Long-Term Athletic Development: Walk Before You Run
"Don't try to be original. Be simple. Be good technically, and if there's something in you, it will come out." - Henri Matisse
The best athletes in any sport have perfected the fundamentals - they've mastered the mundane. This bedrock of exceptional technical and athletic proficiency is what allows them to display outlier qualities at the highest levels of competition, on the biggest stages.
In today's social media age - one of my biggest challenges is getting buy in from younger athletes (and parents at times as well) to want to master the basics first. They want to 'train like the pros'. After all, shouldn't we mimic the methods of the best in their craft?
The reality is, we must train in a way that will allow the athlete to train (and perform) like that down the road. Don't look at how the pros are training now, how did they train to help them get to that point? Walk before you run!
The problem is, it's not sexy to do the basics in the weight room, the track, or on the practice field, but an integral component in the art of coaching is not just implementing the right methods at the right time, but earning buy in from the athlete that their prescribed plan is what they need to do to get to where they want to be!
It certainly helps to get the younger athletes to buy in when you have an MLB pitcher in your facility, crushing the basics!!
Have a good weekend!