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Hierarchy of Coaching By Ken Vick, Executive Sports Performance Director, Velocity Sports Performance
March 09, 2010

Recently, author, Seth Godin wrote a blog post about his “Hierarchy of Success”.  I thought it was very relevant to coaching overall.  Seth wrote;


”The hierarchy of success
I think it looks like this:

1.Attitude                                                                     
2.Approach
3.Goals
4.Strategy
5.Tactics
6.Execution
We spend all our time on execution. Use this word instead of that one. This web host. That color. This material or that frequency of mailing.

Big news: No one ever succeeded because of execution tactics learned from a Dummies book.

Tactics tell you what to execute. They're important, but dwarfed by strategy. Strategy determines which tactics might work.

But what's the point of a strategy if your goals aren't clear, or contradict?

Which leads the first two, the two we almost never hear about.”

He continues the article and discusses how each should drive the other. It's probably important to define two of these that are often used interchangeably; Strategy is WHAT you're going to do, Tactics are HOW you're going to do it.

When you hear a lot of coaches talking (or arguing) about training and athletic development its often about the last two. The execution of the specific drill or exercise is important to most of us. Countless arguments focus on execution.

The tactics may be doing heavy lifting vs. using bodyweight exercises.  Machine vs. free weight.  Small sided games vs. full field. We can go on and on with the arguments over tactics. There are more presentations and dvds on tactics than we will ever need.

I have to agree with Seth here. In the big picture, no one succeeds because of tactics and execution. You may fail if you don't do those well, but they don't bring success.

I'll say it again. The way you do the plyo drill or lift the weight won't bring success. This sounds like blasphemy coming from a coach who believes in teaching and enforcing proper technique, but I believe it's true.

I can have my athletes execute the best single leg, recovery focused, butt kick bounding out there. They did it because I decided that it was the best tactic to build specific explosiveness for sprinting.

However, if the goal was to play faster on the offensive line, but employed the wrong strategy of building specific explosiveness for sprinting, then I have a problem. I should have been building explosiveness for acceleration or acceleration against resistance.

So you can see how getting the goals and the strategy right are more important than execution and tactics. We do have discussion however about the next one up the hierarchy, approach.

Your approach in coaching terms are the broad strokes. If you see athletes who need to be faster will you use "technique drills" to develop speed or do believe strength is the primary focus. This can influence the goal to be either "we need better sprinting technique" or "we need to be stronger!" Do you believe in developing general athleticism or sport specific skills? The broader questions of approach will dictate how you set goals.

The last one, attitude, I think is more of the overall philosophy you have. Towards performance, towards competition, towards life. It's the driving force behind the rest.

 

  

This is the most important piece of all.  It trumps just about everything else.  Yes, the exercise technique and selection make a huge difference.  Selecting or executing poorly can destroy a program or athlete, but they won't make you successful.  It's the solid and broad foundation of your true attitude, your beliefs, that set the base to grow coaching success upon.

It's your attitude as a coach.  As a person that has the greatest effect.  What do you stand for and what do you bring to your athlete's everyday?  If you are a positive person, you want the best for your athletes, you are sincere in your efforts, and you strive to be the best, it shows.  You can't hide this or fake it.  Not over the long haul. 

  

This is the true foundation of your coaching.  All of the other stuff is built upon this.  If the attitude is wrong, the athletes will see through it.  If the attitude is wrong, their motivation will disappear.  When your coaching is only based on the specifics of exercise technique and rep/weight selection you've got it upside down.

  

This key point is why I believe there are some coaches who have a methodology that may be faulty in some ways, but if their Attitude and Approach are lined up, they will be successful with many athletes and in many settings.  Attitude and approach can make them successful in spite of their actual training methodology.

  

Because of an attitude, they can affect their athletes effort and focus. At times, when the window of opportunity is big enough, and the complexity is not too great, the right attitude can trump some mistakes in all the other steps.

  

So as a coach, the question then becomes; 

  1. What are your core beliefs that construct your Coaching philosophy?
  2. Are you reflecting those in every coaching session and all you are doing?  

When you have those, you have the foundation for success.

Velocity Sports Performance Opens in Bloomington, MN By Christina Gilbert, Velocity Sports Performance
November 30, 2011

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Strength Training Area

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Speed and Strength Training Area

Champlin, MN - November 23, 2011 - Velocity Sports Performance, specializing in advanced sports performance training for athletes of all ages and skill levels, today announced the grand opening of its newest location in partnership with M1 Volleyball in Bloomington, MN. Located at 1701 W 94th Street, Suite 275, Bloomington is the latest of over 65 facilities to open nationwide, making Velocity Sports Performance one of the fastest growing sports performance franchises in the country. Classes will officially begin on Monday, November 28th.
 
Velocity Sports Performance defines sports performance training and has built a business devoted to training athletes in every sport, at all ages and all skill levels. Athletes of any caliber can realize their potential through advanced training programs, scientifically designed to maximize human sports performance. Velocity Sports Performance offers athletes from age eight through adult, semi-private and team-based sports performance training designed to help them increase speed, power and agility, while reducing the risk of sports-related injuries.
 
At Velocity Sports Performance only the best coaches are hired. Velocity Sports Performance requires its coaches to have a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science or a related field, and to hold a current certification through a nationally accredited organization such as the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Additionally, training in small groups allows more personal one-on-one attention between coach and athlete, which ensures that each athlete will be able to get the instructions they need in order to improve.
 
Velocity Sports Performance enjoys strategic relationships with nationally respected organizations such as Under Armour, Combine360, and Gatorade. The company also offers worldwide franchise opportunities and provides world-class franchise training and ongoing support.
 
"I'm thrilled to bring a Velocity Sports Performance training center to Bloomington," said Chris Hunt, Center Director. "We know Velocity Sports Performance will help local sports enthusiasts develop a competitive edge with regards to speed, agility and strength."
 
"Until now, there was an underserved market in this area in terms of age-appropriate performance training for younger athletes." says Nate Michalowski, Sports Performance Director. "It used to be that sports performance training programs were only available to professional and collegiate athletes, but today, athletes start training earlier and preparing to meet their dreams of playing elite sports. Velocity Sports Performance programs are specifically designed to give kids a foundation for reaching their greatest athletic potential in a safe and supervised environment, while putting the 'fun' back into their activities. Meanwhile, parents will see their kids' self confidence grow."
 
In addition to our Youth and Developmental Programs, Velocity Sports Performance offers an Adult Fitness program. Our Adult Program sessions are designed for active adults looking for a challenging training program. The Adult program is designed to actively challenge effort and coordination with 60 minute movement-based sessions. No two sessions are alike, and all are fun, fast-paced, and educational, which is unique compared to a traditional gym-based workout. The result is an increase in overall fitness as well as improved metabolism, body composition, and exercise technique.
 
For more information about our Champlin or Bloomington locations contact Brad Ogle at (763) 390-6625. Learn more about opening a sports performance franchise by visiting: OwnASportsFranchise.com
VELOCITY SPORTS PERFORMANCE OPENS FOR BUSINESS IN CHANDLER, ARIZONA By Velocity Sports Performance, Velocity Sports Performance
October 21, 2011

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Speed and Agility Training Area in Chandler, AZ

State-of-the-art Training Facilities and Professional Coaches Offer Local Athletes
Of All Ages a Competitive Edge
 
Chandler, AZ – October, 21st 2011 – Velocity Sports Performance, specializing in advanced sports performance training for athletes of all ages and skill levels, today announced the grand opening of its newest location on Monday, October 24th, in Chandler, AZ. Located at 3201 S. Gilbert Rd, Chandler AZ 85286, Chandler is the latest of over 40 facilities to open nationwide, making Velocity Sports Performance one of the fastest growing sports performance franchises in the country.
 
Velocity Sports Performance defines sports performance training and has built a business devoted to training athletes in every sport, at all ages and all skill levels.  Athletes of any caliber can realize their potential through advanced training programs, scientifically designed to maximize human sports performance.  Velocity Sports Performance offers athletes from age eight through adult, semi-private and team-based sports performance training designed to help them increase speed, power and agility, while reducing the risk of sports-related injuries.
 
At Velocity Sports Performance only the best coaches are hired. Velocity Sports Performance requires its coaches to have a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science or a related field, and to have coached at the collegiate level or beyond. Additionally, training in small groups allows more personal one-on-one attention between coach and athlete, which ensures that each athlete will be able to get the instructions they need in order to improve.
 
Velocity Sports Performance enjoys strategic relationships with nationally respected organizations such as Under Armour, Combine360, USA Football, ESPN Rise, STACK Media, and Gatorade. The company also offers worldwide franchise opportunities and provides world-class franchise training and ongoing support.
 
"I’m thrilled to bring a Velocity Sports Performance training center to Chandler,” said owner Ryan Van Alfen.  “We know Velocity Sports Performance will help local sports enthusiasts develop a competitive edge with regards to speed, agility and strength.”
 
The 11,000 square foot facility is located in City, and include a 25 x 35 yard indoor turf field, four, Olympic platform areas and a 1,100 square foot state-of-the-art strength training area. Clients can take advantage of dedicated adult fitness classes and specialized equipment, which includes a computerized analysis of their athleticism and progress, and the center, will also offer physical therapy.
 
“Until now, there was an underserved market in this area in terms of age-appropriate performance training for younger athletes.” says Sports Performance Director Chandler Herdt.  “It used to be that sports performance training programs were only available to professional and collegiate athletes, but today athlete’s start training earlier and preparing to meet their dreams of playing elite sports. Velocity Sports Performance programs are specifically designed to give kids a foundation for reaching their greatest athletic potential in a safe and supervised environment, while putting the ‘fun’ back into their activities.  Meanwhile, parents will see their kids’ self confidence grow.”

Injury Prevention
Three million youths suffer sports related injuries annually, 25% of which require emergency room visits, according to the American Society of Pediatric Medicine.   It is important for all athletes, especially youth athletes, to receive training in order to keep them safe on the field, improve their abilities, and still have fun playing sports.
 
“The level of competition in sports, particularly youth sports, has dramatically increased in recent years and training is important for both maximum performance and injury prevention,” says Chandler Herdt Sports Performance Director. “Our program addresses performance improvement, life-long fitness, injury prevention and love of sports. We bring expertise in proper strength and conditioning techniques to lower the risk of injury and enhance athletic performance for pros and student athletes alike.”  
 
Science-based Training
Velocity Sports Performance’s scientifically-based training is designed to improve the athletic ability of all age groups, genders and athletic skill levels:
  • Student Athletes, ages 8 to 18
  • Recreational Adult Athletes
  • Elite Amateur Athletes
  • Professional Athletes
  • Occupational Athletes (Firefighters, Police Officers, Military, etc.)
 
“We teach athletes the science behind speed and athletics, allowing them to gain maximum power and decrease their chance of injuries,” says Loren Seagrave, founder of Velocity Sports Performance.  “Our goal is to provide a safe, positive environment that promotes long-term psychological and physical development, leading to increased confidence, character and overall life success.”  
 
Coach Seagrave is regarded as one of the most renowned speed and sports performance coaches in the world. His specialties include human performance optimization, health and wellness, and greater quality and enjoyment of life through lifestyle and eating behavior modification. Coach Seagraves’s holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to performance optimization has earned him acclaim from athletes and coaches throughout the world of sports. He is considered one of the leading experts of applied sports science to today's high performance athlete. Seagrave has a reputation in Track and Field as one of the best sprint and hurdle coaches in the world and works with elite professional athletes from a wide spectrum of professional sports including football, baseball, basketball, soccer and ice hockey. Seagrave has worked as a speed and conditioning coach with the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions and other NFL teams. Some of his NFL pupils include Dorsey Levens (Packers); Marco Coleman (Redskins); Willie Clay (Saints); Terrell Davis (Broncos); and Herschel Walker. Coach Seagrave worked with numerous distance runners and triathletes concentrating on increasing running efficiency and decreasing oxygen cost of running.
 
The center will also offer two specialized programs such as:
 
  • Velocity Sports Performance Adult Fitness and Bootcamps, adult targeted programs, which deliver fast-paced, high-energy workouts structured for total body conditioning no matter the participant’s age or fitness level.  Throughout the programs, strength, cardio and flexibility tests are used to gauge progress.  Every Velocity Sports Performance Adult Fitness workout includes: Active Dynamic Warm-up, Energy System Development and Strength Training.
   
 
Athletes typically train two to three times a week, in groups no larger than eight athletes per coach, so that clients receive individualized coaching and personal attention.  The athletes are grouped by age and skill level to best motivate and encourage training at optimal levels. For more information or to set up your free trial session, call 480.745.8999 or visit the local Velocity Sports Performance center at 3201 S. Gilbert Rd, Chandler AZ 85286.
 
About Velocity Sports Performance Velocity Sports Performance, the industry leader in providing advanced sports performance training for athletes of all skill levels and ages, was founded in 1999 by world-renowned coach Loren Seagrave, a five-time NCAA champion coach who trained Olympic, professional, and college athletes.   At Velocity Sports Performance, athletes of any skill level from age eight through adult can realize their potential through advanced training programs taught by degreed and certified coaches, scientifically designed to increase speed, power, and agility, while reducing the risk of sports-related injuries. Velocity Sports Performance is the Official Provider of Under Armour Combine360 Athletic Assessments.  There are over 40 Velocity Sports Performance facilities across the United States, each with an average of 19,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities. Please visit www.velocitysp.com for more information on training programs and franchise opportunities.  
 
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Articles
XSI Information By XSI
April 08, 2010
Drill of the Month: Three Cone Drill By VSP, Velocity Sports Performance
April 07, 2010

The “Three Cone Drill” is a multi-directional drill that allows athletes to showcase their ability to shift their bodyweight and move around quickly while changing directions and keeping speed. During this drill we are able to see an athletes multi-directional movement abilities as well as seeing what the athlete lacks in their “multi-d” repertoire.

The Set-Up:
 
Place three cones five yards away from one another in a “L” shaped pattern.
 
The Execution:
To perform the drill, the athletes start in their athletic stance to the left of the first cone (d1). The timer starts when the athlete takes off out of their stance and sprints 5 yards towards the second cone (d2).  When the athlete arrives at the second cone (d2) they change direction and head back towards the first cone cone (d1). The timer starts when the athlete takes off out of their stance and sprints 5 yards towards the second cone (d2).  When the athlete arrives at the second cone (d2) they change direction and head back towards the first cone (d1). At this point the athlete changes direction a second time now running back to the second cone (d2). This     time instead of stopping and reversing direction at the second cone they take a sharp left turn and head towards the third and final cone (d3). When the athlete reaches this final cone (d3), they run a circle around it from the inside to the outside now heading back towards the second cone (d2). Upon arriving at the second cone (d2) they take a sharp right turn and sprint towards the first cone (d1) stopping the clock as they run past it at the start/finish line.
 
Why The Three Cone:
 
If you play a sport that requires rapid acceleration, deceleration and many changes in direction this drill adds an element to your training that is unmatched. In this drill athletes are required to rapidly shift body weight, bending and pivoting their way between the cones. It involves sprints, stops, turns and circles offering an optimal way to train ones ability to change direction at high speeds. Along with the “5-10-5” drill the “Three Cone” is an ideal drill to add to your training to improve your acceleration speed and agility.  It serves as a great way to track your progress in multi-directional movement over the course of your training sessions.
 
Velocity Sports Performance uses the “Three Cone” drill to not only prepare some of the nations top college football recruits for their journey to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis each year, but everyday to help make allof our athletes become better athletes.
3 Phases of Training By Erik Kasabuske, Velocity Sports Performance
April 07, 2010
Coaching young athletes and helping them develop into the athletes they want to be is a very rewarding experience. From the 8 year old Youth to the 18 year old Developmental 2 athlete there are a lot of the same goals but very different approaches to how we reach them. Everyone wants to get faster, stronger, and more explosive but training an 8 year old the same as the 18 year old just doesn’t work. Young athletes have 3 main phases of development that takes place.
 
Phase 1: Learning how to Train.
This is the phase that most of our Youth class athletes fall into. During this phase athletes have a very difficult time doing anything at a high intensity and a lot of their improvements in performance are based on motor learning and doing a lot of repetitions. The biggest problem is that most athletes want to be too specific early on and miss out perfecting the basics.
 
Phase 2: Training to Train.
This is the phase that most of our Developmental 1 and some Developmental 2 athletes are in. At this stage athletes have hopefully built a solid foundation of training and are ready to add in a few specifics but still focus on the basics. They are able to push themselves harder than before but still require a lot of repetitions to become good at anything. It is still very important to do a few things well instead of many things poorly.
 
Phase 3: Training to Compete.
At this stage we can perform the basic movements correctly and are able to train them at a high intensity which means we can’t do as many repetitions. This allows us to focus on a lot more specifics than before and follow a more individualized program.
 
You come to Velocity because you want to improve your performance. Our highly trained coaches know how to assess an athlete design a program based on what training phase you are in. It is important for parents and athletes to keep these phases of training in mind when you watch another athlete do something and wonder why you aren’t doing it. It is very possible that it may not be what you need to get better.

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