfast on Sunday, June 9 at J.C. Saddington Park in Port Credit, Ontario, Canada.

MADD Strides for Change Run/Walk Coming Up…

MADD’S STRIDES FOR CHANGE 5 KM RUN – Why Do It?

Mark down Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. in your schedule!

This is the day and time of MADD’S (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Strides For Change Charity 5km Run & 1km Memorial Walk – the 1st annual for the Greater Toronto area.

The event will take place at J.C. Saddington Park along the shores of Lake Ontario in beautiful Port Credit (south Mississauga, Ontario, Canada).

This is a must-do run for all followers of coach Jeff, their families, friends and colleagues for a number of reasons:

* 1st and foremost, coach Jeff is the co-race director!:-)) My good friend and running colleague, Andy Murie, is MADD’S CEO. He recruited me in July, 2012 to assist in making the SFC (Strides For Change) race happen.

* 2ndly, MADD’s Mission Statement to “stop impaired driving and support victims of this violent crime” struck a chord with me. Further, MADD is the leading anti-impaired driving organization in Canada with more than 100 Chapters and Community leaders plus 7,500 volunteers

* 3rdly, MADD has 5 key focii of financial support that directly and positively impact anti-impaired driving:

1. youth services

2. victim services

3. public awareness & education

4. public policy

5. advancement of anti-impaired driving technology

* 4thly (and most importantly), all funds raised from the SFC run on June 9, 2013 will go to support various MADD programmes – specifically those in youth & victim services

Since forming in 1989, the list of MADD’s accomplishments toward reducing the incidence of impaired driving is impressive. To highlight a few:

1.     Sweeping changes to federal impaired driving laws that have virtually eliminated the Carter Defense (accused word over scientific evidence)

2.     Securing funds to develop a Bursary Endowment to ensure post-secondary education opportunities for youth who have lost a parent(s) to an impaired driving crash

3.     Providing comprehensive victim support services to more than 20,000 victims of impaired driving annually

4.     Teaching over one million children and teens (via MADD’s School Assembly Programmes) about the dangers of alcohol and drugs and the consequences of driving whilst impaired

This is your opportunity to join the coach in support of MADD and help put a significant dent in the proliferation of impaired driving.  

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

I expect to see a record number of you on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. in J.C. Saddington Park, Port Credit!

Coach Jeff

Milestone Blog for Coach Jeff!!

This represents my 100th blog via Team Over The Top and Natural Running. As an ‘old’, computer-challenged, grey-haired dude, never in a million years did I thing 100 blogs would be posted. My web designer, John Buchanan, set me up to blog, tweet, facebook etc. a few years ago just after we launched my www.naturalrunning.ca website. He convinced me that social media would generate conversation, controversy and potential business around my passion for running barefoot and coaching in th squat-scoot technique of mid-foot running. Correct on all counts…except maybe the generation of business for me and my company. That’s been a tad spotty at best. I get more business via my website than I do via my blogging – understandable in one sense due to the listing of my clinics, workshops and training seminars.

I have to admit being somewhat surprised by the reach of blogging – I have followers from around the world mainly, I believe, due to my focus on barefoot running. There are many barefoot runners BUT not many barefoot running coaches – especially in North American – who have Master’s Degrees in Exercise Physiology and Level III National Coaching certification. My insights into the transition to barefoot running from running in ‘coffins‘ (running shoes) and outlining of drills specific to the transitioning are the most popular blogs, with positive replies coming from far and wide.

Blogging has also provided me with an open forum to discuss the merits of my squat/scoot method of mid-foot running and the resultant safe, efficient, powerful running style adopted by my Team Over The Top runners of all ages. The on-line conversations have been lively and informative.

A few respondents have lamented the lack of barefoot running bloggers and tweeters who provide new, insightful material. I will not be disappearing any time soon. As a matter of fact, my 101st blog will be up by this Sunday night! It will be a promotional piece on the MADD 5 km road race & breakfast on Sunday, June 9 at J.C. Saddington Park in Port Credit, Ontarion, Canada. 

I now realize the importance of social media as it applies to increasing awareness of my TOTT business and furthering the cause 0f barefoot running as a safe, natural way to experience the long-lasting benefits of running. Here’s to the next 100!!

Coach Jeff

Isometric Range of Motion Exercises to Support Barefoot Running

 

One of the major problems facing my runners is upper body fatigue sabotaging distance running performance. It’s a pet peeve of mine to see my runners dropping their arms, shaking them out and/or rotating their shoulders. These are all signs to me that they have NOT been doing their upper body fatigue tolerance exercises. In order to run free and strong over distances beyond 15 kms., you better not fatigue in the upper body. Your shoulders lead your arms, your arms lead your legs, your legs determine your finish…! It’s as simple as that.

Due to my belief in the importance of stable, quiet head, neck, shoulders and chest and powerfully driving arms kept in the ‘handshake’ position, I put together the following circuit. I call it Isometric Range of Motion. This basically means holding a ‘muscle flexed and held’ (Isometric) position for a set number of seconds then repeating the action from a range of different angles (Range of Motion). I have developed a number of such circuits. The following is one of them:

1.  push-ups leaning against a bench or chair with feet on the floor. Slowly lower the upper body 3 to 4 inches and hold the new position for a 5 count. You MUST keep the core tight and the body in perfect alignment. Repeat this at a total of 5 positions until your chest is almost touching the support

2.  repeat this as you straighten up to the start position. That completes 1 cycle

3.  switch to a tricep dip position the the hands resting on the side of a bench or chair. The fingers should be pointing forward. Repeat the cycle as per the push-up exercise. This completes the 2nd cycle.

4.  repeat the push-up and tricep dip exercise with one leg off the ground. Repeat this with the other leg off the ground

5. standing in a running position, hold yourself totally braced. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat with the other leg leading

6. running simulation drill. The Isometric part is holding yourself in a braced, compact running position. The Range of Motion part is the active arm swing that locks in the proper ‘handshake’ drive phase. Do this for 60 seconds

Do these 2-3 times per week and try to fit in 2 to 3 circuits. You will notice a HUGE improvement in your ability to run lighter, longer and with less fatigue BAREFOOT. After all, the key to running SAFELY barefoot is CARESSING the running surface whilst staving off the downward pull of gravity.

Coach Jeff

Don’t forget to register for the MADD 5 km road race & breakfast on Sunday, June 9 at J.C. Saddington Park in Port Credit, Ontarion, Canada.