As coaches, we must be aware of the influence we have on our athletes. Our behaviors and our responses to different types of situations are observed and often copied by our athletes.
In the same way, those personal emotions that we are not able to manage, not only affect us, but also affect those around us.
Our moods and our behaviors will positively or negatively influence our athletes. The key for one or the other is ours.
We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to different circumstances. With discipline. With courage. Seeing what happens to us as an opportunity to grow and become stronger. Protecting our own people.
Leadership is not a rank, but the ability we have as coaches to take responsibility for our athletes and our team.
Managing our emotions will help us in our relationships. This management can only be done by us. With discipline. With courage.
Como entrenadores, debemos ser conscientes de la influencia que ejercemos en nuestros deportistas. Nuestras conductas y nuestras respuestas ante diferentes tipos de situaciones son observadas y, a menudo, copiadas por nuestros deportistas.
De igual manera, aquellas emociones personales que no somos capaces de gestionar, no solo nos afecta a nosotros, sino que también afecta a todas aquellas personas que tenemos a nuestro alrededor.
Nuestros estados de ánimo y nuestras conductas influirán positiva o negativamente en nuestros deportistas. La clave para que sea la una o la otra la tenemos nosostros.
No podemos controlar lo que nos ocurre, pero sí podemos controlar como respondemos ante diferentes circunstancias. Con disciplina. Con coraje. Viendo lo que nos ocurre como una oportunidad para crecer y hacernos más fuertes. Protegiendo a los nuestros.
El liderazgo no es un rango, sino la capacidad que tenemos como entrenadores de responsabilizarnos de nuestros deportistas y de nuestro equipo.
Gestionar nuestras emociones, nos ayudará en nuestras relaciones. Esa gestión solo podemos llevarla a cabo nosotros mismos. Con disciplina. Con coraje.
Although coaches are always surrounded by their athletes and there may be good communication between them, there are issues that coaches must face alone to protect their athletes.
Coaches do not exist in isolation. They have a life, personal commitments, which they often puts aside in favor of their athletes. They have their own personal problems, which oftentimes suffers alone.
When things go well, your coach shares your joy. When things go wrong, suffers with you.
When you see your coach today, I encourage you to thank him or her for the efforts he or she makes for you every day. Month after month. Year after year.
And if it feels embarrassing to do so, at least try to show a positive attitude towards him or her and make his or her job today a little easier.
Aunque los entrenadores estén siempre rodeados de sus deportistas y exista una buena comunicación entre ellos, hay cuestiones que éste debe afrontar en solitario para proteger a sus deportistas.
El entrenador no existe de forma aislada. Tiene su vida, sus compromisos personales, los cuales a menudo deja a un lado a favor de sus deportistas, sus problemas personales, los cuales a menudo sufre en soledad.
Cuando las cosas van bien, tu entrenador disfruta contigo y cuando van mal, también lo pasa mal por ti.
Cuando hoy veas a tu entrenador (o entrenadora), te animo a que le agradezcas los esfuerzos que hace por ti día a día. Mes a mes. Año tras año.
Y si te da vergüenza hacerlo, al menos procura mostrar una actitud positiva hacia él (o ella) y haz que su trabajo hoy sea un poco más fácil.
Comenzamos un nuevo año y como cada año, establecemos propósitos que queremos lograr durante los próximos 365 días, ya sea para mejorar nuestra condición física, abandonar hábitos menos saludables, ampliar conocimientos, finalizar proyectos o alcanzar objetivos.
El 1 de enero la motivación es muy alta y comenzamos el camino hacía nuestros propósitos para este nuevo año. Sin embargo, a menudo, estos propósitos son relativamente ambiciosos y, a medida que van pasando las semanas, dicha motivación comienza a caer y abandonamos muchos de los objetivos que nos habíamos marcado en un principio.
Para poder alcanzar estos propósitos con éxito es fundamental el establecimiento de objetivos mediante una planificación estratégica diseñada para ayudarnos a conseguir aquello que nos hemos propuesto.
Numerosos estudios refrendan que el establecimiento de objetivos es una técnica de cambio que genera un comportamiento eficaz y la cual nos ayuda a concentrarnos en lo que realmente queremos lograr. Asimismo, aumenta nuestros niveles de motivación para intentar lograr nuestros objetivos con éxito dirigiendo nuestra atención y empleando la energía necesaria para ello.
Si queremos conseguir nuestros propósitos de año nuevo, necesitamos desarrollar un sistema de establecimiento de objetivos adecuado.
Nuestras metas deben ser realistas, pero a su vez ambiciosas. No deben ser demasiado fáciles de lograr, pero tampoco imposibles.
Igualmente, debemos seguir el principio de progresión y de andamiaje (las habilidades mentales se sustentan sobre la base de las anteriormente trabajadas).
Por ejemplo, podemos utilizar la técnica de establecimiento de objetivos SMART, que es una técnica conocida en el mundo empresarial y utilizada a la hora de establecer objetivos.
La técnica SMART tiene como objetivo desglosar cinco aspectos relevantes para lograr nuestros objetivos, y cada letra representa los siguientes conceptos:
(S) Específico,
(M) medible,
(A) alcanzable,
(R) realista
(T) y basado en el tiempo
No obstante, el enfoque que empleo y propongo yo es el siguiente:
Comienzo reflexionando en mis objetivos a largo plazo (de seis meses a dos años). Los escribo en una hoja de papel y luego guardo dicha hoja en un cajón. De esta manera, puedo revisar mis objetivos a largo plazo si fuera necesario, pero no me gusta tenerlos delante de mis ojos todo el tiempo. El proceso diario es mucho más importante.
Después, escribo los objetivos a medio plazo (de doce semanas a seis meses) y, finalmente, hago lo mismo con los objetivos a corto plazo (de una a doce semanas).
Siempre puedes ajustar la duración de cada objetivo, pero recuerda que, al menos potencialmente, deberían ser alcanzables. Es decir, difíciles pero posibles. De lo contrario, podría afectar negativamente a tu motivación.
Por ejemplo, este año me he propuesto terminar mi libro “La mentalidad del campeón”. Un manual sobre psicología del deporte dirigido a deportistas, entrenadores, padres y madres de deportistas o cualquier persona que quiera aprender a rendir bajo presión.
El libro lo comencé a escribir en 2021 cuando estuve trabajando como profesor e investigador universitario. Durante aquel año logré escribir un tercio del manuscrito. Sin embargo, a finales de diciembre de ese año volví a trabajar para la Real Federación Española de Piragüismo como director técnico. Una labor que me ocupa muchísimo tiempo y por este motivo, durante el 2022 tuve que dejar apartado este proyecto.
Ahora, me he propuesto retomarlo de nuevo y espero poder tenerlo listo este mismo año 2023. Aquí os dejo la primera parte para que podáis descargarla gratis. Espero que os guste.
Como ejemplo para ayudaros a comprender mi sistema, estos fueron los objetivos que me propuse en diciembre de 2010 cuando me rompí la pierna en un accidente de moto nueve meses antes del Campeonato del Mundo y Clasificatorio Olímpico de 2011.
Objetivos a largo plazo: ¿Cuál es mi objetivo principal?
En nueve meses quiero competir en el Campeonato del Mundo y lograr una plaza olímpica para Londres 2012
En 21 meses quiero competir en los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012
Objetivos a medio plazo: ¿Qué me gustaría lograr en los próximos meses para estar más cerca de mi objetivo principal?
En cinco meses: clasificarme para el equipo nacional español que participará en las primeras competiciones internacionales de la temporada
En ocho meses: clasificarme para el Campeonato del Mundo
Objetivos a corto plazo: ¿Qué me gustaría diariamente y/o semanalmente para ir en la dirección adecuada hacia mi objetivo principal?
Semanas 1 a 3:
Hacerme con un kayak-ergometro y adaptarlo para poder mantener la pierna en alto
Ajustar mi plan de entrenamiento para que pueda entrenar en casa
Conseguir algo de material de gimnasio básico para poder entrenar en casa
Semana 4: el día de Año Nuevo (27 días después del accidente y de la operación) palear por primera vez en semanas en una embarcación más estable
Semana 5: ir al gimnasio con las muletas y centrar el trabajo en el tren superior y la pierna que tengo sana
Semanas 4 a 8: entrenar en la piscina local con una embarcación de kayak-polo (una piragua pequeña y manejable) para poder palear en agua mientras tengo la pierna enyesada
Semanas 6 a 10: palear en el agua con una embarcación más estable
Semana 10 en adelante: entrenar con mi embarcación de competición
Podemos incluso concretar más dividiendo cada objetivo a corto plazo en las siguientes categorías: a) psicológico; b) entrenamiento; c) técnico; d) estilo de vida; e) relaciones; y f) resultados.
El siguiente ejemplo está basado en los primeros objetivos a corto plazo mencionados anteriormente:
Corto plazo:
Semana 1: Hacerme con un kayak-ergometro y adaptarlo para poder mantener la pierna en alto, ajustar mi plan de entrenamiento, y conseguir algo de material de gimnasio básico para poder entrenar en casa:
Psicológico: sé que esto va a ser difícil, así que necesito adaptar mi forma de pensar a esta nueva realidad de tener que entrenar en condiciones muy sub-óptimas.
Entrenamiento: el programa de las semanas está listo, así que intentaré hacer exactamente el mismo número de series y kilómetros que están prescritos.
Técnico: necesito hacerme con un espejo para poder corregir mi técnica y aprovechar este contratiempo para mejorar ciertos errores técnicos.
Estilo de vida: me encuentro en silla de ruedas, por lo que gastaré menos calorías de lo habitual. Por lo tanto, necesito mantener una dieta saludable y reducir mi ingesta calórica.
Relaciones: esta situación es difícil no solo para mí, sino también para quienes me rodean, por lo que debo tratar de tener la mayor empatía posible.
Resultados: quiero tener éxito en todos estos frentes. Sin embargo, si no lo logro, no debería castigarme.
Nueve meses después de aquél accidente gané la Final B del Campeonato del Mundo asegurando una plaza olímpica para España para Londres 2012. Sin embargo, al año siguiente no pude ponerle mi nombre a aquella plaza y mi amigo Saúl Craviotto acabó ganando una medalla de plata en aquellos Juegos Olímpicos.
Dicho esto, estoy convencido de que un buen sistema de establecimiento de objetivos puede ayudarte a acercarte a sus sueños.
Espero que estos ejemplos os ayuden a comprender el proceso de establecimiento de objetivos.
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¡PASEMOS A LA PRÁCTICA!
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Ahora, me gustaría que reflexionaras sobre lo que escribiste en tu diario para responder a la segunda pregunta del ejercicio sobre motivación, donde te pedí que respondieras a la siguiente pregunta:
¿Qué quiero lograr?
Una vez que tengas clara la respuesta a esa pregunta, escribe en un diario o en una hoja de papel los objetivos que te gustaría lograr en este 2023 a…
Largo plazo (seis meses a dos años o más)
¿Cuál es mi objetivo principal?
Medio plazo (doce semanas a seis meses)
¿Qué quiero lograr en los próximos meses para poder acercarme a mi objetivo principal?
Corto plazo (de una a doce semanas)
¿Qué quiero lograr a diario o semanalmente para poder estar encaminado hacia mi objetivo principal?
Es importante recordar que:
a) siempre puedes ajustar la duración de cada objetivo.
b) las metas deberían, al menos potencialmente, ser alcanzables.
We have just started a new year and like every year, we establish resolutions that we want to achieve during the next 365 days, whether it is to improve our physical condition, abandon less healthy habits, expand our knowledge, finish projects, or achieve goals.
At the begining of January, the motivation is very high and we begin the path towards our resolutions for this new year. However, these goals are often relatively ambitious, and as the weeks go by, that motivation begins to wane and we quit many of the goals we had originally set for ourselves.
In order to achieve these purposes successfully, it is essential to establish objectives through strategic planning designed to help us achieve them.
Many studies confirm that goal-setting is a change technique that generates effective behavior that helps us focus on what we really want to achieve. Likewise, it increases our levels of motivation to try to achieve our goals successfully by directing our attention and using the necessary energy to do so.
If we want to achieve our New Year’s resolutions, we need to develop a proper goal setting system.
Our goals must be realistic, but at the same time ambitious. They shouldn’t be too easy to achieve, but neither impossible.
Likewise, we must follow the principle of progression and scaffolding (mental abilities are based on those previously worked on).
For example, we can use the SMART goal approach, which is a well-established tool that you can use to set your goals.
This SMART acronym aims to break down five key aspects to achieving goals, and each letter represent the following concepts:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time based
However, my approach is this:
I start with the long-term goals (six months to two years). I write them down on a piece of paper and then I put it in a drawer. This way, I can check out my long term goals, if necessary, but they are not in front of me all the time. The everyday process is much more important.
Then I write down the mid-term goals (twelve weeks to six months), and finally the short-term goals (from one to twelve weeks).
You can always adjust the duration for each goal, but remember that they should, at least potentially, be achievable. So, challenging but achievable. Otherwise, they may negatively affect your motivation.
For example, this year one of my main goals is to finish my book “The champion´s mindset”. A handbook on sports psychology aimed at athletes, coaches, parents of athletes or anyone who wants to learn to perform under pressure.
I started writing the book in 2021 when I was working as a university lecturer and researcher. During that year I managed to write a third of the manuscript. However, at the end of December of that year I returned to work for the Royal Spanish Canoeing Federation as technical director. A job that takes most of my time and for that reason, during 2022 I had to put this project aside.
Now, I want to resume it and I hope to be able to have it ready by the end of this year. Here is the first part so that you can download it for free. I hope you like it.
As an example to help you understand my system, these were the goals I set for myself in December 2010 when I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident nine months before the 2011 World Championships and Olympic Qualifiers.
Here we go:
Long-term goals: What is my main goal?
In nine months go to the World Championships and earn an Olympic spot for London 2012
In 21 months compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Mid-term goals: What do I want to achieve in the next few months so I can get closer to my main goal?
In five months: qualify for the Spanish Team to take part in the first international competitions of the season
In eight months: qualify for the World Championships
Short-term goals: What do I want to achieve in a daily or weekly basis so I can be in track toward my main goal?
Weeks 1 to 3:
Set up the ergo-machine and adapt it so I can keep my leg up and straight
Adapt my training plan so I can work out at home
Get some basic gym equipment like dumbbells
Week 4: on New Year´s Day (27 days after the accident) paddle on the water for the first time in weeks using a big and stable boat
Week 5: go to the gym with my crutches and focus on my upper body muscles and my healthy leg
Weeks 4 to 8: train in the local swimming pool with a canoe-polo kayak (a very small boat) so I can paddle on water whilst having a cast.
Weeks 6 to 10: paddle on the water using a big and stable boat
Week 10 onwards: train with my normal boat
We can get even deeper by splitting each short-term goal into the following categories: a) psychological; b) training; c) technical; d) lifestyle; e) relationships; and f) results.
The following examples are based on the first of my short-term goals I mentioned earlier:
Short-term:
Week 1: set up the ergo-machine and adapt it so I can keep my leg up and straight, adapt my training plan so I can work out at home, and get some basic gym equipment like dumbbells:
Psychological: I know that this is going to be tough so I need to adapt my mindset to this new reality of having to train in very suboptimal conditions.
Training: the weeks´ program is ready so I will try to do exactly the same number of sets and kilometres as it prescribes.
Technical: I need to get a mirror so I can check my technique and make the most of this setback to improve certain technical errors.
Lifestyle: I am wheelchair bound so I will not be spending as many calories. Therefore, I need to keep a healthy diet and reduce my caloric intake.
Relationships: this situation is hard not just for me but also for those around me, so I need to try to be as empathetic as possible.
Results: I want to be successful on all fronts. However, if I do not succeed, I should not beat myself up.
I hope these examples help you to understand the process of goal setting.
In the story about my accident and my comeback I ended saying that life is not always a fairy tale with a linear progression and a happy ending. Nine months after that accident I won the B Final at the World Championships securing an Olympic spot for Spain for London 2012, however, the following year I was not able to retain that spot for myself and my friend Saúl Craviotto ended up winning a silver medal at those Olympic Games.
That said, I am convinced that a good goal setting system can help you get closer to your dreams.
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LET´S PRACTICE!
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Now, I would like you to reflect on what you wrote in your diary for the second question of the exercise about motivation, where I asked you to answer the following question:
What do I want to achieve?
Once you have reflected on your answer to that question, write down in your diary the goals you would like to achieve in the…
Long-term (six months to two years, or more)
What is my main goal?
Mid-term (twelve weeks to six months)
What do I want to achieve in the next few months so I can get closer to my main goal?
Short-term (from one to twelve weeks)
What do I want to achieve in a daily or weekly basis so I can be in track toward my main goal?
It is important to remember that:
a) you can always adjust the duration for each goal.
b) the goals should, at least potentially, be achievable.
Yesterday I published a post that was based on a study that questioned whether an early or a late sport specialization conducted to higher performing adult athletes.
The study shows that late specialization can be a better approach than specializing too early for the development of excellence.
My take on this topic of early/late speacialization may be slightly controversial but I do believe that early specialization is actually good even for the long run, if (and this is a big IF), for a while, let’s say until the ages of 12 to 16, or earlier depending on the sport*, alongside the main sport, a young athlete also invests a significant amount of time doing other activities.
I’ve worked with many world class top performers from very diverse sports like canoeing (sprint and slalom), surfing, snowboarding, football, or swimming, and something that they all had in common is that they specialized very early in their main sport, but they were also pretty good at some other sports.
In my personal case, I started paddling when I was 7 years old. I had lots of fun, but I trained quite a bit. I was winning all the local races and was also amongst the best at the national ones. However, I also played football (I was a goalkeeper), and I tried track and field, swimming and karate. By the age of 12 I was good at canoeing and football, but I felt that it was time to pick one and went with canoeing.
That combination of intense early specialization combined with a multidisciplinary approach is in my opinion key for keeping an athlete motivated to keep improving whilst developing a vast range of skills (physically, technically and mentally) that can be applied in the main sport, which can make a difference in the long run.
*We saw 13 year-old skateboarders winning Olympic medals in Tokyo 2020.
Esta mañana he leído un estudio que me ha resultado muy interesante para aquellos padres de deportistas jóvenes o entrenadores que trabajáis con deportistas en desarrollo y me gustaría compartir con vosotros los resultados.
Se trata de un meta-análisis de 51 estudios que contaron con un total de 6.096 deportistas, entre los que había 772 de nivel mundial.
Los autores comenzaron haciéndose la siguiente pregunta:
¿Qué creéis que lleva a un deportista a un rendimiento excepcional: un enfoque especializado intensivo o un enfoque multidisciplinar?
¿Cuál creéis que es la respuesta?
Los análisis revelaron que los deportistas adultos de clase mundial participaron más en actividades multideportivas en la niñez o en la adolescencia. A su vez, estos comenzaron su deporte principal más tarde acumulando menos tiempo de práctica en su deporte principal y, además, inicialmente progresaron más lentamente. Por otro lado, los deportistas jóvenes de mayor rendimiento comenzaron a practicar su deporte principal antes, se involucraron más en la práctica de su deporte principal y menos en otros deportes, y tuvieron una progresión inicial más rápida.
El estudio ilustra paralelismos de la ciencia con laureados con premios Nobel. Al parecer, muchos de estos científicos o académicos acumularon más experiencias de estudio o de trabajo de forma multidisciplinar y tuvieron una progresión inicial más lenta en sus campos.
Los hallazgos del estudio sugieren que las experiencias multidisciplinarias en nuestra juventud están asociadas con una progresión inicial gradual, es decir, que les lleva más tiempo llegar a la élite en sus deportes, pero que cuentan con una mayor sostenibilidad del desarrollo de la excelencia a largo plazo.
Por lo tanto, si trabajamos con deportistas jóvenes, es importante exponerles a diferentes disciplinas deportivas y evitar una especialización temprana.
¿Qué opináis?
¿Tenemos (nosotros, los propios deportistas o sus entornos) la paciencia para no destacar demasiado pronto? ¿Cómo puede influir en la motivación de un deportista el hecho de no destacar en su deporte para continuar entrenando y perseverar hasta que su potencial real en dicho deporte comience a florecer?
This morning I read a study that I found very interesting for parents and those coaches who work with young athletes, and I would like to share the results with you.
The study is a meta-analysis of 51 studies that involved a total of 6,096 athletes, including 772 world-class athletes.
The authors began by asking the following question:
What explains the acquisition of exceptional performance: an intensive specialized approach or a multidisciplinary practice background?
What do you think?
The findings revealed that world-class adult athletes participated more in multidisciplinary sport activities in childhood or adolescence. On one hand, those who started their main sport later accumulating less practice time in their main sport progressed, initially, more slowly. On the other hand, the highest performing young athletes started their main sport earlier, became more involved in their main sport and less in other sports, and had faster initial progression.
The study illustrates parallels between science and Nobel laureates. Apparently, many of these scientists or academics accumulated more experience of study or work in a multidisciplinary way and had a slower initial progression in their fields.
Their findings also suggest that multidisciplinary experiences when athletes are young are associated with a gradual initial progression, meaning that it takes them longer to become elite in their sports, but that they expect greater sustainability of developing excellence over the long term.
Therefore, if we are parents of young athletes or we work with them, it is important to expose them to different sport disciplines and avoid early specialization.
What are your thoughts?
Do we (us, the athletes themselves or the people around them) have the patience not to stand out too soon? How can affect an athlete’s motivation if he or she doesn´t excel and has to continue training and persevering hoping that, at one point later on, his or her real potential in that sport will begin to blossom?
Oftentimes, when I talk about perseverance, discipline, the ability to overcome adversity or setting goals, I give as an example the stories of great athletes who have made history.
However, there are people who, without reaching the top in their sport or in their professions, inspire me as much or more than those super-champions.
One of them is my father, who just turned 64 today. He has always been a canoeist, although when he was young he rowed. Thanks to his passion for canoeing I was introduced to this wonderful sport that continues to captivate me.
Although he is a canoeist at heart, he hasn’t been out on the water for a long time. The reason is that four years ago he was diagnosed with a chronic hematological disease. So, he has to take medication for the rest of his life to keep things under control.
He has always faced life with great enthusiasm and motivation. The moment he was given that bad news, he set the goal to improve his physical condition and began to train on his kayak. However, he realized that the medication or his illness, or a combination of both, caused him to lose his balance and he capsized on several occasions, with the risk that this entails.
If you know him, you will know that he loved to bathe in cold water. You could see him swimming daily on La Concha Beach in San Sebastián. I still remember getting messages from friends from all around Spain telling me that they saw my father on TV coming out of the water when it snowed on the beach.
These dizziness forced him to have to abandon both hobbies, but he found a sport that did adapt to this new vital circumstance: indoor rowing.
He bought a machine and, without thinking twice, began to train and set goals. The first, to break the Spanish record in the 60-64 category. That year he was going to turn 60, so he would be one of the young ones in the category.
I remember that the whole family, my mother, my wife, my children, my sister and her family, went to his first competition in Getxo on his birthday, exactly 4 years ago today, on December 1, 2018. Although he had been rowing seriously for a few months, he really wanted to break a record that had not been broken for years. The times he was doing suggested that he could so it.
However, as I often tell the athletes I work with, in my classes or at conferences:
You don’t choose the rocks on the road, but you can choose your attitude to overcome them.
You can’t control that someone else does better that day, but you can control giving your best.
And that is what happened. He broke his personal record and the Spanish one too, but there was another rower who beat him and who, logically, set the official record.
A year later, we were back at the same event. He had prepared better and his marks indicated that he was going to be able to do it. However, once again, even beating his own personal best and the Spanish record, there were two other rowers who beat him.
Instead of getting discouraged and complaining that the illness and the medication that he has to take continuously will probably affect his performance, he got up again and went after his goal.
Months later, he finally managed to beat that Spanish record and qualify for the Indoor World Championship, where he was 7th in his category.
Two weeks ago, at the Spanish Indoor Rowing Championship he came in second position in the Masters category, aged 35 and over.
Now, his goal is the European Championships that will be held in Paris at the beginning of 2023. This morning we caught him in the gym at Orio´s Arraunetxe rowing and lifting weights. I didn’t know about this fact but for 20 years he did not lift weights and he only started again a few months ago!
There are people who, even if they don’t win Olympic medals, Grand Slams, or World Cups, can inspire us even more than the greatest champions because they are people like you and I who decide to face adversity and the challenges that life throws at them with a smile and the courage to fight.
What defines us is not how we fall but how we get up.
EKAITZ SAIES 
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