#013 - Coaching Mastery: Diving Deeper Than Superficial Knowledge with Dan Pfaff

What does it take to coach 49 Olympians, 51 World Championship competitors, 5 world-record holders, and 57 national-record holders? Dan Pfaff answers. This elite coach discusses the necessity for a deeper understanding of biomechanics and how going deeper than superficial knowledge of science can benefit your athletes in the long-run.

Bio:

Coach Dan Pfaff has tutored 49 Olympians including nine medalists, 51 World Championship competitors (also nine medalists), and five world-record holders. He has directed athletes to 57 national records across a multitude of events.

Dan has served on five Olympic Games coaching staffs in five different countries and nine World Championships staffs for six different countries. He has lectured in 27 countries and is published in over 20 countries.

Dan joined ALTIS (formerly the World Athletics Center) as Education Director and Lead Jumps Coach in March of 2013, after a successful 3-year stint in London with UK Athletics, where he coached Long Jumper Greg Rutherford to Olympic Gold.

Dan - Twitter

ALTIS – TwitterALTIS Education - TwitterALTIS - YouTube

Resources mentioned:ALTIS 360ALTIS Foundation Coaching CourseALTIS EssentialsALTIS Coaching the Pole VaultALTIS Apprentice Coach ProgramALTIS Internship ProgramJames Oschman Tom Tellez

0:00 –  2:29 – Robbie Intro and ask Dan what’s currently going on with him with his coaching and consultancy 2:30 – 2:30- Robbie asks Dan – what is Coaching Mastery, and how can on go about attaining 3:31 – 5:10 - Robbie asks Dan – when should a coach try and change an athletes technical model? 5:11 – 6:27 - Robbie asks Dan to speak about the art and science of coaching 6:28 – 11:37 - Robbie asks Dan about the role of fasica within athletic preparation, and why it is also important to have a knowledge of joint hydraulics 11:38 – 15:32 - Robbie asks Dan about this thoughts on stiffness vs compliance

15:33 – 17:33 - Robbie asks Dan to expand upon the concept of movement layers and grids that he (Dan) speaks about 17:34 – 20:22 - Robbie asks Dan about the redundancy of using timelines regarding return to performance from injury

20:23 – 23:57 - Robbie ask Dan if he could expand upon the concept of having contingency plans

23:58 – 28:38 - Robbie asks Dan thoughts on external vs internal cueing 28:39 – 33:15 - Robbie asks Dan about coaching burn out and longevity 33:16 – 35:11 - Robbie asks Dan was he involved any performance set ups that he considered close to optimal? 35:12 – 38:33 - Robbie and Dan discuss the importance of failure in success

38:34 – 39:55 - Robbie asks Dan has he changes his mind on anything in the last 5 years? 39:56 – 41:41 - Robbie asks Dan about his current reading 41:42 – 43:10 - Robbie asks Dan – If Dan could invite 5 people to dinner, dead or alive, who would he invite and why 43:11 – 44:57 – Robbie wraps up the show!