Results as a Validation?

There is no more results oriented person than me. However, as I stated several weeks ago, when I judge a system of athletic performance my criteria is to look at what someone does with what they have. If you have a bunch of sprinters who have 11.00 ability and eventually you get them to run consistently 11.00 then you have succeeded. The following comment regarding Frans Bosch struck a tender nerve with me “In the Netherlands his ideas are supported, but did this really influenced the performance level in the Netherlands” This is the kind of thinking that really sets me off. I am not sure he is working with the best sprinters in the Netherlands. So how is he doing with those that he is working with? If it were just about results then we should all defer to Trevor Graham, he certainly produced results, but what happens when you take a way the medicinal aids and factor in the fact the times that most people ran before they came to him. I know from personal experience that I was no different as a Combined Event coach when I was coaching decathletes who were scoring in the mid 6,000point range than later when I had decathletes score in the 7900’s. All of sudden people were more interested in what I had to say. That kind of validation by results always bothers me. Let’s get real, judge someone by what they do with what they have. I have the utmost respect for some of the anonymous high school coaches who year after year produce consistently fast performers at their level. Who knows about Patrick McHugh at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, Illinois, who produced a state caliber sprinter without a track! That is how you judge coaching. Remember talent + coaching = Champions. Our job is to help the people we work be the best they can be, to reach their potential. Not everyone can be a medal winner, but everyone can take satisfaction in the race they run.