Showing posts with label coach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coach. Show all posts
Coach On Competition
COACH ON-SPOT DURING COMPETITION
Some fencers and their parents feel that they may be able to make it at tournaments without the help of a coach, even at major and important ones.
If the coach does not meet these requirements and conditions, in many cases, the work of the coach at the fencing competition is considered unsatisfactory and thereby the tournament unsatisfactory. Typically, the next time competition rolls around, these fencers and parents think that help from a coach at the fencing competition is a waste of money.
In my opinion, this approach is completely wrong. Why is that?
Factors that Affect a Fencer’s Performance
Successful performance of the fencer in the competition is limited by the extent of the physical, technical, tactical and psychological preparation. But there are many factors that affect it, such as:
- Competition experience
- Individual ability to act under stress
- Degree of self-motivation
- Ability to control their emotions
- Ability to make their own decisions
- And last, but not least, ability to show strong will power to achieve great results under pressure, in extreme conditions.
Success will not come because a coach has shown or taught a magic move in the last moment. At the same time, the role of the coach is indispensable and in most cases can be critical and decisive.
The role of the coach in fencing competition is incredibly important and there are many reasons why students need a coach. Here are the main factors:
● Psychological Support
One of the most important things that happens on the strip is that the coach’s presence inspires his/her fencer, giving them mental strength, confidence, courage and comfort. In this sense, the coach certainly is indispensable. The coach helps the fencer to overcome any pre-start fever, sets the fencer up for fighting, and teaches how to deal with scare tactics. Having personal competitive, coaching and life experience, coaches know how to cope with anxiety. They oftentimes play a role of professional psychologist.
● Tactical Assistance
When a coach observes a bout, they see things a fencer often misses. The coach can help with a strategy to use in the pools round, as well as in the direct elimination. He or she advises which tactics to choose against fencers of different styles. For example: how to fence with the fencers using the French grip or pistol grip in epee, how to fence against fencers who prefer a defensive tactic or an offensive tactic, how to fence tall or short fencers, fast or slow fencers, left-handed fencers, etc.
This strip coaching advice is extremely important when the coach is talking with the fencer during the minute break within a 15 touches bout. Usually the tips that students get at this time are crucial for the outcome of the bout.
Technical advice – it is a “blade of two edges “. Such advice can help, but it’s also possible that it could harm the fencer. In my opinion, it is only in very rare cases that a coach should give technique advice, which should only be applied in the current situation in the current bout.
The reasons for this are as follows:
- The coach watches his/her student fencing from the sideline, and usually can easily determine which technical move he or she could use in this situation. But if the student is not familiar or comfortable with the suggested action (e.g., in a case when the coach provides guidance to his/her teammate), the fencer can be hit by an opponent trying to execute the suggested action. Unfortunately, not every student will always perform the same move that a coach could use by themselves in the same situation.
- A modern fencing bout is very fast and intensive, and situations change very rapidly. There is a great risk that the specific technical advice will be too late or will not comply with the changed situation.
- The third and most important reason: a significant negative factor may be that if student a constantly receives technical advices from the coach, in a step-by-step manner, who is standing next to the strip during the whole competition, they cease to think for themselves and take the initiative. Later will certainly affect his/her progress in the future as a fencer.
I personally believe that the content and balance of tactical and technical advice in the competition should depend on the level of training of fencers and their volume of competitive experience. Fencers of a high level should receive less technical advice and be less dependent on their coach in understanding technical elements of the bout. All this work should be carried out in preparation for a competition and not on competition day. The fencer has to think during a bout: “what to do?” not “how to do?” On the other hand, the lower the level of a fencer, the greater involvement and technical advice they should get from their coach, as it serves a purpose in their competitive training and experience.
Student and Coach
To guarantee a success (not in terms of final result in competition!), interaction between student and coach at competitions should be to 100% cooperation, mutual understanding and complete mutual trust. If there is not unconditional trust of the fencer in his/her coach, I do not believe this union will end with any good results.
Fencing Parents
A parent’s role in the development of an athlete is huge. But sometimes parents, without realizing it and believing they act in their child’s best interest, actually play quite a negative role in competition.
Oftentimes some parents try to be very helpful to their fencer, and without paying attention seize initiative from the coach. They discuss with their children the upcoming bouts, their opponents and even give different type of advice to their child – including tactical and technical advice. In other words, they are trying to play the role of a coach, which is totally unacceptable. (Of course with the exception of the instance when the parent is the child’s trained fencing coach)
More often than not, these tips are usually wrong and harmful, despite the fact that the parents had or have fencing experience. Not only do they prevent the coach from do his or her job, they also have a negative impact on the performance of their child. This subsequently causes disrespect to themselves in the future.
In my opinion, the best advice for parents to give to their child during the competition should be limited to two phrases “Always listen to your coach” or during difficult times: “Take a deep breath – everything will be ok!” That’s all!
Competition is a Training Process
Another important aspect of coaching at competition is a fencer’s acquisition of the indispensable knowledge and experience from the coach during competition.
The competition should be regarded as a continuation of the training process and not as an important and a final test where coach’s help does not play much importance, or will not be effective in any way.
During the competition, every coach really wants his/her students do as well as possible, and help them to do so. At the same time, the coach observes the student and makes conclusions for themselves. They make notes on how to improve or change the training process, what skills and qualities will be necessary to improve or develop in order to improve his/her student’s skills. Coaches are always talking with their fencers prior to and after the event, as well as before and after the bout.
In this respect, the coach is simply irreplaceable. The coach analyzes the situation, concludes, explains and continues to teach the student how to behave in the competition. They work with fencers on how to eat properly at a competition, teach them how to distribute their stamina throughout the tournament, and they pay attention to technical and tactical mistakes. Of course the coach praises and encourages the student when the fencer executes a nice touch or completes a beautiful well-built bout. Lastly, the coach works with fencers on how to properly behave in different situations, how to handle stress, analyze opponents, and so much more.
In other words, the coach helps the student to acquire the indispensable experience and confidence that will certainly have a positive impact on student performance in future competitions, on and off the strip.
This article is courtesy contributed by the Academy of Fencing Masters, 'Do I need a coach at the fencing competition?' by Yakov Danilenko on 22 November 2016
For more details how STEPIO coaches can help you to get better on your competition, click here.
Valerio Aspromonte - Coach Biography
2012 olympic,
andrea cipressa,
coach,
fencing,
foil,
frascati scherma,
gs fiamme gialle,
italy,
valerio aspromonte
VALERIO ASPROMONTE
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Country represented |  Italy |
| Born | 16 March 1987 Rome, Italy |
| Weapon(s) | Foil |
| Hand | Right-handed |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 11⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb; 13.2 st) |
| Club | GS Fiamme Gialle |
| FIE Ranking | Current Ranking |
|---|
Further Personal Information
| |
| Marital status | Common Law / De Facto |
| Family | Fiancee Carolina Erba |
| Occupation | Athlete, Police Officer |
| Languages | Italian |
Sport Specific Information
| |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He began fencing in 1995 at elementary school. |
| Why this sport? | He won a free trial class and became hooked on the sport. |
| Club / Team | GS Fiamme Gialle: Italy |
| Name of coach | Andrea Cipressa [national], ITA |
| Handedness | Right |
General Interest
| |
| Hobbies | Dancing. (ilblogdiuominiedonne.net, 29 Nov 2014) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning gold in team foil at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (Facebook page, 02 Jul 2015) |
| Famous relatives | His fiancee Carolina Erba has represented Italy in fencing. She won bronze in team foil at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Jul 2015; fanpage.it, 22 Nov 2014) |
| Ambitions | To become a fencing coach. (fanpage.it, 22 Nov 2014) |
| Other information | BURGLARY In January 2014 his parents' house was burgled and a number of his medals and trophies were stolen. (ilmamilio.it, 24 Jan 2014) TV STAR In 2014 he was a contestant on the Italian version of the reality television show 'Dancing With the Stars'. (davidemaggio.it, 07 Dec 2014; gossipetv.com, 08 Nov 2014) |
Tournament - How to Prepare Before Your Next Competition
TRAINING BEFORE TOURNAMENT
Crucial Training Before CompetitionNo doubt about getting the best training before the competition while keeping your everyday's training require commitment, discipline, and repetition. But from what you have been learning everyday with the same team of fencers, you may not be able to get the 'scent' of the competition. Again, the same way of private lesson is no hurt for preparing the competition. Yet a fresh mind of tactics and tips would help you a lot on inspiring your mind when you have to face someones as your opponents in the next few days.
It is always a very good learning process every time you compete with someone, especially ones you don't know well or don't know at all! Fencing is all about building up your own style after learning from the winnings-and-losings overtime. The more you get inspired, the better your game you will play -- no matter how many lessons you take and how famous your coach is if you play within-the-box.
Mental Preparation Tips for Competition
Being mentally prepared for a tournament is just as important as being physically prepared.
A successful fencer requires strong muscles, quick reactions, and refined motor skills to defeat their opponent. Having a strong mind, quick attitude responses, and tailored mental skills gives an equaled matched fencer a distinct advantage over their competition. Mental preparation involves these four key elements:
1. Feeling that you are ready to compete. Developing this important aspect starts long before you actually compete. With each step of preparation for a tournament, you remind yourself that you are getting more and more ready to compete. If you feel that you are not ready, you have already created a major shortcoming in your preparation.
2. Trusting your skills and abilities. The confidence is defined as knowing that you are able to perform certain skills. Feeling that you are a good fencer because you can execute the necessary skills at the necessary time is a huge step in the mental preparation process. There are fencers who have tremendous accomplishments who lack confidence. On the contrary, you can have confidence without your desired accomplishment.
3. Focus on fencing well. When you fence well, good things will happen. By focusing on winning alone, you create an unnecessary distraction that pressures you, rather than relaxes you. This step involves having no expectations about your performance. This step involves developing proper self-talk.
4. Coping with adversity. I’ve seen it so many times. A fencer may be struggling in a tough bout, but hanging in there. Then out of the blue, one thing goes wrong and they explode in a fit of anger, or mentally break down. Being prepared for anything puts you ahead of your competition. Fine tuning this skill involves learning about control, and how heavily it affects your ability to keep your head in the bout.
5. Following on-spot instructions from your Coach. Your Coach knows you well and you need his clear mind from a third-party on opinions and tactics you need to compete on your next round or get your next point. Even your Coach is not present in the competition, ask someone senior on the game, e.g. your STEPIO accompanied coach to give you comments after each round so you can get the first hand comments on your performance, condition and clear some of your mind blocks, and of course, if you courage to continue better in the next round.
For more advice on this topic regarding coach on-spot during competition, please see another professional explanation by click here.
Through committing and learning these preparations, making the effort to improve your overall fencing game can certain pay off!
For your next critical training program, please see the coming training camps/private lessons here.
Career
CAREER
STEPIO offers 2 opportunities to people who are interested in taking part in our training programs and camps :
Huddle Leader
Coach & Volunteer
Huddle Leader
Are you a college/university student looking for a rewarding and challenging summer training opportunity?
Or a High School student looking to work at training camps (campers ages 8-12)?
Or do you want to travel around the world as a part-time job while getting the best possible training worldwide?
Or do you want to be an athlete while having some coaching experience for juniors?
Or have you enrolled in a STEPIO Camp before and want to be part of it?
More than 100 college student-athletes will serve as Huddle Leaders this summer with STEPIO Camp. They will work directly with a small group of campers. The Huddle Coordinator selects these leaders for the Camp.
Each Huddle Leader is carefully handpicked, through careful screening, which includes an in-depth application process which includes references.
Most are involved in the STEPIO camp on the training venues or campuses and many were once campers themselves. They are dedicated to sports, not only at Camp, but in their everyday lives.
Once selected, these leaders take part in a two-day on-site training program, in addition to the preparation work they do before arriving at Camp.
Step 1 Begin the Huddle Leader Application
Step 2 In order to work with youth on behalf of STEPIO, you must complete the first aid training and acquired a certificate provided by St. John Group. This certificate must be reviewed and approved by FCA Staff before you can participate at Camp.
Step 3 You will be contacted by a Huddle Leader Coordinator.
Coach or Volunteer
Our years of camping history allows STEPIO to have the highest quality staff! Our 100-plus instructional staff have been carefully selected and consist of STEPIO staff, current collegiate and high school coaches, professional athletes, both current and former, and collegiate athletes.
They bring years of coaching and performance experience to STEPIO Camps and serve as role models for campers, both on and off the field of competition.
Every camp is led by STEPIO Staff who are committed to the youth sports of all age. Each director has been trained as a STEPIO Camp leader, and collectively, they bring years of camp leadership experience to the Camp Leadership Team.
If you are ready to take the next step, please complete the process below.
Step 1 Begin the Camp Staff/Volunteer Application;
Step 2 In order to work with youth on behalf of STEPIO, you must complete the first aid training and acquired a certificate provided by St. John Group. This certificate must be reviewed and approved by FCA Staff before you can participate at Camp;
Step 3 You will be contacted by a Camp Director.
Coach as a Profession and STEPIO Coaches
aspromonte,
coach,
coaching,
evgeny mate,
jong hwan ko,
lok ku,
nicholas cowper,
Sergey Vsevolodovich Nikulyak
COACH — THE RAINMAKER
He or she trains them to compete as a team or individually. Some coaches recruit new players for college and professional teams.
Job Duties
- Initiate problem resolution
- Assist in scouting and recruiting activities
- Monitor individual student athlete progress to ensure academic eligibility
- Teach and instruct all aspects of game
- Promote sportsmanship and foster good character in student athletes
- Supervise students in practice areas, locker rooms and during commuting
- Encourage student participation and establish rapport
- Maintain equipment and uniforms
STEPIO Coach
Our coaches have been carefully selected so as to bring the highest quality coaching to you at age-appropriate levels. All of our coaches in STEPIO organized training programs and camps are dedicated and innovative coaches with personal qualities pertinent to working with young athletes.
Here are some of our key coaches and their profile :
Valerio ASPROMONTE, Fencing
Ayman MANSOUR, Fencing
Evgeny MATE, Fencing
Sergey Vsevolodovich NIKULYAK, Fencing
Nick COWPER, Golfing
Jong Hwan KO, Fencing
Lok KU, Swimming
and many more ...
