2007 RCA Coaches Conference: Workshop Descriptions

Thursday , Friday and Saturday sessions

TP-1 The Brain Controls it All!

•Dr. Tim Noakes

Until quite recently our understanding of the physiology of fatigue was quite simple. Athletes exercised to the limits of their physiological capacity at which point a catastrophic failure, caused by anaerobiosis and lactic acidosis, occurred in their exercising muscles. This lactic acidosis then poisons the exercising muscles preventing further exercise. The lactic acid is also the cause of the symptoms of fatigue.
Over the past 10 years we have developed an alternate model which postulates that exercise is regulated by the brain specifically to insure that no such catastrophe ever happens. Rather the brain (almost) always insures that exercise terminates before any catastrophic failure can occur. It does this by regulating the number of muscle fibers that are active at any time in the exercising muscles.
The key prediction is that the athlete always finishes with some reserve, even when he or she thinks that an absolutely maximal effort has been produced. In fact, the brain "fools" the athlete into exercising slightly less hard than he or she is able.This new theory has interesting implications for coaching. Thus, building on the theory that the brain regulates the exercise performance so that all performances are "submaximal", Dr. Noakes will propose that (i) in most sporting events the outcome is likely determined even before the activity begins; and (ii) the key function of the coach is to build the athlete’s self-belief. The great coaches achieve this without realizing that this is the key explanation for the continuous successes over decades.

T2-2a Discussion & Application

During the keynote session, many new ideas will be presented. These small group sessions will discuss how the new information might be used when coaching athletes in the beginning of their rowing careers. (Train to Train and Learn to Train stage) Each group will have the opportunity to discuss and share ideas how practices, training, mental preparation and communication may adjusted based on leading edge research on the brain and athletic performance.

T2-2b – Orientation to the Level 2 Technical

Individuals who have registered to receive credit in the NCCP database for Level 2 Technical should attend this workshop. Information will be provided regarding workshops at the conference, practical evaluation, the new NCCP (Theory A & B), and the workshop test.

T3-2 Discussion & Application

During the keynote session, many new ideas will be presented. These small group sessions will discuss how the new information might be used when coaching athletes who may be pursuing higher level of competition and success at Provincial or National Rowing Championships. (Learn to Compete and Train to Compete stage) Each group will have the opportunity to discuss ideas of how to integrate new ideas into athlete preparation at the Competition- Development level based on leading edge research on the brain and athletic performance

T4-2 Discussion & Application

During the keynote session, many new ideas will be presented. These small group sessions will discuss how the new information might be used when coaching athletes pursuing international success. Based on this leading edge research, what can coaches do in the preparation of their athletes to take advantage of this new knowledge? Coaches will be asked to share new ideas and questions about the application from the presentation.

T2-3 RCA Rowing Technique - Error Detection and Effective Use of Drills

•Volker Nolte
As part of the Level 2 technical workshop, Dr. Nolte will present the common technical elements in the RCA model technique emphasizing the importance of the principles of good rowing technique – good posture, correct use of hands and blade work. Common technical errors will be identified and discussed as it pertains to efficiency and boat speed. Corrections and drills will be discussed.

T3-3 Moving Beyond the RCA Categories of Intensity

•Tim Taha
Years ago, RCA adopted a physiologically based system of training intensities. This system allows better communication of training programs to athletes. This session will introduce athlete monitoring, more precise
use of the RCA Categories of Intensity and how to incorporate this into program design. This session will also highlight how coaches can individualize programs based on the biological age and the training age of their athletes.

T4-3 - Overtraining in the High Performance Athlete

•Dr. Tim Noakes
Excellence in sport requires that elite athletes train exceptionally hard. But there is a point at which more intensive training impairs and does not further enhance performance. This workshop will examine some of the historical developments of our understanding of this condition and explain why simple blood and other tests will never be able to diagnose the condition or predict its development. This is because the condition is most likely a protective mechanism activated by the brain to insure that the athlete does not train herself/himself to death. Until we understand the brain mechanisms involved, we will not be able to provide simple measurements predicting when an athlete is either at risk of overtraining or is already overtrained. The best advice remains to "listen to the body" and to reduce training when there is doubt about whether or not the athlete is overtrained.

T2-4 Rigging - an introduction to adjustments – how, when & why?

•Mike Thompson
As part of the Level 2 technical workshop, coaches will be introduced to making appropriate adjustments to their equipment. In the Level 2 practical coaches are asked to adjust span, inboard/outboard, pitch, lateral pin angle, height and proper placement of footstretchers. What should coaches consider when adjusting equipment for juniors who are growing rapidly? Coaches are encouraged to bring their own rigging tools.

T3-4 Integrating Strength Training & Movement Screening into the overall program

•Ed McNeely
The ability to control your body and perform basic movements is essential for every sport. Weakness and muscle imbalances can lead to chronic injuries that can cost you a season and detract from the enjoyment of the sport. Prior to starting your off season strength training everyone should go through a basic movement screen that will help them choose their starting level and appropriate exercises to help them maximize their progress. This presentation will teach you how to administer a low equipment movement screen and interpret the results. This is a hands-on workshop. Wear clothing suitable for activity as everyone will be expected to participate as both a participant and test administrator.

T4-4 Panel: Analysis of Training Programs – JNT, U23, Senior A

Moderators: Phil Monckton and Ian Moss with panel participation from RCA National coaches.
The purpose of this workshop is to give RCA HP Coaches an opportunity to review, understand and ask questions about the physical preparation of our National Team athletes. This interactive session will give coaches an opportunity to examine a selected sample of national team training programs. In small groups, delegates can identify questions about these training programs. There will be an opportunity to ask the panel of National Team coaches focused questions about their training programs.

F2-1 Row Ontario: Intro to LTAD & findings on Learning to Train and Training to Train Stages in Rowing

•Carol Love and Mike Thompson
MESSING ABOUT IN BOATS: how much thought and resources are we putting into how we introduce kids to rowing in Canada? Are they being taught the right skills? Do they have the right equipment? What are we doing well and who's doing it better? As we move into the implementation phase of the RCA Long Term Athlete Development Plan, these are a few of the things that RowOntario has been investigating. Carol will present some preliminary findings from the RowOntario Training Conference, whose focus in 2006 was on youth rowing.

F3-1 RCA Model Technique & Biomechanics

•Volker Nolte
Dr. Nolte will present the basic principles of good technique. He will discuss elements of technique that are being emphasized at the national level. These principles will be related to biomechanics. Volker will highlight drills that can help correct problems, promote good boat speed and prevent injuries. If you are coaching learn to row, masters, juniors, or senior A national team rowers, the principles are the same. Volker will emphasize the importance of learning technique right the first time.

F4-1 Pre- and Post-Exercise Nutrition with Ed McNeely

Over the past few yeas there has been substantial new research on pre- and post-exercise nutrition. Evidence now suggests that what is consumed in the period immediately before and after exercise may be the determining factor in whether an athlete will get any adaptation from the training. This session will discuss the timing and composition of pre- and post-exercise feeding, the proper ratios of carbohydrate, protein, electrolytes and other nutrients to optimize recovery and training adaptations. Practical guidelines will be provided to help athletes and coaches implement this information

F2-2 Training Program & Design – RCA Categories of Intensity

•Chuck McDiarmid
Years ago, RCA adopted a physiologically based system of training intensities. This system allows the coach to describe each training session precisely. This session will introduce the effective use of the RCA Categories of Intensity and how to incorporate this into program design. Chuck will provide practical examples of how he has used the categories of intensity to design and monitor training with club level athletes.

F3-2 RCA Biomechanics & Rigging

•Volker Nolte
Rigging and technique are a genuine part of biomechanics in rowing. Coaches can only understand rigging if they know the basics of biomechanics. Therefore, rigging will be explained in this lecture from its biomechanical background. We will discuss how different manipulations on the boat transfer to rowing technique and how rigging can alter different rowing technique faults. Coaches will hear the basics of rigging as well as tips on how to improve athlete performance with sound biomechanical analysis

F4-2 Periodized Approach to Planning

•Mike Thompson
Mike will present the next level of Long-Term Athlete Planning using Bompa’s Chart of the Annual Plan. In this session, you will learn how to improve the specificity of your planning using an electronic format. The session will allow you to practice your implementation of RCA’s Categories of Intensity in a useful and effective sequence

F2-3 Strength Training

•Ed McNeely
As part of the Level 2 technical workshop, this workshop will deal with the importance of proper strength training at various stages of the athletes development. Ed will teach coaches on the important lifts and exercises for rowing. He will also discuss where strength fits in the LTAD and the critical windows of trainability relating to long term athlete development. This session is an active participation session and will take place at Leander Boat Club. Coaches should come dressed to be active

F3-3 Practical Rigging session

•Carsten Hassing, Mike Spracklen and Carol Love
This practical session will involve hands-on demonstration involving rigging in both sculling and sweep. A variety of different types of boats will be available to rig. Participants should bring measuring tapes, rigging sticks and pitch meters. Bring all of your rigging questions to be answered by the experts. This session is intended to help the coach prepare for the Level 3 practical task on rigging. Coaches should bring their own tools for this rigging session.

F4-3 The Brain, the Muscles and Training

•Tim Taha
How does the brain and muscles interact to generate force? What influence does muscle fibre type have on establishing effective neural pathways for racing? How can the coach use training to create the right interactions between muscles and the brain in training? This session will be a good mix of lecture and group interaction to consider the best ways to approach training given types of workouts and what are the fatigue effects.

F2-4 Movement Screen

•Ed McNeely
Learn how to individualize your athletes training program and integrate it with the rest of your on water training. Learn how to correct some of the common technical errors in dry land training, monitor progress and select the best exercises for your athletes depending on their training age and biological age.
Participants should come dressed to participate in light physical activity.

F3 & 4- 4 Optimal Training Duration and Intensity for different stages of Athlete Development

•Tim Taha
As part of understanding RCA’s Long Term Athlete Development Model, it is important for coaches to understand how peak height velocity and other aspects of growth and development may impact how we design training programs for our junior athletes. This workshop will take a more in depth look at the critical windows of trainability as well as discuss considerations of training loads for rowers at various stages of their development. What are the optimal types of training that should be done with junior men and women? What are the differences in training men and women during this stage?

S2/3-1 The Danish Athlete Development Program – What might be helpful in Canada?

•Carsten Hassing
Denmark has been a successful rowing nation for many years. Part of this success relates to the fact that the Danish system is able to retain rowers for a long period of time. This workshop will focus on unique characteristics of the development of rowers in Denmark. How is the high school rower introduced to rowing? What types of regattas and training does the rower participate in? What are the indicators of a good program in Denmark? Carsten Hassing will provide insight into the Danish way and what might be used in Canadian rowing programs.

SA-1 – Long Term Athlete Development in Adaptive Rowing

•Carolyn Trono
Rowing Canada Aviron will be implementing a Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) plan for athletes participating in regular rowing and adaptive rowing. This workshop will highlight some of the important aspects of LTAD as it pertains to athletes with a disability.

S4-1 Motor Learning – Revisited

•Tim Lee
In 2004, Dr. Tim Lee introduced new concepts in motor learning to rowing coaches. At the 2007 RCA Coaches Conference, Dr. Lee will revisit the main topics including structuring practice, augmented feedback and mental practice as it relates to motor learning and rowing. Using some practical examples, Dr. Lee and the coaches will investigate what has worked using the new information presented in 2004 and what has not worked. Dr. Lee will provide additional insight into recent advances in motor learning research.

S2 & 3 -2 Fostering Team Chemistry- A work in progress.

•Jane LaRiviere
No matter how hard you train and no matter how good your technique is, if you haven’t got team chemistry in a crew you are destine to under-perform. Developing chemistry within a crew or a team is critical to maximizing performance and building a tradition of success. We will discuss specific methods to enhance team chemistry and how team chemistry plays an important role in an athletes’ commitment to training, goal setting and motivation

SA-2 Technique Analysis for Adaptive Rowing

•Kristina Molloy and Volker Nolte
Adaptive rowing is relatively new in Canada. This session will focus analyzing different rowing techniques used in the "Arms” and the "Trunk and Arms” category at the international level. Footage from the World Championships will be shown and a discussion will take place about the considerations for technique when coaching an athlete with a disability both for efficiency, speed, comfort and to remain injury-free. There will be a comparison of the technique used in adaptive rowing from the some of the participating countries.

S4-2 Dartfish - The ultimate video software created for training analysis

•Emil Kossev
Dartfish’s video analysis software was developed in 1997 at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technologies in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1999 Dartfish video technology was announced as the winner of European First Prize – an award granted only to the top IT/Technology innovators in Europe. In April 2000 Dartfish received its first Emmy nomination for its broadcast application during the coverage of the Sydney Olympic Games and in May 2005 Dartfish StroMotion™ took home the Emmy for the Outstanding Innovative Technical Achievement Award. During the 2006 Winter Olympics Games nearly 60% of all Olympic contenders used Dartfish.
For the first time professional and amateur coaches, trainers, athletes and educators can capture, view and analyze individual and team performance in a manner never seeing before with the naked eye.
Disagreement between coach and athlete is virtually eliminated allowing one to accurately communicate, bridging the gap between perception and reality. Advance analysis and diagramming tools provide for precise evaluation and comparing. One can quickly share the analysis, tips and videos via email, interactive CD or on the web. The remote teaching solution provides the user with the greatest way of collaborating and communication, even when athletes and coaches are miles apart. Finally you will be able to collect and make a rowing video data bank with remarkable convenience.

S2/3-3 Selecting a Team – Selecting a Crew

•Volker Nolte and Al Morrow
It is always a challenge for a coach to decide who should be in the crew. The criterion for selection is something the coach must articulate early in the season. This workshop will outline the essential elements that must be included in selection. The presenters will provide examples of selection situations that have gone well and others when there have been challenges. There will be a discussion about the challenges in running selection in a club environment where equipment may be limited. This session is intended to introduce selection to Level 2 coaches and to prepare Level 3 coaches for their practical task on selection.

SA-3 Strength Training for Adaptive Rowing

•Ed McNeely
This presentation will focus on the development of strength training and flexibility programs for adaptive rowers. Emphasis will be placed on differences in recovery for different types of disability, the adaptation of strength exercises to meet athlete specific needs, and testing strength and other physical parameters for adaptive rowers.

S4-3 Training with Speed

•Frank Biller and Terry Paul
This workshop will focus on speed and performance measurement on the water, predominately boat speed. There will be discussions on the improvement of boat speed, the analysis of performance and the meaning of data collected. Practical examples will be given including the underlying physics and the challenges associated with it . How should coaches effectively use the tools and how to install the tools properly?

S2-4 Variety in Training Sessions

•Mike Spracklen
Volume of training has been long recognized as the foundation of success. Fairbairn’s famous quotation “mileage makes champions” added another dimension but long sessions are monotonous: concentration lapses and an equally important quotation is “it’s not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours”. The challenge of maintaining interest for long periods can be met with a programme that provides variety in training sessions

S3-4 Video and Technique Analysis*

•Volker Nolte and Mike Thompson
This session is intended to become more effective in using video to analyze technique and to help athletes improve their rowing technique. Athletes can feel movements in the boat that the coach cannot see and the coach can see movements the athletes are doing which they cannot feel. Athletes believe they are doing what the coach is asking of them technically but usually the change they make is too small to be effective or even seen. With the aid of the video camera, the coach is able to show good and bad movements to the athletes and highlight them with the aid of slow motion.
This session will prepare coaches for the Level 3 practical task – Video and Technique Analysis.

SA-4 – Rigging for Adaptive Rowing in Consideration of Disability

•Larry Marshall and Courtney Pollock
What do we know about rigging singles and doubles for athletes with a disability? According to Larry Marshall there are many consideration and questions. Adaptive rowing is relatively new and therefore, little research has been done regarding the most effective rigging for adaptive rowers. In this workshop, Courtney and Larry will discuss effective rigging based on the injury. Considering the athlete’s size, strength, endurance and injury, this workshop will identify some key considerations when rigging a boat for adaptive rowing.

S4-4 Hydration in the Athlete

•Tim Noakes
Until about 1969, athletes were advised not to drink during exercise since it was believed that drinking during exercise impaired performance. However, a number of factors which came into play in the 1970s changed this advice so that, more recently, athletes have been advised to drink "as much as tolerable" both before, during and after exercise. This workshop will explore these ideas and how they came about, what consequences they produced and why they are wrong. Humans evolved to exercise in the heat and develop a thirst mechanism to direct how much they should drink both before, during or after exercise. Provided athletes drink according to their thirst, they will optimally replace their fluids and maximize their performance.