Over the last few days Sailing Anarchy has run a basic coaching
article by Chris Rast, its good stuff and worth reading for SEISA
since just about every team coaches themselves. Please keep in mind
that this is written mostly for keel boats, not dinghies, and for
individual boats or pairs of boats, not teams.
Blake Billman
SEISA Graduate Director
Coaching is overrated....How to get the most out of coaching.
"I can't believe it! It looks so different form inside the boat!"
Both Steve's and Dave's amazement was obvious when I asked them to
step on board the coach boat and have a look at their mainsail trim
during some Etchells practice before the One Design Weekend in San
Diego. On various occasions this year I had been coaching Dave
Ullman (sailing on board John Fuller's Etchells team) and I was
getting tired of telling them that their main was over-trimmed and
the traveller was to low. I had taken plenty of pictures of them and
their sparring partners, but nothing had as big as an effect than
just having them hop on board and comparing what they were seeing
from on the boat to how it looked like from off the boat. That was
actually a bit of a highlight for those two days of coaching and I
wasn't really impressed with my work otherwise. So I decided to take
a closer look at how to maximize the efficiency of having a coach.
Over the years with 4 Olympic Campaigns and some Pro-Sailing I have
been exposed to quite a bit of coaching. As pro-sailing has evolved,
so has coaching. But unfortunately I'm usually not impressed with
what these highly paid individuals actually deliver (and that
includes myself when I am coaching, I have to admit). This article
is meant to be a bit of a wake-up call for sailors that do employ
coaches (either at regattas or in practice) and also for coaches.
With some simple tricks the coach's work can be way more productive.
Here are my two cents.
On practice days:
1.Do your homework and know what you want to work on I like to
compare coaches to expensive hard cover books. They all have really
nice big letter titles and some fancy picture on the cover and when
you open them up there are all sorts of chapters. Way too many
chapters to read in one weekend! In order to get the most out of
your coach you have to know what you want to work on and see which
chapters apply. As a coach I always ask my sailors to give me a
precise write-up on what they want to work on. This way I can
prepare accordingly and actually add value. There's nothing worse
than showing up at the dock and not knowing what you should be
working on.
2. Be organized
This applies both to the coach and the sailors. Don't lose valuable
time, because the coach boat isn't ready or you don't have any marks
or your sparring partners are late. You're paying this guy way too
much to just wait and hang around! A coach that just shows up on the
agreed time is showing up too late in my book. Fire him!
3.Make a plan
Before leaving the dock talk through the day's schedule (everyone on
the team should attend) and go over the list of exercises you wish
to practice. Explain what you are trying to achieve and what the
main focus points are for the given exercise. Set clear, realistic
goals for the day.
4. Have the coach run the show
Especially if you have multiple boats, let the coach run the show.
Not everything might make sense immediately, but just go with the
flow and give it 100%. If you need a break, communicate it to the
coach and let him set it up for everyone, don't just sail away and
start eating your sandwiches.
5. Use technology
With all the cool gadgets out there, there is no excuse not using
them. High on the priority list are: VHF radios or other comms to
communicate easily, On and off the boat video for further analysis,
GPS units like the Velocitek or similar can be very useful when
comparing the performance of two boats. Some good video or pictures
tell more than a thousand words.
6. Keep the intensity high
It's not easy to keep the pressure on for a whole day of practice.
Make sure you give your team the necessary break once in a while.
They will reward you with more focused work after that. If all else
fails, you can consider switching up positions on the boat. At least
it will most likely provide material for some good laughs and it's
always insightful to see what is happening in other areas of the
boat. With multiple boats I like to end the day with short course
racing and define some sort of prize (losing boat has to provide
strippers or similar that evening).
7. Debrief quickly
If no tow is required I like to head into shore quickly and analyze
pictures and video. Less is more! Find the most telling bits and
reduce to what is necessary to make your point. If your video skills
are horrible, don't even think of showing it. You will most likely
just cause a massive head ache with all those boats bouncing around
the screen.
On Racing days
1. Morning briefing
After checking the notice board have the tactician, strategist and
the coach meet and go over the days weather forecast, current and
strategy.
2. Get to the race course early
This goes for both the coach and the sailors. Getting to the race
course early allows you to get a grip on what kind of day its going
to be. Take a wind and current reading and get everyone on the same
page. If you're allowed to have on-the-water coaching get feedback
from your coach on how your setup looks and how it compares to the
others. As a coach put yourself in the position of the sailors and
ask yourself: What information would be most important to me right
now in order to win that next race?
3. Focus on the next race
In between races focus on what will actually make a difference in
the next race. There is plenty of time to talk about details once
you get to shore.
4. Be the rock in the storm
Sometimes after a really good or bad race emotions can run pretty
high on a boat. As a coach its your duty to level things out and get
everyone sorted for the next race. Its not exactly helpful having
the coach scream at you for messing up.
5. Find what is working and what is not
As a coach you have the luxury of seeing how the races unfold and
observe the patterns that are working (and aren't working). Often
the view from on the boat looks different and the coach's
perspective can provide a good un-biased opinion.
6. Debrief quickly
Once back at the dock set a time for the debrief and keep it nice
and sweet. As a coach you need to work through all the noise of the
day and give a concise summary of what was working. End the de-
briefing on a good note.
Here are some more tips for coaches:
Know at all times where your team is on the race course
a) Get good at taking video and commenting at the same time.
b) The better your sailors are, the less you need to tell them what
to do. Instead you must figure out the important questions that will
spur the right discussion. Remember, its difficult to teach old dogs
new tricks
c) Have your shit together. Low batteries in your electronics or
VHF, low on gas etc. is just plain unprofessional
d) Meet the sailors with beers at the dock after a tough day of
racing, or maybe just always meet them with beers...
e) At the end of a regatta or a practice session provide a write-up
with the most important conclusions and a work list.
So the next time you're looking for a coach for some practice or a
regatta, maybe just send him a link to this article. If you do your
homework you might actually get your money's worth.
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