The Blog

Keeping a blog throughout this unit has been a useful tool for clarifying my knowledge and reflecting on strategies that were applicable to my context. I look forward to using the blog as a reflective tool for my atheltes to document their own progress. 

I am very excited about integrating many of the skills I have developed into my coaching. This unit has provided me with an advantage over other coaches in my field, both in knowledge of strategies and the professional presentation and development of resources. 

The ability to select tasks appropriate to my needs and interest was highly effective and allowed me to taylor the course to my unique requirements.

Thanks Donna and Wayne!

Required task - How technology can assist the coach when the athlete is not directly accessible.

Your athletes are located in regional areas, interstate or overseas and you do not have direct access to them for the next 3 months. Consider how technology may assist you to continue to coach them remotely during this period.

Context: Due to work requirements, my athlete has been transferred to Albany for three months.

After completing this unit I am now confident that technology is able to assist  in providing assistance to my athlete in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reflecting on her training during her time away.

Planning

Prior to leaving, I would meet with the athlete to provide a three month program via visual coaching. As she can not train with her coach and not working towards competition, the program would be focusing on developing the fitness and gymnastic ability of the horse rather than technicalities.  Visual coaching is able to provide a detailed program, which is easy to produce, share, adapt and monitor.

We could also establish a preferred method of communication, such as text, mobile, Facebook, email, skype or twitter.

Monitoring

Monitoring progress could be done in several ways. One is for my athlete to keep a diary via visual coaching. We could agree on which fields she would monitor and whether she would report on her or the horse. For more detail, she could keep a blog of her training and any questions that arise after each session.

I have developed goal setting and monitoring sheets for another unit, these could be available on email or we could arrange a time to conference via skype.

Another way in which technology could assist is in providing feedback.  The athlete can videos her performance with either an iphone, ipad or video camera. A device is now available which you can dock your iphone and it will follow the horse (if she is on her own) in order to capture continuous footage.

Editing and selecting footage for feedback is a beneficial strategy. My athlete can then email or text the file to me (via wetransfer.com if it is large) and I can add my voice over to provide feedback.

Technology also allows the coach to conduct video modeling. Such feedback via webased programs such as kinovea, or more expensive programs such as dartfish and apps such as The Coach’s Eye and Coachmyvideo allow informative feedback to be provided.  I could then add this to her blog, youtube,  or email or text her the feedback, (depending on the preferred communication method).

Live streaming has been considered, however feedback is often delayed and the process can become frustrating to both the athlete and the coach. This can be challenging across time zones.

As fitness will be a priority, using a devise to formally monitor training loads is also a viable solution. The horse could be fitted with Under Aromour which will provide valuable date on the intensity of the workouts.  These could then be monitored and feedback provided.

Evaluation/Reflection

The athlete can evaluate and reflect her own training strategies as well as the methods of feedback provided by the coach in her journal/log book or blog.

Being away from the coach provides an opportunity to develop skills in self-regulation and this can be discussed before she leaves.

I have no doubt that technology now provides more ways that ever for coaches to ensure that minimal disruption occurs to the training program when geographical barriers prevent direct training.

A Review of the Rein Tension Meter

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Critique and Opinion of the Rein Tension Meter

The reins provide an important link in communication between the horse and rider. Maintaining a correct contact is one of the fundamental requirements for a rider to be able to effectively train a horse.

How much pressure to hold in the reins has traditionally been very difficult to teach and is often referred to as the elusive “feel” of the rider.

The Rein Tension Meter however, now provides the coach and athlete with a new and exciting tool to quantitatively measure rein pressure.  The product measures and continuously records the left and right rein tension close to the bit. The data is recorded on a data logger but software enables the rider to download this into excel for statistical analysis.

 The rider and coach to can then use this to:

·      Detect asymmetries in the contact
·      Compare the pressure on different horses
·      Compare pressure by different riders on the same horse
·      Examine the pressure applied by experts
·      Use in conjunction with the accelerometer to determine if the horse or rider are pulling
·      Provide a more descriptive definition of correct contact.

Research published using the rein tension meter includes:

·      Examining the action of different bits on the horses mouth
·      Examining if there is an increase in heart rate as a result of the different types of bits and different pressure applied to them
·      Defining the use of the aids
·      Exploring the pressure on the bit and the welfare of the horse, www.reintension.net.

Such a device also has the potential to revolutionize the sport of dressage. I can see future applications including, data collection for judges in the warm up and competition arenas. At present there is a controversial method of training horses referred to as rollkur. In this method, force is used to have the horse submit his head and neck carriage to the rider. Previously, the amount of force used has never been able to be detected. The rein tension meter offers a system for measuring and quantifying such force. This could then be converted into a rating system that is used to assign marks to the rider for their contact during the warm-up and competition.

Future applications of data loggers may included pressure detection of the seat and leg aids when influence the horse, as well as detection of frequency of the application of the aids.

The data logger could also possibly be adapted in future to provide feedback to the rider by providing feedback when the contact becomes too heavy or too light. This may then assist in training the muscle memory of the rider, much like the basketball computer that Miles describes in his voice thread presentation.

At present, the only thing stopping me from integrating this technology into my coaching is the price. The set up cost is over $2000! Also, some of the descriptions on the website are complicated and possibly aimed at experienced researches. The other problem is that I was unable to find any of the journal articles referred to online or a video demonstration of this product in action, although the website did provide a description of how the data logger is secured to the bridle of the horse (see below).

Reference:

www.reintension.net

Voice Thread Reflections.....

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Voice thread

This week I have been reviewing and critiquing the voice thread assignments. I really enjoyed Robert M's presentation which highlighted that video footage is able to be used to enhance all four dimensions of the standard coaching model – psychological, tactical, technical and physical. This reminded me of the benefits of showing athletes footage of when they performed at their peak in order to increase confidence and also supported my view of the benefits of video modeling. The idea of showing athletes overcoming difficult situations may be useful as a form of video modeling to show riders how to overcome certain types of difficulties with horses, such as bucking and rearing.

I also enjoyed Gina's presentation on the Cross Country app. Although I do coach rider’s in this sport, I have not used the app and can see many applications. I will recommend it to riders in future.

The other presentation that I found interested was Miles looking at Noah and its influence on training the perfect shot in basketball. The idea of so accurately providing feedback to train the brain is interesting and results from the demonstration show were fascinating, highlighting the importance of expert feedback in skill acquisition. 

Another presentation that was of interest to me was the micoach presented by David I. This could be worn on the body and was able to supplied all the data including heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature and work rates. I am interested to know if this could be placed on the horse to collect similar data. This has the potential to provide valuable feedback to the trainer/coach on the workload of the horse. It could also provide data between trainers in order to accurately measure differences in requirements. 

The last presentation that I definitely learned something new from was Florian's presentation about the use of twitter. I have never used twitter and this presentation assisted me in updating my knowledge. I am not sure if it is something that I will integrate into my coaching at the moment, email, text and facebook seem to be enough... however I am glad that I have a little more understanding now about what it involves.

 Overall I really enjoyed doing this assignment. I think it is a useful tool and although the 20 by 20 restrictions were challenging, the definitely forced me to consider how to accurately present the information. The comments I received were helpful, however so far only from one person, so I am not sure what happened there....?
 

Dartfish

Dartfish

As I had the trial version of Dartfish, it was very difficult to assess all of the features that the program has to offer. On the whole, after exploring the ipad apps now available, I feel that this technology is too slow and time consuming to warrant incorporation into my coaching.  The ability to send the athlete the still comparison pictures with the voice attached is useful, however the time taken to work out how to use the program and the challenges in sharing and the large cost of the program mean that I would be reluctant to purchase it.

I am interested in the stromotion and striation features, however I think I will wait for an app to come out. Overall, I would not recommend Dartfish to coach’s and think that other technology is more efficient in both time and cost.

Visual Coaching

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Visual Coaching

This week I have been working on the visual coaching assignment. I do feel that such a concept would greatly enhance communication between the equestrian athlete and the coach. Coach’s usually have one hour sessions with the next athlete waiting so limited time is allocated to discussing upcoming competitions and year long programs. In fact as an athlete this was never discussed with me.

Having a program like visual coaching would also allow a detailed record of the training sessions to be kept. It would however, be most beneficial to have the program designed for the horse. It would be my intention to have a generic program for each year of the horse from commencement of training at 3/3.5 years of age. That way the coach could follow the development and gain longitudinal data which would be valuable in training future horses.

The other information that was useful was the ability to interpret and provide feedback to the diary information. This would again allow isolated equestrian riders a very valuable chance to remain in contact with their coach and identify any trends.

I enjoyed looking at the many exercises available in visual coaching and thought the system worked well. In terms of dressage, it would be useful to have  a similar system set up with the exercises that the horse was able to do. This would enable to coach to prepare a very detailed plan with ease – I wonder if the designers would be interested in building another one for the equine athlete?

At present, the annual plan and diary are the most useful features of this program. It was difficult to do without a PC, however I am still interested in integrating this into my coaching in the future.

Critique of Article from The International Journal of Performance Analysis

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A Critique of Journal Article from The International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport

Bampouras T, Cronin C, Miller P (2012) “Performance analytic processes in elite sport practice: An exploratory investigation of the perspectives of a sport scientist, coach and athlete”, from The International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport. Vol 12 468-483.

This Journal article provided an interesting perspective as to the field use and implementation of performance analysis. The five identified uses of performance analysis were;

a)             To provide immediate feedback

b)            For data base development

c)             To identify areas for improvement

d)            To evaluate specifics of performance

e)             And as a selection tool to assist coaches and athletes.

The first four I have considered in my coaching, however the final one – as a selection mechanism is not currently relevant to my coaching role.

Bampourus et al (2012, p.469), quotes Bartlett (2001, p125), who states that performance analysis needs to  “…provide coaches with information that adds to what they can not see for themselves.” Although a common sense statement, it does highlight the importance of evaluating each technology and ensuring that the process does add value to the feedback provided.

In terms of my own context, there is value in video analysis as the slow motion provides immediate feedback that can help to identify flaws in technique and be used to enhance the understanding of the athlete. Specific technical information that is often missed can be easily highlighted. In Equestrian sports,  unless the rider or coach organizes it, it would be rare that competitions or training sessions are recorded (as with other professional team sports) so visual feedback is not often used.

 I can also see benefit in creating a database to show the progression of both the horse and rider. I have attempted to keep a video log of training progress in the past, however the footage became difficult to access as technology was becoming outdated so rapidly.  With new coaching technology now offering online storage, this is something I will revisit. I am always exciting at how much improvement I see when reviewing old footage and found it provides motivation at times when I feel little progress is being made.

One way that I have not use performance analysis in the past that may be useful is to video the warm-up of my students. Usually due to resource restrictions, only the test is videoed. This is definitely something I will consider in the future as a feedback tool for athletes.

Effective Use of Performance Analysis

Performance analysis application which has been shown to influence coaching practice and athlete development include:

•  time motion analysis
•   investigation of play and scoring patters
•   physiological responses and demands
•    behavioral studies, (Bampourus, 2012)

Many of the studies referred to in this article were related to the gathering of information via statistics. While I see benefit in this with team sports, currently such data is not used in my sport. Perhaps a catalogue/data base of each component of the dressage test could be created to observe the judge’s perspective and feedback.  This could then be  used as an education tool for the athlete who could develop their understanding by critique others.

The Consensus Model

Bampourous et al., (2012) cites Hughes (2004) who stated the importance of collaboration collaboration between the coach and athletes in order to achieve success.

The authors represented their findings as a “Consensus Model” of performance analysis. In this process the coach and sports scientist work together to select which information is filtered through to the athlete. This highlighted that the athlete’s often had limited input into what data was collected on them and which feedback they received. Athlete’s raised concerns that they were “never given option to say (whether) you want to do it or not, (or) how do you think it is going? Is it beneficial towards us or not? We were never given that kind of control,” Bampourus et al (2012, p478).

The author then raises the question whether or not this is an effective strategy? Concern is raised that excluding the athlete from this process misses important opportunities for development. The coach justifies this process by taking the stance that he is protecting the self-esteem of the athlete. “If you were getting all this information and all this negative information, I think it has to be in stages” describing the coach as a “gate keeping” role, Bamporous et al (2012, p474).

The  author highlights the dilemma - if the athlete is excluded from the process then they are loosing the opportunity to acquire pertinent skills to engage in the process and excluding further development. He argues, “the assumption of incapacity rarely expiates multifaceted skill development,” Bampourus (2012).

I agree with Bampourus (2012, p478) who suggests that “empowerment of athletes through their inclusion in decision – making activities can have a positive performance – function outcome”, and that “self actualization is seldom achieved by those who have little choice but to rely on external regulation”.

I have observed that when I show my athletes footage of their performance, they often identify and place priority on technical flaws, and that their priorities often differ to my own. Although I must question whether their knowledge is sufficient to prioritize such corrections, I also realize that they will have higher motivation to tend to those corrections and a learning opportunity arises if success is not obtained. This further engages and develops the athlete as a learner. Such a process approaches the athlete in terms of long term development opposed to what Bampourous (2012) identifies as “short-term thinking leading to short-term action”.

Other Issues Raised

The study raised several issues in the use of performance analysis. Firstly, that coaches felt it was difficult to access the current research/literature if you are not at University. Subscribing to journals, attending conferences and seminars and making use of the internet coupled with a lifelong approach to learning should enable me to maintain current knowledge and continually strive to implement  best practice.

The other was that may sports do not have access to a sports scientist and that it is very difficult for the coach to maintain their coaching role and supervise the sports scientist or data collection during a competition.  Such a problem is relevant to my sport, however luckily performances only last for 5 to 8 minutes, so organizing a friend to video should be possible. With the computer programs available, it should also be possible to code each movement for later use.

This article highlighted for me the myriad of opportunities available to integrate performance analysis into my coaching and I look forward to developing and implementing these in the future. However, the highlight for me was the opportunity it offers to empower the athlete to take responsibility for their learning and decide which feedback they desire and feel is of most use to  them. As a coach looking to develop my skills in creating an athlete-centered approach , this will be particularly useful.

Reference

Bampouras T, Cronin C, Miller P (2012) Performance analytic processes in elite sport practice: An exploratory investigation of the perspectives of a sport scientist, coach and athlete. Vol 12 468-483.