In the course of the quoted interview (in another thread A compliment to Graham Wicas from Maestro Chiado` ) with Maestro Dario Chiado` on Schermaonline, these three questions and answers may be of interest since they describe what the role of the modern fencing coach should be according to the interviewee. http://www.schermaonline.com/scherma...rder=0&thold=0 SCHERMAONLINE What is the importance of a fencer's physical and psychological training and conditioning? Do you think that the fencing coach (maestro) should be involved in these aspects? Why? CHIADO’
No doubt that in the last decade the role of physical and psychological conditioning has become more important for no other reason that because several nations which have come into fencing rather recently, have combined successfully technical growth and improvement with a specifically designed athletic preparation and conditioning. In other words, the old image of a talented fencer who thanks to his technical abilities can beat everyone, is in my opinion passe.
Today you must
"build" an athlete who will be capable to optimize the technical gestures supporting them with a good performance tied with his own individual physical and mental conditioning. It is essential to convey an
"athlete's culture" in a wider sense, obviously with equilibrium and moderation, to the youngest fencers already from the early beginning. Let's not forget that fencing is a technical sport and technique must remain its primary aspect.
Optimum training for advanced athletes requires to separate the training sessions dedicated to conditioning from those of strictly fencing technique (for instance one in the morning, the other in the afternoon). When this is not possible, i.e., in the majority of cases involving students, one must be careful in dividing in the right proportion the time dedicated to physical and technical training. What is most important and essential is to establish the right periodization. It should not be tied with work loading and work unloading phases but the percentage of the technical component should progressively increase as the competition date nears.
If the physical trainer (strengthening coach) does not have a fencing background, the fencing coach (Maestro) can be of great help by pointing which athletic conditioning to go for. After this initial planning phase I'd say that the work of the various experts can continue in a more autonomous way. It will be relatively easy to understand as time goes by if one has designed a correct and effective program and a training with the right balance of the various aspects of the global preparation.
SCHERMAONLINE Can you give a brief definition of the "fencing coach?" CHIADO’
The fencing coach (Maestro) is a person who knows the values of a discipline which is almost as old as the human race. He can help you to interpret your day to day life as only a gentleman can do. If you have some talent you have also the chance to become a good athlete!
SCHERMAONLINE A question we always ask. In the paragraph "Coaches, coaches, coaches" in the article "UNDERSTANDING THE PATH TO THE PODIUM: REFLECTIONS FROM OLYMPIANS ON THE PROCESS OF SUCCESS," by Suzie Riewald,Ph.D and Kirsten Peterson, Ph.D USOC Coaching and Sport Sciences, polled Olympic athletes and champions give great importance to the experience and technical knowledge of the coach, his support, his ability to help in motivating the athletes, and his dedication. What do you think? CHIADO’
No doubt that the coach should do with great care two fundamental jobs which the athlete may not be aware of:
(a) understand how the sport of fencing is evolving and which technical adjustments, if transferred to the athlete, can in a specific scenario be the winning ones, and
(b) he must also be somehow the
alter ego of the athlete, i.e., be the one who sees himself from the outside and corrects himself all the time to improve.
A fundamental component of success remains a serene psychological approach to competition. In this case the coach can be of help, but he cannot substitute the mechanisms that every individual must find in his own self.
To be able to reach the status when everything seems to
flow together is something very personal. Any external help can be just a marginal complement. In any case to have a mutual growth and improvement and to make an ideal winning combination, the rapport and relation coach-student must be total and reciprocal.
A coach must be absolutely convinced of his athlete's potential, and the athlete cannot doubt the ability and competence of his coach. If this equilibrium is broken, it cannot be rebuilt. Often the habit is to praise even excessively the athlete's ability when he is winning, and quickly blame the coach when things don't go well.
I'd say this is a rather simplistic solution!!!
Questions by E. Loescher 
Linear Mode
