MASTERCLASS - Mike Forde Performance
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INSIGHTS FROM THE LEADING FIGURES IN SPORTS PERFORMANCE & BEYOND
01
AUTUMN 2013
www.leadersinperformance.com
MASTERCLASS
Ryan Giggs on achieving
and maintaining excellence
PERFORMANCE EDITORIAL 2 01 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
OCTOBER 2013
Inside
Cover Story Columns Around the World
14 32 04
Masterclass The Future of Sport Leaders in
Ryan Giggs, Achieving Dave Hancock, Performance USA
& Maintaining Excellence New York Knicks
06
25 7 Emerging Talents in the
It’s All in the Mind Performance Industry
Insights John Sullivan
12
20 42 The Reading List
Failing to Plan is
If it Ain’t Broke, Fix it Bob Bowman
Planning to Fail
Rasmus Ankersen
Pre-Season 30
36 44 About the P8
Changing the Game
Innovation in Player Injury 40
Ben Alamar
Regenerative Medicine 5 Minutes With
Luke Bodensteiner, USSA
48
Player’s Perspective 46
Jerry Stackhouse of Databank
the Brooklyn Nets Premier League Goals
Features
08
It’s Not Rocket Science 14
High Performance
at NASA
22
Excellence as Standard
The US Olympic
Committee
26
Unlocking the Potential
Talking Talent
with UK Sport
34
Mastering the Situation
Enhancing Performance
in High Stress Situations
PERFORMANCE WELCOME 02 03 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
WELCOME James Worrall
Why
CEO
Leaders
Performance?
Every aspiring or professional athlete, player or
team, whatever the sport, wherever it’s played, is
constantly striving to improve their performance.
And the complex inter-relationship between talent,
human endeavour, technology, technique and
innovation so fundamental to success means the
journey of continuous improvement is never-ending.
T he sports performance community are a
curious bunch. They travel to all corners of the
world to understand best practice. They study
performance in other walks of life and test theories
and ideas on the training ground day in, day out. Arie
It is designed to give an ever-growing industry
a regular source of inspiration and a chance to
challenge conventional thinking. It delves deep
into the best practitioners in sport and takes
inspiration from high-performing organisations
de Geus was right when he said the ability to learn outside, including the military, business, performing
faster than the opposition was the only sustainable arts, healthcare, science and entertainment. It will
advantage. Sport is living proof of that theory. try to tell some of those stories with the same
commitment to quality that characterises the
At Leaders in Performance we have seen this conferences and Leaders in Performance brand.
gathering of around 150 UK professionals with
an interest in data to a global multi-disciplinary for our cover story we’ve aimed high. Top-level
community of experts from over 40 sports. With performance over a sustained time period is what
international conferences in New York and London, every sportsman and coach is striving for and in
unique master-classes and P8 forums, articles Ryan Giggs, we’ve got a great example of how to
and case studies sent to 20,000 professionals make that happen. Elsewhere, we have an eclectic
Brought to you by as well as an annual Sports Performance mix of subjects and subject matter. Chelsea Warr,
Awards, the quest for knowledge continues. Deputy Director of Performance at UK Sport, tells
PUBLISHER WRITERS
Leaders in Performance Professor Chris Brady As we talk to professionals all over the world, we the NASA scientist who put the Rover on Mars,
Dave Hancock
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR continue to uncover fascinating people, creative talks team-building. We look at the mind, the
Mounir Zok
Martin Bjerg ideas, new strategies and revolutionary technologies. body and the environment – in short, everything
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Many of these insights have remained hidden that goes into creating a high performance
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jim Souter until now and it’s the reason we have decided to environment. We hope you gain insight, learning
Stephen Dobson
PERFORMANCE CONSULTANTS
EDITORS and, in the spirit of the community, share any
Mike Forde
Matthew Thacker learning with your peers all over the world.
Damien Comolli
Ed Davis
PHOTOGRAPHIC AGENCY
ART DIRECTOR
Action Images
James Henderson
PERFORMANCE 04 05 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
Leaders in
Performance
USA
Leaders in Performance went travelling in June
with a sell-out international conference hosted
at Bloomberg’s state of the art conference
facility in the heart of New York. 350 elite
coaches, managers, performance directors and
senior executives in sports performance from John Mara
over 30 sports and 25 countries attended,
and Jerry Reese
Owner and GM
with the gathering hailed as an unprecedented of New York Giants
success by speakers and delegates alike.
Shad Khan
Owner of Jacksonville
Jaguars
Andy Walshe General John
Red Bull
Peter Grauer Wissler
Chairman of Bloomberg US Marines
David Moyes Amar’e Stoudemire
Daniel Coyle Manager of Jerry Stackhouse
Author of The Talent Code Manchester United NBA Players
PERFORMANCE SPORTS PERFORMANCE AWARDS 06 07 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
7 EMERGING performance as well as player safety from injury.
He is highly creative in the methods he employs to
Rowing. Paul’s contribution during the ‘Start’
Programme to this achievement was fundamental
nutrition stations at national championship events for
TALENTS IN THE reach players, using grocery store tours, PowerPoint
presentations, dining hall table displays, locker
and his work with them gave them the basis and
inspiration from which they won Olympic Gold.
PERFORMANCE room board displays, and an extensive nutrition of service, stability and success, Kendig is quickly
INDUSTRY manual individualised for each player’s needs.
Performance Coach in the GB Rowing Team’s
Olympic Programme, a richly deserved appointment
Ashley, Chief of Sports Performance, US Olympic
Committee
The Nick Broad Award for
Emerging Talent - part of the designed customised work-outs and nutrition Performance Director, GB Rowing Team 06 | SEBASTIEN BOURDIN
Head of Strength and Conditioning, ASM
Sports Performance Awards programmes for our employees and improved
04 | STEPHAN DU TOIT Clermont Auvergne Rugby
Whaley, General Manager, Buffalo Bills Strength and Conditioning Trainer, DHL Nominated by Neil McIlroy, Manager Sportif/Team
On 17th January 2013, Nick Broad, a highly respected
Western Province and Stormers Rugby Manager, ASM Clermont Auvergne Rugby and Vern
and talented professional in the sports performance
02 | MIKE PATTON Nominated by Rassie Erasmus, General Manager, Cotter, Head Coach, ASM Clermont Auvergne Rugby
world, tragically died in a car accident in Paris.
Track Cycling Physiologist, High Performance Teams, South Africa Rugby Nominated for Driving sports science
At the time he was working alongside Manager
Cycling Canada Nominated for Applying match statistics to rugby initiatives to improve team performance
Carlo Ancelotti at Paris St Germain football club
Nominated by Andrea Wooles, conditioning, and the development of youth
having built his career with Premier League teams Sebastien has brought new techniques and practices
Sport Science and Medicine players at Western Province and Stormers Rugby
Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Chelsea. from throughout the world to help the team keep
Manager, Cycling Canada
Since 2006 Stephan has been analysing various a step ahead of other French sides physically over
Nick was an incredibly popular member of the sports Nominated for Contribution to statistics across rugby competitions and one
Bronze medal at London 2012 his nine years at the club. He carefully balances his
performance community and was known for giving of his aims is to marry the use of statistics and schedule between practical time spent with the
The team were considered a long shot by the conditioning in rugby. He has contributed to the playing staff and research and has been the driving
Many have gone on to build their own career in elite Canadian OC in the two years running up to the teams’ success by identifying patterns and using force behind a lot of sports science initiatives such as
performance thanks to Nick. And with the support of Olympics, but with Mike’s support they went from insights to improve physical preparation and he cryotherapy, hypoxic pre-season training, GPS use as
his wife, Paula, and family, we are dedicating an Award has been instrumental in creating the testing and well as CPK testing. With his no-nonsense approach,
at the Sports Performance Awards taking place on programme prescriptions of Western Province’s rigour and work ethic, Seb is one of the driving
9 October at Chelsea FC in memory of Nick. at the Olympics. Mike’s contributions included U15 and U17 Elite squads. This has seen huge forces behind the creation of the ‘Clermont Culture’
success, measured by the number of players that where core values are driven home daily by the staff.
including on-going tracking of training loads and progress to the Western Province senior team.
recognise the next generation of performance 07 | RUSSELL MARK
leaders (under 35 years old) and celebrate of interventions, and world-leading work on pacing High Performance Consultant,
outstanding contribution to the performance of modelling and prediction. He is now contributing USA Swimming
a team or athlete. Since the nomination process to the development of the next generation of Nominated by Frank Busch,
began, Leaders have received an overwhelming physiologists as a colleague and a mentor. Performance Teams, South Africa Rugby National Team Director, USA Swimming
response from General Managers, Performance Nominated for Assisting with the technical
Directors and Head Coaches from all over 05 | ALICIA KENDIG advancement of national team athletes
the world, over 75 in total, keen to nominate a Sport Dietician, United States and coach-athlete preparation
member of their staff for the Award. After careful Science and Medicine Manager, Cycling Canada Olympic Committee
examination, the Sports Performance Awards Russell has worked at USA Swimming for over a
Nominated by Alan Ashley, Chief of Sports
judges have shortlisted 7 outstanding candidates: 03 | PAUL STANNARD Performance US Olympic Committee
decade as a high performance consultant, constantly
Coach, GB Rowing Team communicating with elite athletes and coaches
Nominated for Educating and supporting US
01 | DAN LIBURD Nominated by Sir David Tanner, athletes with nutritional services
in sharing the most cutting-edge information in
Assistant Strength Coach and Team the sport. He has been part of the staff for three
Performance Director, GB Rowing Team
Nutrionist, Buffalo Bills Alicia provides nutritional services to strength and Olympics and multiple World Championships and
Nominated for An outstanding contribution
to the performance of UK Women’s Pair, power athletes, winter sport teams and endurance is considered to be one of the best stroke analysts
Nominated by Eric Ciano, Head of Strength
and Conditioning, Buffalo Bills Helen Glover and Heather Stanning groups in the US. She also plays a key role in in the world, playing a critical role in assisting
educating athletes on the appropriate use of dietary with the technical advancement of national team
Nominated for Creatively reaching and Neither Glover nor Stanning were rowers before
connecting with the players on matters athletes. He has had a direct impact on the success
of nutrition, and affecting the entire recovery nutrition plans, and oversees activity and of many of the top swimmers in the US, including
organisation beyond the player personnel testing in the athlete performance lab at the U.S.
and built their mental strength so they could tackle Olympic Training Centre. Team USA’s success in
Dan has completely changed the views on nutrition the high training load required in a demanding 2012-13 illustrates Kendig’s ability to help athletes
and wellness of the entire Buffalo Bills organisation. endurance sport. Their progress was such that they achieve performance goals and her innovation and community for his contributions to Team
He works endless hours educating players on expertise led to the implementation of recovery
proper nutrition and the effects it can have on National Team Director, USA Swimming
PERFORMANCE FEATURE 08 09 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
It’s Not Rocket
Science…
Adam Steltzner
NASA engineer Adam Steltzner tells Chris Brady about
building a team for a space mission and why you
don’t need to be good at everything…
I
n 1947 Norbert Wiener, one of the 20th surface of Mars using the Sky Crane, team leader
century’s greatest mathematicians, published
a book called Cybernetics: or Control and
Communication in the Animal and the Machine.
It was Wiener who coined the term cybernetics, structure, not very hierarchical. I invite people
based on the Greek kubernetes (the pilot or to cross the boundaries of their intellectual and
practical territories and delve into the boundaries the mission, there were nine years of hard work he says, is to delegate the more managerial aspects
term kubernetike (the art of the steersman). of others. To get cross pollination of ideas and to of the job to others who are more suited to the
In the introduction to his book, Wiener describes The journey began with the selection of the team. better planners, better at making sure that we’re
how, through a series of regular meetings, ideas That big table is made up of some 40 people, with executing on each of the details of the overall
were formed and tested by experts from a variety a core strategic group of around 20. To put this plan. I focus my attention on being intermittently
of disciplines operating without intellectual into perspective, somewhere in the region of 7,000 connected with the essence of what we’re doing;
people worked on the Curiosity mission in one looking for central problems in what we’re doing. I
series of discussion meetings… The participants capacity or another. They are made up of systems think that there are very few industries, if any, that see myself as the free safety of the team [the free
were mostly young scientists at the Harvard Medical experts and domain experts. The former provide safety role in American football is analogous to the
School, and we would gather for dinner about a a systemic understanding of the inter-relationship peg for the exact right shaped hole. The trick is that
round table in Vanderbilt Hall. The conversation between the parts of the system while the latter
was lively and unrestrained. It was not a place tend to focus on their own particular element of major issues]. I am constantly looking for trouble,
where it was either encouraged or made possible
for anyone to stand on his dignity. After the meal,
somebody – either one of our group or an invited
So, are there any deal breakers in selecting
topic… The speaker had to run the gauntlet of doing that is close to that of each of the domain
acute criticism, good-natured but unsparing. It was middle deal breakers such as if you’re not at all experts. I need this grasp because technical problems
of the Curiosity mission. The Sky Crane was his interested in working in a team. However, the don’t typically form at the heart of a domain; they
responsibility, his creation. The precise details of only real deal breaker, the one that literally gets form at the boundaries between domains. This is yet
pomposity. Those who could not stand the gaff the mission and its successful completion are you ejected from the team, is that if your own another reason why that big table culture of being
did not return, but among the former habitués of outlined in an excellent article in the New Yorker work is put ahead of the team’s goals. Usually in each other’s shorts is so important because it’s
these meetings there is more than one of us who by Burkhard Bilger but in short, a rocket blasted that is someone who is so insecure that they when we’re looking outside of our individual domain
feels that they were an important and permanent off from Cape Canaveral on 26 November 2011 feel that they only have power if they withhold silos that we can begin to recognise issues, risks and
and delivered a mobile science lab onto Mars information from the rest of the group about the
just under nine months later, 6 August 2012. As
Asked how he managed to lead a disparate group
of NASA space engineers in a nine-year project all bystanders. What was going to happen was mastery and human sensitivity, that I’m a good reader
to land a one-tonne rover, Curiosity, on the
PERFORMANCE FEATURE 10 11 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
He accepts that of the three functions necessary the moment this may only be a two-man team
to survive and prosper in successful high but it’s no surprise that the other guy is San
performance teams – leading, managing and
There is also the same competitive bidding process
and coaching; I get others better at it than me in the space world as in other talent industries.
to do the detailed managing. That’s not strange
because I think that good tactical managers ability to sell is an essential element of the skillset
necessary for him to do his job well. He reluctantly
accepts that he has to do it, and be good at it. He If you find a guy who you know
Even before the team is pulled together, the idea of
the mission has to be accepted by the organisation.
can add value to the team then
As with many major project industries, there right words] ‘communicate the value’. When I was find that guy, or create for that
is what amounts to a bidding war to have your guy, a pentagonal shaped
project approved, funded and resourced. The way said that I would be a good inventor, promoter and
in which relatively small projects, and even those role to fill.
So, while technical knowledge on a generic level is
essential, it is the people skills – including selling
industries which have embraced what is referred
is the more ephemeral elements of the job that
way in which teams are brought together. When a
he would have the same drive and passion if his
as few as three people working on the idea. Once job comprised designing waste-disposal facilities,
studio head, then that team will expand to include
the necessary expertise for the next stage until
shooting starts and there may be 100-200 people
working on a very tight 50 to 70-day schedule. No
longer are Apocalypse Now or Heaven’s Gate type
overruns acceptable. It was nearly three years before
of colleagues who he has worked with previously
and whom he trusts, including Miguel San Martin,
whom he sees as integral to any team he creates.
In fact, many of the people who had worked on
previous Mars missions eventually found their
way onto the Curiosity team but it seems the
case that in talent-dependent industries, there is
a common theme of bringing teams of trusted it’s the actual mission that’s important and it’s no
colleagues along with the arrival of the leader. As coincidence that these space projects are termed
we know, managers arrive at football clubs and
an entire senior team often arrives with them. when we are operating at the edges of our capability,
we are fundamentally wondering about who we
are as humans. That process brings up the question
is over, the team disperses and the team leaders
begin the search for the next challenge. In fact,
‘Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
is now committed to leading a mission to Mars
in 2020. The task is to gather samples, seal them not know what’s out there, but he certainly knows
in containers to be delivered back to Earth. At how to reach for it.
PERFORMANCE READING LIST 12
dedicated to executive
The search in Sport
Reading List
BOB BOWMAN The man who helped Michael
Phelps become the most decorated
Olympian of all time reveals his list of the
books every aspiring coach should own.
Finding the
Winning Edge
Bill Walsh
Packaging up the knowledge
of NFL coaching legend
Bill Walsh into one handy
volume, this book offers
a brilliant top-down view
of what the role of a head
coach actually entails.
The Road Less The Talent Code
Travelled Greatness Isn’t
M. Scott Peck Born. It’s Grown
Daniel Coyle
Drawing heavily on
his own professional Award-winning journalist
expertise, psychiatrist Dr Daniel Coyle explores
M. Scott Peck explains the presumptions
how acknowledging our surrounding inborn ability
problems enables us to and comes up with some
reach a higher level of astounding conclusions.
self-understanding. A must Utterly fascinating.
for getting athletes in the
right frame of mind. Success is a Choice
Ten Steps To
Overachieving in
Periodization Business And in Life
Theory and Rick Pitino
Methodology
of Training Superstar life coach Ray
Tudor O. Bompa & Pitino’s best-selling volume
G. Gregory Haff looks to inspire its readers
into becoming all they can
The go-to resource
be by setting demanding
for producing an
goals that force them to
outstanding long-term
be positive at all times.
training programme. Nolan Partners Ltd 1 Duchess Street, London, W1W 6AN
Tel: +44 (0)20 3005 4404 www.nolanpartners.co.uk
PERFORMANCE COVER STORY 14 15 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
Masterclass has to be the most important one in the club.”
Reliable or maverick, athletes must remain in
peak physical condition to be able to perform on
cue and the physical regime that has given Giggs’
career its longevity is now legendary, but how
read up on anything I could find and from then on
I changed my routine. I got a more comfortable
car, not messing about changing cars every five
minutes, changed my bed, changed my diet. I just
tried to tick every box. I tried acupuncture, I used
did it evolve? He says: “I remember the moment. an osteopath which I still do to this day and I did
There is more than a generation of football We were playing Bayern Munich at Bayern. I
must have been about 28/29 and the day before
yoga as well. I just tried to cover everything so that
this wouldn’t happen again. You know, Champions
followers who have simply not known a the game we were training at Bayern’s stadium
and I was playing the next day; the Gaffer had
League, injured, missing the game. I never did
it to prolong my career; I just did it to play.”
told me I was playing and he said, `swap teams’
time when Ryan Giggs has not been right because one of their players was a bit of a dribbler
so he wanted me to dribble against our guys. So,
Ultimately, great players need to play, they need
to be great and they need the stage upon which to
at the top of his chosen profession. Chris anyway, I got the ball and started to dribble and
my hamstring just went. At that moment, I was
demonstrate their greatness to the world. Ferguson
puts it perfectly when he says: “I expected more
Brady asks Giggs about achieving and feeling really good, I was flying, I was beating
players easily. I remember that I went back to the
from the star players. I expected them to work
even harder… That’s why they are star players –
maintaining excellence. dressing-room and I was gutted because I wanted
to play – it was Bayern Munich versus United in
they are prepared to work harder. Superstars with
egos are not the problem some people may think.
the Champions League. I thought that I really They need to be winners, because that massages
needed to do something about this because I’d their egos, so they will do what it takes to win.”
never had bad injuries, I’d never been out for What drives them on is the need to meet ever-
more than six to seven weeks but my hamstring increasing challenges. Asked why he never
just kept recurring. So I talked to the physios, I played abroad, Giggs’ answer was simple:
O
n the same day Performance magazine sat next on Ryan Giggs’ list was dependability and
down with Ryan Giggs, another interview reliability: “You need a group of seven or eight
– given by his former manager Sir Alex players who are going to be reliable week in and
Ferguson – was published in the Harvard Business week out.”
Review (HBR). Comparing the two interviews,
what is striking is the similarity of the language Pushed to reveal what marks out the other three or
the two men use regarding the central facets of four players Giggs was, perhaps surprisingly given
high performance; not surprising given that they his own reliability, not overly concerned. These
spent more than 20 years working together. In players would include those who are considered to
particular, one word dominated – “winning”. be game changers and who can, to a certain extent
When asked what types of characters he believes
and for the benefit of the team, be accommodated.
The solid citizens in the team will put up with
Winners are people who
are essential to successful teams, Giggs answered their relative unreliability for the benefit of the will go to the edge to make
immediately – “winners”. How did he explain this
common but elusive concept? He says: “Winners
collective, Giggs thought. In this respect he may
be slightly at odds with Ferguson, who explained
sure that you win the game;
are people who will go to the edge to make sure in his HBR interview: “There are occasions when and that includes in the
that you win the game; and that includes in the
week as well, in training. They would kick their
you have to ask yourself whether certain players
are affecting the dressing-room atmosphere,
week as well, in training.
teammates; they would do whatever it took. It the performance of the team, and your control
would ruin their day if they lost a five-a-side of the players and staff. If they are, you have to
game; it really means that much to them”. cut the cord. There is absolutely no other way. It
doesn’t matter if the person is the best player in
It is this “winning” characteristic that high the world. The long-term view of the club is more
performers seem to value above all others but important than any individual, and the manager
PERFORMANCE COVER STORY 16 17 www.leadersinperformance.com AUTUMN 2013 | 01
“I’ve always wanted new challenges and I
thought that every year at United there’s always
been a new challenge. The time for me to go
abroad was probably between 25 and 30 but I
never got close to it, I just wanted to play for
United. At that time I just felt the challenges
at United couldn’t be beaten. I was 27 and we’d
just won the treble so it never occurred to me.
I’ve never thought that I missed a trick there.”
But what do great players believe are the crucial
elements of a successful team? Which comes
first, winning or team spirit? For Giggs it is the
chemistry of the team under the guidance of
a strong winning philosophy. United, he feels,
had the winning mentality ingrained in them by
Ferguson’s personal mentality and the traditions
of the club for particular values such as trusting
youth and taking risks to win. As Ferguson put in
the HBR: “I am a gambler – a risk taker –and you
can see that in how we played in the late stages
of matches… I always take great pride in seeing
younger players develop. …. When you give young
people a chance, you not only create a longer
To be a United player they’ve
life span for the team, you also create loyalty. got to be strong mentally to
They will always remember that you were the be able to put up with some
manager who gave them their first opportunity.”
of the stuff in the dressing-
This has been the United way from the glory room and on the pitch.
and tragedy of the Busby Babes through Tommy
Docherty’s young team that brought United
back to the top division in the 1973/74 season,
to the more recent glories under Ferguson.
But how has this been achieved over such a lengthy
period? How does the acculturation of incoming
players work at United? For Giggs it is about the ground and in games. Robin [van Persie] instantly However, are the same acculturation factors to welcome the pressure of the traditions of this
way in which they are received and dealt with in became a success because he was scoring winners equally true of younger players, the lifeblood massive club. Walking into the club and seeing
the dressing room. He explains: “New players are every week. That made him difficult not to like.” of United’s philosophy, as they come into the the famous pictures – Charlton, Best, Law and
coming into a good dressing-room, which makes Both Giggs and Ferguson believe that building dressing room? Giggs has strong views on this. Cantona – on the walls and saying to yourself:
transition easier. Also, training is probably more and maintaining mutual trust is a key element of He was reluctant to say “in my day” but in a sense ‘That’s where I want to be in 15 years’ time’.
competitive than they’ve been used to [IN his high performance and as such has to be integral it was inevitable. “Sometimes, the problem with That’s what it means to be a United player.”
HBR interview, Ferguson asserts that a key to the to the acculturation process. As Ferguson puts the occasional young player is that they expect, Ferguson sums it up: “The idea is that the
maintenance of standards was “never allowing it: “I would remind the players that it is trust and get, rewards before they have really achieved younger players were developing and would
a bad training session. What you see in training in one another, not letting their mates down, anything. In my day I was told that rewards would meet the standards that the older ones had set.
manifests itself on the game field. So every training that helps build the character of a team.” come as a result of consistent performances
session was about quality. We didn’t allow a lack of over time. Don’t get me wrong, there are some He would be proud of Ryan Giggs who has,
focus. It was about intensity, concentration, speed Similarly, Giggs cites trust between the players as great kids out there; I just don’t think there’s the virtually from his debut in March 1991 as a
– a high level of performance.] Each individual an important component of team performance. hunger in young players in enough numbers as 17-year-old, set the highest standards for his
is welcomed according to their own personality. Interestingly, previous research in this area there was 20 years ago – I don’t just think that, I successors to follow.
A player can come in and have a compatible seems to challenge this assertion. Taking NCAA know it. Because they’re getting the money early
personality from the start. Ronaldo, for example, basketball as his basis for trust and its relevance to on and they’re getting cosseted, the hunger goes
wasn’t at the standard he is today in the first performance within NCAA basketball teams, quite quickly. To be a United player they’ve got
couple of years but he was a likeable lad, he wanted Kurt Dirks found that while trust is essential to be strong mentally to be able to put up with
to learn, he was a bit of a joker and he came into between the players and the coach and can even some of the stuff in the dressing-room and on the
the dressing-room quite easily. Others, who are be an indicator of future performance, it does not pitch. You’ve got to be able to withstand getting
quieter, they can earn the respect of their new appear to have any statistical significance kicked by Vidic, or Roy Keane or me and rising
teammates by what they’re doing on the training between players. to it and being able to handle it. You’ve also gotPERFORMANCE MASTERCLASS 18 19 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
GIGGS RYAN
Ryan Giggs made his debut for Manchester
United in the 1990-91 season and is the
The Coach
most decorated player in English football
history, as well holding the record for most
competitive appearances for United. He has
won 13 Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, three
League Cups and two Champions Leagues. He
is the only player to have played and scored
in every season of the Premier League and
holds the record for most Premier League
assists. In 2011, he was named Manchester
G
iggs is now formally employed as a player/ and playing is what I’ve always done, and it’s almost What about the age-old and surely now non-debate Anderson, demonstrated a complete ignorance
coach by Manchester United and will surely a relief to get back to just playing. I don’t believe about penalties? Can they be practised? Of course of the consequences when he too scored in the
become a manager one day. Having com- that I overthink the game; I think I’m playing they can – and should. Failure to score, according sudden death phase of the Champions’ League
pleted his UEFA `B’ Coaching Licence in his early just as a player. You’ve got your tools in your bag, to Giggs is predominantly about indecision: final against Chelsea: “In Moscow, Anderson came
thirties and his `A’ Licence more recently, he is now you’ve been in the same situation thousands of “Penalties are mental, not technique. When I on with two minutes to go in extra time. He’d never
part way through his UEFA Pro-Licence. He dem- times and you pull those tools out automatically.” practised for the European Cup Final my mindset scored for United, he’s got that carefree character
onstrates his professional dedication to performing was that I’m going to put it in the same spot. If the and he scored. That’s probably because he didn’t
as a player by his ability to almost completely sepa- This ability to be able to pull out relevant tools keeper saves it, he saves it. I took 15 penalties and think too much about it; he just struck it down the
rate the two activities. He tells an interesting story as a consequence of hours of practice is now a out of those 15 I scored 14 and hit the post with middle.”
about coaching Antonio Valencia on a particular common theme of modern performance theory, the other one. You’re not walking up to the spot
aspect of wing play and then deriving pleasure the “ten thousand hours” made popular in Malcolm thinking, should I put it left, should I put it right. Whether it is supreme confidence in their
from seeing him performing the manoeuvre in a Gladwell’s book, Outliers, and the power of Forget the keeper, its going where I practised. And own ability or a lack of concern about the
game. What was interesting about his explanation practice. Giggs could be the perfect poster boy for don’t worry about missing in practice.” consequences, the ability to be able to perform
was the casual aside that he had seen the event the repetitive practice theory. As an example, he perfect technique under the greatest pressure
just after he had been involved as a player in the says: “I wasn’t a good crosser, I didn’t need to be. I Indecision can be caused, as Marc Sagal is a mark of all great champions, like Giggs.
same game: “I got subbed against Liverpool and ran with the ball, I dribbled passed people. So, later mentions elsewhere in this edition, by a failure
was watching the game and saw Antonio do exactly in my career when maybe I needed other options to concentrate which in turn can be caused by
what we’d worked on and I was really pleased.” I just had to get better at it and so I practised overthinking the consequences. This is surely
as often as I could. I practised from different the explanation for the world footballer of the
I asked Giggs if they’d discussed it after the game. positions on the pitch, on both flanks, ten yards year, Roberto Baggio, and his compatriot, Franco
“No”, he said. “We’d lost”. into the opposition’s half, 20 yards, level with the Baresi, voted the second greatest AC Milan player
penalty area, on the by-line (that’s where I was able of all time, both missing the target by a good two
Giggs explains his ability to separate his two roles to help Antonio). Practise, practise, practise.” feet in the 1994 World Cup final shoot-out against
thus: “The coaching is the hard part, the training Brazil. Indeed, Giggs tells how his teammatePERFORMANCE PRE-SEASON 20 21 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
Failing to Plan is
Planning to Fail
Performance explores the art and science of pre-season
preparation from the men who matter in two very different
high performance environments – NBA team Dallas Mavericks
and South Africa Rugby Union side, the Stormers…
BE PREPARED! Casey Smith, head athletic trainer participation screenings. But these measurements READY, STEADY, GO Of the three main phases
of NBA side the Dallas Mavericks, believes that could be carried out earlier, giving time to in the rugby calendar (off-season, pre-season,
pre-season can be the best time for athletes as a full address issues without the pressures of the in-season), it is the pre-season that is probably the
assessment can be carried out without distractions. built-in schedule of the regular season. most challenging, says Stephan du Toit, strength
and conditioning coach of the DHL Stormers.
One of the most common words used today to Another critical use of time is for measurement of
baseline indices. Anthropometric measurements, In the pre-season phase Strength & Conditioning
We are assaulted by this word at every turn, (S&C) are integrated with coaching sessions,
but the key is to use this relatively distraction- although the balance tilts more towards
free period to full advantage and make sure musts to assess fatigue, formulate recovery coaching and further from S&C. Physical
the correct breadth of screening is included. protocols, and rehabilitate correctly during the improvements from the off-season are put to
regular season component of the schedule.
We commonly think of assessment in S&C trainers work hand-in-hand to ensure the
biomechanical and musculoskeletal terms, and
while this clearly forms the basis of programming, improving the physical element of the players,
we need to be mindful that this time is used does the start of the regular season creep up culminating to an initial peak in performance
to screen for additional variables as well. on us and we privately admit that we could
have done more quantitative assessment?
Medical screening for blood markers, pulmonary Holding ourselves accountable will help hasten The question that everyone wants an answer to
function, allergy testing, ophthalmologic testing, our ability to formulate the correct return in pre-season is does a player need to be rested
nutrition counselling, and baseline medical to play protocols when the inevitable bumps or can he be exposed to more stress during
imaging are often left to last minute pre-season in the road appear during the season. training sessions. In this respect, technology has
become key in rugby union, contributing to more
frequent player testing and monitoring. Instead of
having to create formal testing sessions, players
can be assessed during training sessions with data
made available immediately, leading to improved
decision-making in terms of player readiness.
CASEY It is also important to ensure that the NPS
Casey Smith is Dallas Mavericks head athletic trainer,
(non-playing squad) is put under the same
where his primary duties involve daily medical care, injury
rehabilitation, physician liaison and travel arrangements. He
was previously head strength and conditioning coach and readiness when they are called upon. The best STEPHAN
Stephan is Strength and Conditioning Coach for the
assistant athletic trainer at the Phoenix Suns. He has served as conditioning is to play a match, but that comes Stormers Super 15 side and for Wester Province
athletic trainer for the USA Men’s Senior National Basketball
with the risk of injury. If a practice match is not Rugby. He was previously high performance consultant
Team since 2005, including the gold-medal-winning teams at
the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 FIBA Championships and available, try to create a conditioning session at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa.
2012 London Olympics. that can match everything except the collision.PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENT 22 23 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
Excellence BENITA
Chief of Organisational Excellence, United
as Standard
States Olympic Committee and former
Olympic gold medal winning hurdler
Benita Fitzgerald
Mosley
“Breaking through barriers What excites me? Strangely, I love strategic beneficial athletes and coaches. Over 85
planning and not too many people do. We per cent of medallists were from the tier
or at least overcoming them had our first offsite meeting with the senior system. We also focused on those events
is something I’m used to team and Scott [the CEO] this week and I’ve that provided low-hanging fruit, events
been told that it was a success and – as I’ve where we had potential in the athletes
doing as a hurdler,” jokes said – that excites me. It was invigorating, but also as importantly where we had
Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, the insightful and full of great camaraderie. great coaches. And what appeared like
a tiny detail ended up giving us a huge
new Chief of Organisational Returning to your US track and lift. We got those great coaches increased
Excellence for the United field days, how did you achieve your access through part-time validation to
record medal haul of 29 medals? their athletes on the warm-up tracks.
States Olympic Committee, We had a focused strategic high Believe it or not but that was not a given.
but it’s clear that the athlete performance plan for 2012. The former
CEO had already set a target of 30 medals What’s next for USA Track & Field?
who claimed gold in the before I arrived, so that was the monkey I saw nine fourth places and realised how
100m hurdles at the 1984 Los on my back coming in. However, the good close we had been to overachieving, and
news was that I knew that the athletes the same in Moscow this summer. I don’t
Angeles Olympics couldn’t be were capable of achieving the target. I think it would be that difficult a leap to
more serious about her role. just had to ensure that the environment turn those fourths into medals if we were
surrounding them in the build-up and to analyse what was the difference between
As Chief of Sport Performance for USA on the ground in London would enable fourth place and the podium. That’s where
Track & Field, she helped deliver her their performances. So, that was where we I would have concentrated had I stayed in
country’s highest medal count in 20 years focused. First we looked at sports science, the job; that’s where we need to focus next.
at London 2012, and this year has seen her medicine and technology. We knew that we
assume even greater responsibilities. She is, had great knowledge in these fields but we If you look back in five years’
effectively, the COO of one of sport’s most also felt that that expertise did not always time at your tenure at the USOC,
iconic institutions, and here she explains to get to the people who needed it. So, we what would success look like?
Chris Brady exactly what that entails… created a Sports Performance Workshop I would like everyone in the organisation,
programme, a series of workshops located either on or off the field, to feel that they I just had to ensure
What has worried you and what has
excited you about your new role?
around the country to which athletes and
coaches were invited to attend and discuss
are genuinely connected to one another,
the organisation and the programmes. For
that the environment
I haven’t been here long enough to get cutting-edge developments. We actually me, that would be even more gratifying surrounding them in the
worried, but I suppose if it would be provided more than 800 hours of service than winning 30 medals at the Olympics.
These people put their hearts and souls
build-up and on the ground
one thing it would be the athlete career to athletes in 2012 alone and we saw a
programme. That’s near and dear to measurable difference in performance into their jobs so I would want them to in London would enable
my heart because I know how difficult enhancement between those who attended know how much they are valued. As long their performances.
the transition from sport can be and and those who did not. Those who attended as they can say that today is better than
at the moment I don’t have anyone to improved performance around two and a yesterday and tomorrow will be better than
lead that programme, so I worry a little half times more than those who did not. today then that will constitute success.
about getting that recruitment right.
Maybe it’s not a worry but definitely Next, we created a four-tier system that
my biggest and earliest challenge. enabled resources to flow to the most25 MENTAL AUTUMN 2013 | 01
It’s All in JOHN
Dr. John P. Sullivan is a Clinical Sport
The Mind
Psychologist and Applied Sport Scientist
WORK HARD, PLAY HARD.
for Providence College, the University
of Rhode Island, and within the ranks of
the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLS, Olympics,
and the elite performers of military.
ENJOY 180° FLAT-BED SEATS WITH DIRECT Experts John Sullivan and Amy
AMY
Athey is a Clinical and Sport Psychologist
AISLE ACCESS ON ALL NONSTOP FLIGHTS Athey explore the critical factors to
at Clinical and Sports Consulting Services.
FROM LONDON HEATHROW. consider in properly integrating human
performance technology and second-
generation sports psychology.
1. Inform coaches
Clinical sports psychologists can assist coaches to understand
where the athlete is in the developmental cycle. By integrating
sport science data, they can advise coaches on the optimal points
to intervene in a strategic and tactical fashion.
2. Educate and empower athletes
Clinical sport psychologists help athletes to increase their ability
to identify and master strategies to improve their own rest and
recovery efforts. There are more stories out on the pitch than
the score tells. Feedback loops are helpful ways for athletes to
learn to master ideal performance states, as well as identify rest
and recovery needs both between events, and even within a
single event.
3. Identify and develop talent:
Second-generation sport psychology moves beyond simply
assessing personality factors. Although helpful at times, these
are not precise enough to create accurate prediction factors.
directly reading accurate descriptors from the central nervous
system and the brain’s abilities, including effective decision-
making and complex reaction time. Often, this information is less
about selection and more about improving player development
4. Wellness as a
foundation to performance
Clinical sport psychologists are trained to identify areas
of reduced welfare that can lead to injury or decreased
performance, in addition to strategically training the central
nervous system. Treating the player as a whole helps to maximise
readiness, performance and reduce the risk of injury, protecting
DELTA .COM ©2013 Delta Air Lines, Inc.
the investment in the player at the same time.PERFORMANCE TALENT ID 26 27 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
Unlocking
The Potential
Chelsea Warr Talking Talent
Chris Brady talks to Chelsea Warr, Deputy Director of
Performance, UK Sport, about the research and development
going into creating tomorrow’s world-beaters.
Deputy Director of Performance earlier this year. UK Sport, the high performance agency in the Team delivers, working in close partnership with
as a nine-year-old for what I would describe as Essentially, the remit for Chelsea and her specialist UK, through its ‘World Class’ programme which
technical team is to constructively challenge, yet invests in sports based on their medal potential
walked in with hundreds of other kids and stood actively support, all Olympic and Paralympic funded over an eight-year cycle and continually monitors Paralympic sports we currently fund twice in a
in front of a lady called Ju-Ping Tian – the ‘Dragon sports to embed world-leading performance and reviews performance against agreed targets
Lady’ – who was the National Head Coach of through its widely admired ‘Mission’ process.
Australian Gymnastics at the time. If she pointed
left, you went and played in the foam pit for four or responsibility is to enhance the chances of Team In effect, UK Sport chooses how to invest more than
GB winning more medals at future games. One £355m of National Lottery and Exchequer funding contrast the sports development systems against
you went into a room with all the top coaches for over a four-year period to enable summer Olympic what we consider are the world’s best. During this
the effectiveness of how all funded sports are and Paralympic sports to enhance their own systems process we benchmark sports across more than 100
So recalls Chelsea Warr on her introduction to locating and developing medal winners for 2020- of performance development and ultimately build a metrics that are determining factors in implementing
the world of talent selection and development. 2024. I challenge myself, and my team – how can stronger, more sustainable system. That investment
we enhance, innovate and accelerate the levels of is distributed in line with a ‘no compromise’ and development programme. We then activate
Despite that inauspicious beginning, Chelsea sophistication by which sports currently unearth meritocratic approach which, as Chelsea explains, improvement programmes at either a system-wide
and construct their eight-10 year development
programmes? How can we inject pace and greater in sports that are winning now. However, as projects active at any one time in the cycle. The
says. After a degree in Sports Science and several commonly observed in good venture capitalists,
post graduate degrees, her career started as an And given the backdrop of more countries now we also consider the relative future potential of from a wise colleague of mine who taught me that
exercise physiologist at the Australian Institute taking a greater market share of not only medals, that sport, the direction of travel – what they are critical challenge is three times more likely to be
of Sport in Canberra. She was then appointed to but gold medals, our work is about proactively capable of doing in the next eight years. In other accepted and acted upon if immediately proceeded
responding to this challenge. The answer is not words, how strong is the evidence to suggest the with help and support. That’s the underpinning
just throwing money at it. It’s all about high current athletes targeted for 2020 podium success principle of our benchmarking work stream.
in Australia, resulting in 156 State and National challenge, high support, high accountability and a could actually reach these levels of performance,
Junior champions, 11 World Junior medallists willingness to work in partnerships with sports and how strong are their systems and structures in
place to enable this to happen? We want to invest The purpose of this work is to deploy key staff into
before being recruited by British Swimming the sports for extended secondment periods in
and Diving to develop and implement its World Currently that means investing in 714 development order to answer questions like how do you create a
Class Development strategy. She then moved athletes (known as ‘podium potential’) across The ultimate investment decisions are based on a
to UK Sport in 2005, where she consulted on range of data and insights, some of which Chelsea’s Paralympic potential? How many athletes do we
high performance programmes, becoming head are already well into their journey for podium team contribute to. There are currently four need in the pipeline now to achieve our medal
of athlete development in 2009, and eventually success in 2020.These athletes are supported by key workstreams that the Performance Pathway ambitions in Tokyo 2020? Is it possible to transferPERFORMANCE TALENT ID 28 29 AUTUMN 2013 | 01
sporting talent from one sport to another? How
old is too old and what sports transfer best? What
serial gold medallists, starting from the age of six
years old to when they won their medals was IF THE UK SPORT TALENT ID
does an exceptional development environment look
like and how can we create, replicate and sustain it? ‘nearly twin’, someone who should have made it, GLOVER ATHLETES HAVE PRODUCED
What role does the art of science and coaching play but didn’t. This world-leading piece of research has
FITS…
359
in identifying and developing extraordinary talent? allowed Chelsea’s team a greater in-depth insight
into the discriminating factors that are required
International
to achieve not only success, but serial success in Appearances
Performance Pathway Education Programme – is
Helen Glover
121
designed to accelerate the knowledge and skills of were constantly asking ourselves three questions International
H
our Performance Pathway Managers who have the about this very special cohort: what do we know? Medals
lead responsibility to unearth and develop future What do we think we know? What do we need to elen Glover had no rowing experience as a 40 gold
Olympic and Paralympic medallists. The structured know in order to enhance sport’s ability to identify 22-year-old in 2008. Four short years later,
programme unfolds over an 18-month period and
comprises of seven, two-day intensive residential
modules delivered in collaboration with individuals So, what does the future hold to help deliver that
sustainable success? According to Chelsea, after
gold at the London 2012 Olympics.
From rowing novice to top of the world, in large part
2 Olympic Medals
One gold (Helen Glover,
(Lutalo Muhammad,
leading authorities in identifying and developing having been recommended to read business guru taekwondo)
precocious talent. For example, we have worked Jim Collins’ most recent work How The Mighty Fall programme launched by Sir Steve Redgrave in
February 2007, aimed at unearthing tall, powerful,
1
with the European Space Agency to understand - Sustainable Success Is A Tough One. Collins argues
how they identify and develop astronauts, clearly a that it is not apathy and arrogance that is mostly talented contenders who could be fast-tracked into Paralympic Silver
sports, particularly rowing, handball and volleyball. Karen Darke
process they have to get right. We also collaborate responsible for the demise of great organisations Paralympic cycling
with institutions of development excellence such
as the Royal Ballet School, the Yehudi Menuhin He warns that leaders assume their current Although Helen came from a sporting background
17
School and the Royal College of Surgeons to success is automatic and turn their attention to – playing high-level hockey, tennis and swimming, as World
constantly benchmark ourselves against ‘gold’ the next big thing, leaping into businesses, products, well as running for England – it was only when she Championship
standard organisations. Finally, we will be taking activities where there is no advantage, taking actions came forward for Sporting Giants that she was able
Medals
our P3 Learners on a world talent tour whereby inconsistent with core values and neglecting the to take her sporting ambitions to a GB level. 10 at junior level
they will systematically study 13 institutions core principles that created those values in the and seven at senior
that can demonstrate sustainable success and a S international (four gold)
constant production line of talented individuals and provides both a warning and advice for all the I remember being in a room at Bisham Abbey and
38
sports with which UK Sport interacts. The key to someone saying: ‘A 2012 gold medallist could be sat
in this room. Look around you’. I thought: ‘Right, I’m World Cup Medals
sustaining and replicating the success achieved by at Senior Level
The fourth workstream is about cutting-edge sports such as cycling, sailing and rowing is, she 19 gold
F
translating it into real-life practice. Chelsea explains: really important things that got you there in the
real killer questions that, if we were able to answer
them and apply those answers to our methods, it
great coaches, not by chance, but by design, and
engineering environments that worship the notion
to the hugely successful GB Rowing team’s ‘Start’
programme in Bath and was coached by GB Rowing’s
Paul Stannard.
10 European
Championship
Medals
would enhance sport’s chances of identifying the of constant progression and excellence. This is British Two at senior level
C
of faith, committing to a new sport, and pursuing an
18
way. We’ve initiated many different applied research proactively connecting it to an intensive incubator
all-encompassing lifestyle with commitment, tenacity European Cup
with world-class coaches and support staff, and, most
back into the front line solutions team in real-time
and dedication. It’s an exemplary example of how Medals at Senior
and, of course, into the P3 programme. It keeps the Level
programmes can impact on the world stage. The seven gold
whole programme fresh and curious, and this is an Chelsea concludes by recalling one of her
selection process was long and demanding, assessing
favourite quotes which comes from T.S. Eliot, to
1
what applicants could do now but also, more
explain the mission of UK Sport and her role in
importantly, what they could do in the future – an World Record
One recent, highly innovative piece of work that Para-cycling
examination of their ‘headroom’; their trainability;
will be revealed later this year across the World
their ability to respond and commit.
Class system is the Serial Medallist study (and
t’s our role to help sports examine the raw
materials, explore what potential success looks like,
and work out to as high a probability as possible,
which individuals can make it. Helen has certainlyYou can also read
