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The Bad Thing 50K – Race Recap – Racing Smarter, Not Harder
I almost quit running altogether. From 2009 to 2018, I did well in school. But I struggled to be smart when it came to running. After hitting the final straw with a torn hamstring in 2018, I took four years to fall back in love with the sport. Normally love like this would be doomed…
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Merging repetition & race-practice together
There’s often a conflict between the old-school coaches who design “drills” focused on repetition, and the new-school coaches who provide actual education toward what players will encounter in a game. But in reality, the two can easily be merged together. You see, game-realistic activities around a specific session topic naturally allow for repetition toward the…
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Attention to detail when coaching at the elite level
While coaching ideologies can generally apply across a myriad of ages and abilities, there are a few distinct differences. This includes:1. A greater attention to detail at the high-performance level. 2. A greater attention to position-specific training. 3. More complexity when adapting activities to add challenge/intensity
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Coaching high-performance athletes
abilities, there are a few distinct differences. This includes: A greater attention to detail at the high-performance level. A greater attention to position-specific training. More complexity when adapting activities to add challenge/intensity. Let’s break this down!
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Building logical session flow & implementing rewards
Today I returned to the classroom for my Coaching & Leadership course for eighty+ undergraduate students. For the first class of the new semester, I facilitated a European Handball session on ‘switching play’, which is a session plan I’ve done plenty of times in the soccer world. Here were some of the key reflections…
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Falling Water Trail Marathon – Race Recap – “Rocks!”
It’s the first year of trail for the both of us, we’re both mid-twenties, and we’re both podium finishers at two of Ontario’s craziest trail races now. I think Dylan will be a great training partner to have in the coming months, and I’m so pumped now for The Bad Thing in October, knowing that…
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Visualization and race-specific training
I’ve always had a wild imagination. Growing up, I’d play hockey and soccer in my basement for hours on end. Every single time, I’d visualize being the best in the world. I’d break all the records, score the wildest of goals, and mesmerize the commentators every time. When I quit hockey at age 12 and…
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The art of downhill running
Much of the advice comes down to training with someone else that is good and watching their lines of travel, doing downhill intervals, or the very true facet of confidence. But you rarely here an elite runner discuss what they do from a technical perspective to run better at downhills. I discuss how to get…
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Why games-based learning leads to more long-term gains
As coaches, the vast majority of us want what is best for our athletes. But there still exists a never-ending divide between what is deemed more valuable by the standards of today, as opposed to the ways coaches learned in the past. Modern-day coaches will emphasize fun and enjoyment through games, and old-school coaches will…
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The power of reframing negative thoughts
As the self-conscious individuals that we are, it’s impossible to go an entire day with zero negative thoughts entering the mind. Despite the difficulty of that task, I used to subscribe to a ‘no-negativity’ mindset. It’s incredibly important to always think on the bright side and come up with the positives in any situation, but…
Rhys Desmond
Training Theory & Coaching
Rhys Desmond 