Coaching Association of Canada is circulating a “toolkit” for coaches who want to improve the success rate for their athletes.
It’s based on the dissertation of Erin Willson, PhD.
The full document is linked at the bottom of this post.
AI summary of the PDF:
The document provides a toolkit for coaches to create positive sport environments that foster both performance success and athlete well-being.
It outlines four key attributes of a positive sport environment: characteristics of the athlete, characteristics of the coach, characteristics of the coach-athlete relationship, and characteristics of the training environment.
The toolkit encourages coaches to expand their definition of success beyond just medal performance to include personal development, well-being, enjoyment, and a desire to stay in sport.
It provides guidance on assessing readiness for change, implementing positive coaching strategies like being empowering, healthy, and maintaining respectful coach-athlete relationships.
The toolkit also includes resources like checklists and planning guides to help coaches integrate these strategies.
… Coaching is a profession that puts an emphasis on relationships and teaching. As I reflect on my career and what I have seen of others I believe that coaching is more than a profession, IT IS A CALLING. A calling with great responsibility and equally great rewards. …
Look for differences not similarities. Strip away all things that don’t matter and get down to the core issues. What you don’t see may be as important as what you do see! …
A video from True Sport shows how terrible it can be for some kids who play sport on the ride home after a game or practice. It’s part of a new campaign called, “The Ride Home“.
… a father berates his son for wanting to have fun during a practice. …
The ride home is easy, actually. You just have to remember to say six words:
It’s very good. I recommend it for coaches, parents, and serious older gymnasts.
It’s science based, but easy enough to read for every teenager.
Coaches can read this book to remind of important principles for being successful in Gymnastics and Life.
Gymnasts can treat it as a fill-in-the-blank workbook, if they prefer.
Honest and up-to-date. I found nothing with which I could disagree. 😀
I liked the section titled Handling the Hardships of Gymnastics.
The chapter on Quitting, best of all. This should be recommended to any older gymnast contemplating hanging up the grips.
Gymnastics is a master teacher of how to fail. More important, it is a master teacher of how to overcome failure. As a gymnast, you deal with so much failure that after a while it doesn’t seem so scary. Many people avoid challenges because they are so afraid to fail—but not you. You know that when you fail you are one step closer to success. You also know that failure is a normal (and helpful) part of life.
Julia Konner, MPH, CHES, is a former collegiate Division 1 student-athlete and coach with over 16 years of competing as an artistic gymnast. Through her many years as a club athlete, collegiate athlete, and team captain, she has faced her own adversities through injuries, body image issues, and impact that training 30+ hours/week has had on her social life.
Over the years she has helped countless young and college-aged athletes navigate the ups and downs of the complicated, arduous, and time-consuming sport of gymnastics.
Through her personal experience and intricate knowledge of the sport, Konner provides evidence-based advice for young gymnasts at every level. She holds a master’s in public health (MPH) from the University of California, Davis.
During and after finishing her graduate work, she worked in research and program management related to prevention and mitigation of chronic diseases through healthier lifestyle habits.
She remains active as a competitive CrossFit athlete, focused on both the physical side of strength as well as the mental. She currently lives in Washington, DC, and works in public health.
Interviews with Akash Modi, Justin Spring, John McReady, Kim Zmeskal, Betty Okino, Tracee Talavera, and more.
… unfiltered and heartfelt interviews presented in Beyond the Chalk Box. …
… the challenges and triumphs of former elite gymnasts …
Beyond the Chalk Box is not just a chronicle of athletic accomplishments. It’s a valuable resource for athletes, shedding light on the often-neglected aspects of athlete well-being.
It underscores the significance of a comprehensive approach to health, longevity, and joy in sports.
The book explores tools such as mindfulness, spirituality, self-compassion, visualization, and introspection, providing practical insights on how athletes can navigate the intricacies of their sport and cultivate resilience in the face of challenges.
Theresa Kulikowski-Gillespie is a holistic wellness and performance coach, physician assistant (PA), certified mindfulness meditation teacher, Army veteran …
A former 1996 Olympic Team Alternate and NCAA Champion, she now lives at West Point, NY, with her family and goldendoodle, Ollie.
"Gymnastics isn’t just a sport for me–it’s been my life’s journey, shaping me through challenges and triumphs. As you’ll see through the stories in the book, this is a common theme for each athlete.” Theresa Kulikowski-Gillespie on Beyond the Chalk Boxhttps://t.co/UXVsqW3vaQ
Gymnastics Coaching.com 