COACHING OUT OF BOUNDS: No Blog Vacation

My absence from the blog over the past six days was not intentional, but rather due to some problems with my weak internet connection here at the apartment, and the difficulty I am having uploading pictures to the site. In any case, I am back and hope to be posting on a more regular basic now that I have found a few ways to get around these issues. In truth, my wife Estalita has informed me how to get around these obstacles and I'm just following her directions. (that is a familiar pattern for me in life!)

This past week, we had practice every day and a few other activities to keep us busy. I had a chance to speak at a seminar for about 40 people at the Kuortane High Performance Training Center. This particular training center is one of only 75 in the world that is accredited by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It is used by Olympic athletes in ice hockey, volleyball, track and field, and wrestling. I was asked to speak for an hour on the topic of attitude and motivation. It was really a lot of fun and challenging at the same time. One of the people in the audience who was listening to my talk was Tapio Korjus. Tapio is an Olympic gold medal winner in the javelin event. He won his medal for Finland at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and he is now the director of the Kuortane Sports Complex. Along with being a very dynamic individual, he was a very gracious host.

Just a few days later, Coach Todd Klugh and I returned to Kuortane with many of the Crocodiles players. The purpose of this visit was for the players to get tested in the 40 yard dash, vertical leap, body fat measurements, and a few other tests that measure core strength in the abdominals and legs. Some of the tests are completely unlike anything I have ever seen before in the states, so I won't even try and explain them. There are a few pictures of the machines below that were used to test the athletes. A few of these machines are close to 30 years old, but they are still being effectively used to test world class athletes. Now, that would be hard to imagine in the states! The search for bigger and better methods motivates many in the U.S. and it is doubtful that any equipment close to 30 years old would be used to train modern athletes in our country. I think it goes to show that medals aren't necessarily won by fancy equipment, but rather by elite athletes who are willing to train hard and commit themselves to being the best.

Now that the week is coming to a close, I am starting to realize just how close we are to our home opener. We open the season next weekend vs. the Helsinki Roosters. The Roosters have a solid defense and a high-octane offense, so this will be a tough test for us. They beat us in the playoffs last season, so we know what they are capable of. We had a few disappointing practices this past week, so we have to get it in gear if we hope to have success in our first contest. I am excited for the challenge that awaits us.