Last month I had the unique opportunity of speaking at a local grade school for “Career Day”.  What an awesome environment!   Seeing young, impressionable minds eager to learn and quick to smile.  It was a chance for me to reflect on why I chose my path, how it shaped me, how it made me the person I am today…. why I chose to Coach. My father was a Coach, both my brothers’ Coach, and I am proud to call myself “Coach”.  This profession runs deep in our families’ DNA. Having the chance to self-reflect it was easy to see why I chose to Coach. 

I am convinced that if you want something bad enough, you have to roll up your sleeves, buckle up your chin strap and be prepared to scratch, claw and grind for every inch of greatness you can attain before it’s too late.  All athletic careers have expiration dates!  You have to be ALL IN! There is no “I think I’ll go play Nintendo today” or “I’ll just have Mom and Dad say I’m not feeling well”, or “I don’t feel like rehab today on my injury” at the elite level.  You’re either all in OR your all gone!  Recently “rare air” has been attained at DSC as three of our elite athletes have attained Championships at the International and National Levels respectively:  Lisa Chesson (USA Women’s National Hockey Team World Champion), Connor Murphy (USA World Junior Hockey Gold Medalist), and Keith Gavin (USA 84KG Freestyle Wrestling Champion).  To say that we are proud would be an understatement.  They embody what it means to be “ALL IN”.  Yes, they all have great genetics, BUT more importantly, they are “Everydayers”!  Their work ethic and drive matches their attitude and desire to get better, get stronger, listen to their bodies, rest, recover, regenerate, and attain “consistent greatness”.   Weather it’s focusing on lifting heavy weight, breathing patters, diet, rehabbing an injury or getting more sleep, they spend just as much time “working in” as they do “working out.”   Bottom line: they are prepared! 

We get asked quite frequently about recommended reading/resources for strength and conditioning professionals.  Below is a comprehensive list of recommended resources and several of the books/DVD's we make available to our Coach's and interns at Donskov Strength and Conditioning.  The items bolded are considered "must reads/watches" for our staff.

I vividly remember turning sixteen and getting my driver’s license.  Truth be told, I felt unprepared, uncomfortable and flat out scared behind the wheel for the first several months.  It took me years to get acclimated, feel comfortable and learn the intricacies of the road.  The “license” was just a piece of paper, not an advanced qualification, not trail and error experience, sweat equity, hours of sacrifice or deliberate practice.   The “license” did not allow me to drive motorcycles, eighteen-wheelers or commercial machinery.  In retrospect the “license” didn’t take much time to receive and certainly left me with many more experiences to gain other than the pages of a driver’s education handbook.  You may be asking, what does this have to do with Coaching?  Well, in this day and age of whom we consider “experts”, it has everything to do with Coaching! 

I vividly remember my father as a young child being very disciplined with my brothers and me.  No hats in the house, ALWAYS say “thank you”, address adults as “Mr.” or “Mrs.”, strict curfews and an appreciation for “grown ups” with many more years of experience and runway traveled.  I do remember questioning my Father in high school.  It seems my teenage years were spent trying to figure out why he was so “hard” on us, why little things mattered so much and why report cards had nothing to do with grades, but everything to do with work ethic, commitment and discipline.  As I’ve grown, these questions have been answered and it has made me who I am today.  His discipline was nothing more than love and a realization that there were consequences for my actions.

My older brother Misha has always been a mentor to me.  We share Coaching experiences, feedback and life lessons on a daily basis.  We also share “must reads” in terms of coaching education.  He recently suggested that I read Jon Gordon’s “The Energy Bus” and this book has reinforced why I continue to believe that beneath the confines of our gym lies something truly special!  Beyond the walls of DSC is an electrically charged machine!   An environment that reinforces team first, attitude, attention to detail, respect, adherence, care, concern, transformation, positive energy, and genuine smiles.  We preach to our youth athletes on a daily basis the importance of a positive attitude.  Below is a quick reflection from “The Energy Bus” that reinforces how important attitude is in life!

When I think of the story of my father’s childhood I’m often reminded of how lucky I am.  I am also reminded that comparatively speaking, I was a spoiled child.  My father was born in Europe (Belgrade), lived three and a half years in a refugee camp before a Church sponsored the entire family to come by boat to Canada.  They arrived needing to learn a language, make a living and provide for one another.  Nothing was guaranteed, granted or given.  They weren’t worried about rights and privileges; they were concerned with priorities and obligations!  They worked for everything!  Fast-forward to my childhood many years later:  travel hockey, $200 hockey skates, gym memberships, long road trips, unconditional resources, a comfortable house to live in and a language that my peers spoke fluently!  My father has taught me many valuable life lessons as his lens provides a unique perspective on what it means to “earn it”.  During my career as an athlete, student and now as a man, my father had two rules:

The role of a strength coach is three fold:  1.) Do No Harm, 2.) Reduce Injury, 3.) Enhance Performance.  With the additional use of several biofeedback markers such as HRV (the state of the autonomic nervous system) and vertical jump (the state of the central nervous system) qualified coaches can more accurately prescribe stress to their respective populations.  There are plenty more markers to utilize, but we use these for convenience/economy in our small and individual groups at DSC.

I wish I knew fifteen years ago what I know today.  Not just pertaining to my craft as a Strength Coach, but the valuable life lessons I learned along the way during my career as an athlete!  The importance of realizing inner potential, the necessity of utilizing all resources to their utmost capacity and that “intangibles” are just as important as physical attributes in the journey to success. In fact, the more I look into the process, the more I envision one big assembly line producing specialty vehicles.  The assembly workers (Coaches) ensure that all parts are strategically placed in order for the car (Athlete) to run effectively and efficiently with minimal pit stops.  Each car is different so each worker (Coach) has an important job in the final construction.  Care, concern, and attention to detail are just a few qualities of a good line worker (Coach).  Nobody wants a car that constantly breaks down, is missing an engine or won’t start. 

“There is no progress without change, but not all change is progress.”  (Wooden) There have been many advances over the years in the field of strength training: new technology, cutting edge equipment, advanced recovery tools, means, methods, published studies, internet “experts”, technical cuing, progressive motor learning and an ever-changing “ideal” of the perfect program.  With all of these variables, have we forgotten the Coach?  After all who is it that controls them?  Which means, methods, equipment, and recovery need to be used under differing circumstances?  Most importantly, who has the ability to change lives through discipline, motivation and realization of potential?