Teaching and Learning
The 5 Rules of Training
Rule #1: The boring stuff is your foundation We have a temptation to want to skip to the ‘cool, sexy’ stuff. It’s boring to do endless easy runs or to spend hours working on the starting position in the sprints. But the ‘boring’ work serves as our foundation. We need to have a firm understanding…
Read MoreMy Top Books of 2018
Every year, I take a look back at the books that have influenced my coaching, behavior, and thinking the most. Books are special because they allow you to take understanding to a deeper level. In a world that is constantly being shrunk to cater towards bite-size pieces of information, books are one of the last…
Read MoreUnderstanding Interaction: The time I learnd how to coach at a bar.
I’m an introvert. I grew up eschewing high school and college parties for the sake of my 10 pm bedtime and the 15-mile run I had the next morning. At that point in my life, I would rather get sleep than go through the college tradition of bar hopping. That scene was not my comfort…
Read MoreAdvice for the Young and Driven: A letter to my 18-year old self
In my line of work, educating and coaching, I often get asked for advice by 18-25-year-olds on how they should tackle their next steps in life. In a question and answer session at St. Mary’s University, I was asked: “what piece of advice would you give yourself when you were just starting out?”…
Read MoreAre you setting up practice wrong? Understanding Movement and Action.
The running back takes the handoff and the hole that is supposed to be right in front of him isn’t there. He instantly darts to the right, squeezing between the tackles before shifting to the right to avoid the incoming linebacker. How did the running back decide to change his plan? How does a runner…
Read MoreCoaching with Craft: Which Books Have Influenced Our Coaching?
In Episode 3 of Coaching with Craft, we explore the books that have influenced our coaching. Please take 15 minutes out of your day to see what books we have found most valuable! What books make your list? Books Mentioned by Each Coach: Steve Magness: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs…
Read MoreCoaching with Craft: What Role Do Mentors Play?
What Role Do Mentors Play? Who are the people who influenced your development? The individuals who planted the seed, taught the lesson, or gave us the hard advice we needed. A mentor is an undervalued resource, commonly neglected in the traditional education of a coach. In this edition of Coaching with Craft, you get to…
Read MoreIntroducing: Coaching with Craft
I’m thrilled to announce a new initiative called Coaching with Craft. We’ve brought together a group of professional coaches to answer one new question every week. We’ll explore topics ranging from our coaching philosophy to detailed training specifics. Our hope is that we can expand your (and our) coaching knowledge and we can explore the…
Read MoreCoaches Education Gone Wrong: The Cycle of Credential Inflation
I’m not certified in anything. Not USATF, USATFCCA, NSCA, or any other acronym that means something to a select few people ingrained in their small enclave of workers. Wait, I take that back, I am certified in CPR thanks to a class that took a few hours. What’s the goal? With credentialing, or coaches education,…
Read MoreWhy Rules Matter: Even if we hate them
Rules tend to be thought of as a negative. They are meant to restrict us, to keep us from performing acts that lie outside of the norm, and to keep us from danger or harm. Show up to school at this time, perform these chores, take the garbage out, no R-rated movies when you’re young.…
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