Coaches Journal 6.20.23
Quote of the Week: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” ~ Albert Einstein
Blog Post – If Coaches Don’t Know Goodhart’s Law, They Should I admit, I hadn’t heard of Goodhart’s Law, but after some sleuth work, it became very apparent to me that the concept, advocated by Economist Charles Goodhart, should be an essential component of every coaches toolkit. In a nutshell, Goodhart’s Law states that “when a performance indicator or statistic is used as a target for individuals or organizations to achieve, it loses its value as an accurate and effective measure.” Performance statistics are readily available for coaches to evaluate every aspect of performance. As coaches, we might consider avoiding having a statistical goal for players as there might be unintended consequences. READ MORE
The Ability to Master the Mundane – Mundane: adjective, common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative. As I watched the men’s final at Roland Garros last weekend, the announcers took a moment to analyze the greatness of Novak Djokovic. One of the comments made by announcer Mary Carillo was that “Novak has the ability in practice to master the mundane.” She explained that Djokovic drills incessantly on the most minute aspects of the game. This approach contrasts with so many coaches that spend most of their training sessions in team activities. Carillo also recommended a book called The Right Call by Sally Jenkins which details the traits of championship players. I haven’t read it, but it’s on my to-read list.
MasterCoaches Video of the Week – The MasterCoaches interview Dave Whinham from the Professional Volleyball Federation. Dave provides an update on the upcoming season. Watch the interview HERE
Wake Forest Baseball – Success Is 68 Years in the Making – #1 seed Wake Forest is currently undefeated in the Collegiate World Series. The last time the Demon Deacons played in the CWS was 1955. If my math is accurate, that is 24,820 days. What is the factor in the success? READ MORE
NIL Stuff – In news that could rock the world of NIL Collectives, the Internal Revenue Service suggests that nonprofit NIL collectives offering tax deductions could be breaking the law. According to a memo released from the office of the IRS Chief Counsel, donations made to nonprofit NIL collectives “are not tax exempt” because the benefits they provide college athletes are “not incidental both qualitatively and quantitatively to any exempt purpose.” READ MORE
My Annual Rant about Summer Activities for High School Players – Now that the club season is winding down, I wish high school athletes could/would take a few weeks off before the start of the high school season. Coaches talk about the importance of taking a physical and mental break, but nobody seems to make it happen. Oh well, maybe next year.
Call to Action!! – My motivation for both the blog and newsletter is to provide information on volleyball, education, and general articles that might be of interest and possibly assist you in your coaching. If I can focus on a specific area of interest that you might have, drop me a note at js38652@gmail.com
Speaking of Taking Time Off – I will hold off on the next newsletter for a few weeks and take some time off from the blog. That said, I’ll happily correspond with any coach with questions as they prepare for the fall season.
Enjoy the summer!
~Jim