Episode 6 - Meet #2 Recap, Body Language, and Competition Expectations - a podcast by Charles J. Infurna, EdD

On Sunday our team competed at the Brockport Invitational meet.  Yes, the meet was held on a Sunday.  The week of practice and preparation leading up to the meet went pretty well.  Lots of good throws in practice, the throwers’ technical efficiency improved, and we had some strong performances in the weight room.  Then the competition began.



As a whole, the competition went fairly well.  We had lots of personal best and season best performances.  It was the distance of those performances that I think most of our throwers didn’t like.  



In my experiences as a throwing coach, I’ve come to learn, understand and accept the fact that the best week or weeks of practice does not always necessarily translate into a great or even good performance on meet day.  Ah, why is that you may be asking.  Well, here is a conversation I had with my athletes today about just that.



Coach (me): We won’t have practice today.  We’ll get back to it tomorrow.  

Thrower 1:  Are we still lifting today?

Coach (me):  Yes, you are still lifting, but no throwing.

Thrower 2:  Thank you coach.

Thrower 3:  Does anyone else feel tired, or is it just me?

Coach (me):  Although the actual volume of work conducted yesterday was relatively low, the intensity was very high-hence your fatigue today.

Thrower 3:  Oh, you’re a lot smarter than me coach.

Coach (me):  Well, let’s not get carried away here.  I think it’s important to take into consideration that a lot of factors play a role in fatigue.  Yesterday definitely plays a huge role.  Other factors like CNS, rest, recovery, and nutrition are also critical.

Thrower 3:  I just thought I didn’t sleep enough.  My brain lacks the wrinkles yours possesses.



Yes, that is the actual text exchange from earlier this afternoon.  And yes, that is how I respond to my athletes in our group chat.  And even further, those factors listed above do indeed play a role in fatigue and to a greater extent, performance.  So what’s the catch???



There isn’t one really.  Our performances as athletes, and in this case throwers, is often pre-determined by the factors above.  That isn’t 100% always the case, but in my experiences the few days and certainly weeks leading up to a meet determine the likelihood of perceived athlete success or less success (failure).

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