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Articles by Wayne Goldsmith
Every Sport Now Knows What's Wrong. That's The Easy Part.
By WAYNE GOLDSMITH There is an AI generated graphic doing the rounds on social media at the moment. Some expert who's come up with an all new insight, registered a website and developed a new business called SPORT'S NEW HORIZON or something similar claiming they've just discovered what's wrong with sport. You've all seen a version of it. The "Fabulous Five" as I call them: Falling participation. Teenage dropout. Rising costs. Parent behaviour.
There Are No Ten Year Old Champions.
The idea that every child is destined to be an elite athlete never made sense - and never will. Success in junior sport isn’t talent. It’s retention. The only kid who can’t improve is the one who isn’t there. After conversations with national bodies around the world, the pathway model is finally being abandoned. Better late than never. I’ve been writing about sport’s biggest problem for about twenty years now. The “pathway” model.
A 12-year-old's road to the World Cup
The FIFA Football World Cup is on now. Millions of kids are staring at screens all over the globe, watching, cheering, yelling, screaming, and jumping around their living rooms as their heroes pass, kick, and tackle their way to football immortality. Some of these kids will experience a burning—a little flicker of the flame of inspiration in their chests—and think and speak those words that have been the motivation for so many of humanity’s greatest achievements.
Solving Problems in Professional Sport.
By Wayne Goldsmith Professional football teams have one consistent problem - they’re brilliant at solving the wrong things. If culture is your issue - buying new players will not fix it. If there’s political turmoil behind the scenes - building a new training centre will not fix it. If the squad is fractured - what I call a Team Within a Team (TWAT) - sacking the coach will not fix it.
The car ride home after the game
Your 14-year-old is walking up to the “spot” to take a penalty kick that will win the game for their team. The fans go silent. The goalkeeper is jumping around nervously. Your child places the ball carefully and deliberately and takes one, two, three, or four paces backwards. They inhale a deep, anxious, full breath and exhale slowly to calm their nerves – just as their coach has taught them to do. The referee blows their whistle. Your child moves in…they kick…and…they miss! Your heart sinks.
Whoever Wins the Start Wins the Race
Three Key Learning Points: First movement matters - what part of the swimmer’s body moves first usually determines the success of their first 15 metres. The “little hole” - hands together, feet together, body in streamline before entry. The “three kicks” - kick fast underwater, kick fast to the surface, kick INTO the stroke. There’s a lot of talk on the internet about swimming speed - what pure speed is, how to develop it, how to coach it. Feel free to go internet-deep-diving for what it’s worth.
Who are you raising: the next someone else or the first them?
Your child isn’t the next Tiger Woods. They’re not the next Serena Williams. They’re not the next Michael Phelps. Your child is a wonderful, unique, potentially incredible human being — different from anyone who’s ever lived. You don’t want them to be the NEXT anyone. You want them to be happy, healthy and caring. Following their heart. Pursuing their dreams. Living a long, fulfilled life. If they also happen to play in the NBA, win an Olympic gold medal or lift the Wimbledon trophy — that’s a bonus.
The $50,000 child: when youth sport became a luxury
In the 70s, there was a popular TV show called “The Six Million Dollar Man.” In the show’s theme song, they talked about how they could use bionic technology to re-build an astronaut who’d been seriously injured in an accident and make him “better, stronger, faster” at a cost of – six million dollars. In youth sport today, we’re seeing the same theme play out with the costs of providing kids with sporting opportunities skyrocketing.
#waynegoldsmith #culture #leadership #sportsthoughts #wgcoaching
Wayne Goldsmith’s Post If your team isn't performing IGNORE what they SAY - forget the post game press conference. Watch what they DO!. Example - Players don't rush in to celebrate scores together. Example - Players don't rush to support other players after errors. Lots of people talk about culture. Very few understand it. Culture is simply WHAT YOU DO! You can't hide a broken culture. Stop believing the rhetoric in the post game press conferences.
Stop Separating Skills From Stress
By Wayne Goldsmith Your athletes look great in warm-up and drills but fall apart when it matters because you’ve trained them to only perform skills when they’re comfortable. Let’s try something different! The typical session structure — warm-up, drills, skills, THEN conditioning means skills are only ever practised fresh. If athletes only own skills when rested, they don’t own them at all. The fix is simple: integrate technique work INTO your hard sessions, not just before them.
Why Norway doesn’t count children in youth sports
Youth sports have become obsessed with two things: money and talent. Huge commercial interests, seeing the global rise in kids chasing glory and success in professional sport, are capitalizing on often gullible, over-zealous sporting parents with high expectations and lofty aspirations for their little super-stars.
3 Things You Can Do Right Now to Make You an Even Better Coach.
By Wayne Goldsmith With everyone trying to sell you everything — I thought I’d give you three things that will make you an even better coach. Three practical strategies you can do right now to enhance your coaching. And they’re free. I call them the 3 Ls of Coaching: 1. LOOK When an athlete walks towards you, make a conscious decision to look directly into their eyes. With some athletes that can be a bit intimidating, so maybe start by turning towards them and looking in their direction.
Wayne Goldsmith (@waynegoldsmith)
You are never too old to learn — if your heart and mind are open to it. I've proudly been a contrarian for the past 30 years. There's a lot of things in sport that don't work — and haven't worked for a long time. The Pathway Model. The over-scientific approach to coach education. The obsession with valuing young athletes on their physical talent. Never agreed with any of it. I've written and spoken against this stuff — and more — for three decades. And I've paid a price.
Wayne Goldsmith (@waynegoldsmith)
Yesterday I wrote about Saturday Morning Kid's Sport day and how to help your kids — and you — get the most out of it. Today it's Sunday where I live. Here's what your sporting kids should be doing today. Nothing. Zilch. Zip. Zero. Doing nothing isn't a special treat. It's not a reward. It's not a scheduled recovery day. It's letting them be kids. Sleep in. Play with their pets. Hang out with friends. Read. Play online games with their bestie. Watch TV. Drop some cannonballs in the backyard pool.
A-sport : the AI sporting revolution
First there was sport. Then came competitive sport. That was followed by professional sport. And more recently, we’ve seen an explosion in E-SPORT. Introducing the latest evolution of sport currently sweeping the globe – A-SPORT! Well, to be more accurate – AI-SPORT. AI – Artificial Intelligence has risen as an unstoppable, irresistible wave of smart technology around the world and its impact on the lives of people everywhere cannot be overstated.
Goldminds: Stop Thinking ... And Swim Faster!
Overthinking can be an obstacle for athletes, and prevent them from improving. To swim faster, adopt this approach, which is measured.
The Teenage Tumble: Why Teenagers are Leaving Sport - New Sport
Innovative Global Thought Leader and Influencer - Coach, Mentor, Author, Speaker. 14h https://lnkd.in/gbfkpzqg An old friend used to tell me, "Goldy, you're the master of the obvious". We ALL know why teenagers are leaving sport at an unprecented rate - yet for the most part we don't do anything about it.
The most important word in sport
There are more words written, spoken, yelled, screamed, printed, published and promoted about sport than there are of any other human endeavour! Sitting in the local bar with some friends, we might describe last night's Super Bowl game as "explosive" and "entertaining" and the players as "dynamic" and "tough". Or we could be chatting with family at the dinner table and sharing stories about our recollections of playing sports at school and use words like "fun" or "challenging" or "exciting".
Be the flame for future generations
Dear Coach, I am writing to you, to say thank you, for all that you do! You make a difference in the lives of everyone you coach and whether you know it or not; they appreciate it. You are the catalyst; the fire, that inspires people to believe in themselves and to embrace their almost limitless potential.
A Guide Toward Registering a Positive College Experience: How To Thrive
Enjoying a positive college experience, in and out of the pool, can hinge on taking ownership of one's life and daily approach.
The secret to sporting success
One of the most commonly asked questions in sport is about ‘talent’ and the age old debate… Is it ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’ — i.e. are sporting champions made or are they a product of their nurturing and environment? The answer is of course — there is no one correct answer. There have been Olympic gold medal winners and professional athletes who have ‘talent-tested’ off the charts.
Sports versus screens
The number of kids participating in organised, competitive sport is declining. It's happening all over the world: rugby in New Zealand, football in England, swimming in Australia. Kids are just not rushing down to the local sports field, court or pool to play sports the way they did 10 years ago. This was happening B.C. — before Covid! All that Covid19 has done is accelerate this phenomenon and increase the challenges being faced by sporting organisations around the planet. The question is why?
The secret to football supremacy
Now that the 2022 FIFA Football World Cup is over there's another football battle taking place in the boardrooms and offices of football associations all over the world... The battle is to find the solution to qualifying for and performing with distinction at, the next FIFA Football World Cup.
Kicking Practice: It's Time to Let Go.
Every competitive swimmer, triathlete, Masters swimmer and fitness swimmer in the world does kicking practice and - most of them are doing it wrong.
The Week That Was: It's Finally December!
Swimming World News - The Week That Was: It's Finally December! - Sponsored by Suitmate - Swimming Parents: 10 Ways They Can Help Out Coaches
3 Ways You Can Improve Your Swimming Kick
Kick is a vital part of swimming. Yet kick is often the "poor-cousin" of swimming, stroke drills & other skills practices. Time to look at kick differently.
Tips To Make the Transition
Making the transition from high school swimming to the college level is not easy, but there are things to help athletes through the process.
10 Ways They Can Help Out Coaches
When coaches and swimming parents work together - 100% committed to helping swimmers to realize their potential - great things are possible.
The Teenage Tumble: Why Teenagers are Leaving Sport
The Teenage Tumble: Why Teenagers are Leaving Sport By Wayne Goldsmith Kids are walking away from traditional, organized, competitive sport. The evidence is everywhere. Google the term “sport drop out rates” and start reading. Or go to your own national government’s sporting administration web site and check out their data – your data. The number of kids playing traditional, organized competitive sport all over the world is falling.
Swimming Doesn't Define You - These 8 Characteristics Do!
In the newest edition of Goldminds, Wayne Goldsmith says swimming doesn't define an individual, but these characteristics do.
5 Grueling Swim Sets That Will Provide a Test
Smart Swim sets are the cornerstone of all great training programs. Here are five swim sets that you have to add to your swimming workouts.
How to Become a Better Swimmer By Doing Nothing* (Sort Of)
Want to necome a better swimmer. Here are 10 ways to improve your craft that go beyond logging additional laps and time in the pool.
Swimming World January 2022 Presents
The key to fast swimming is to follow the coach's leadership and guidance, but also choose to make the workout special and unique just for you.
5 Hard Choices To Swim Successfully
So You Want To Swim Successfully? It's your choice! It's as simple as swimming the Hard way!
Swimming World August 2021 Presents - GoldMinds: 10 Great Reasons to Get Back in the Pool
The latest issue of Swimming World Magazine is now available for download in the Swimming World Vault! Non-Subscribers Can Download This Issue Here The Swimming World August 2021 Issue
5 Swim Sets You Have to Try Before You Die; Tell Us Your Favorite
Smart Swim sets are the cornerstone of all great training programs. Here are five swim sets that you have to add to your swimming workouts.
Learn How To Be A Racer - Swimming World News
It's important to learn how to swim your event in such a way that you can perform to your potential in every possible racing situation.
The Positives of Having a Supportive Team and Fans
Having a supportive team and encouraging teammates can go a long way toward helping a swimmer succeed and achieve his/her goals.
IOC Describes Comments By Tokyo 2020 Chief Mori As "Absolutely Inappropriate"
The International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday that comments about women made by Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori were "absolutely inappropriate". Mori has been subject to intense criticism since saying
Goldminds: Just Go With The Flow
How can you control-and even master-your emotions? The answer is by learning to become a more resilient swimmer. Here's how...
Grevemberg Leaves Role As CEO Of Commonwealth Games Federation
CEO David Grevemberg will leave the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on 5 March after more than six years in the role. Grevemberg took up the position in November 2014 after
10 Key Questions and Answers For Swimming Parents
Swimming parents can be overzealous when it comes to their children at swimmers. Here are some questions and answers that will help them out.
5 Reasons to Swim for Your School
Are you thinking about swimming in high school or college? Here are some of the benefits to recognize as we near the start of another school year.
How To Become An "A" Swimmer By Wayne Goldsmith
Ultimately, success comes to those amazing people who make the decision to be successful and who then live that decision in practice and performance.
Morgan Bullock Named Assistant Swimming Coach at Niagara
Morgan Bullock Named Assistant Swimming Coach at Niagara. Bullock scored at the NCAA meet in the 200 butterfly two years ago.
After Pressure from Governor, PIAA Delays Sports Two Weeks
A day after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf recommended that youth and high school sports be suspended for the rest of the year, the PIAA agreed to a two-week delay.
10 Swimming Coaching Practices That Don't Make Sense
Swimming coaching practices can be based on myth, routine, habit and rituals which everyone does...but that doesn't necessarily make them right.
A Revolution in Swimming Workouts
A Main Set is a combination of repeats and time cycles with a specific focus. However, there are Main sets and there are Main Sets.
Workouts Don't Matter
You know all the stuff you read about workouts? How much of this? How much of that? Guess what? It doesn't matter. What you do is not that important.
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