Anthony Donskov
Anthony Donskov is the founder of DSC where he serves as the Director of Sport Performance. Donskov holds a Masters Degree in Exercise Science & is the author of Physical Preparation for Ice Hockey.
All In: Consistent Greatness
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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!
Having our younger athletes’ witness this mentality provides a unique glance at what it takes to reach an inner potential that constantly seeks to elude it’s chaser. My hope is that this will serve as an “Ignition Moment” in their minds. The Eastern Europeans were fond of dissecting fitness into three elements: 1.) Work Capacity: “the ability of the body as a machine to produce work of different intensity and duration using the appropriate energy systems of the body.” 2.) Fitness: the ability to cope with the demands of a task efficiently, and 3.) Preparedness (expressed as mental state, fatigue, psychological factors). I believe we have a profound impact on all three variables as strength coaches. That is a powerful statement, but I truly think what separates the best at the elite level is “instantaneous preparedness”, attitude, drive, deliberate drilling/practice, adherence and determination. You can’t be prepared with one foot in, you have to be ALL IN!
References:
(1) Siff, M., Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, Sixth Edition, 2003.