Navigating the Private and High School Coach Question

Parents and athletes look for outside coaching from their schools for many reasons. At the forefront is individual instruction to get better at their events. The shot put and discus events are extremely technical, which requires specialized instruction from a coach who has knowledge of the events, but also the skills to implement ways for an athlete to get better. It is one thing to be knowledgeable in throws, it is another to be skilled in applying that to a beginner or advanced athlete. That is not so easy.

I was once told that the paths of comprehension go from first information, second to data, third to knowledge, and lastly to understanding. I think this is similar to my philosophy of coaching for the shot put and discus. You need to educate first on ‘what’ to do technically, which leads to comprehending ‘why’ to do it, and moves to the finale of the ‘how’ to do so with implementation.

Coaches at the high school level have a very difficult job. They are often spread thinly across the range of athletes they may need to coach. This can be from 5 athletes to 30+ of them. Spring track and field in New Jersey involves shot put, discus, and javelin which means that athletes will be doing one event up to three. Many start and have never thrown before. Some have been throwing for years. That is a lot of responsibility to overtake. Many coaches are former track athletes at the high school or even college level, some are football coaches that took up the throws, and some have not been involved in the sport and are just starting their throwing journey as a coach. 

• How do I teach them how to hold a discus?

• Should they spin or glide?

• Half my athletes are on a full technique and the other half have never picked up a shot…what do I do in my two hour practice every day?

• What type of lifting must be done?

That setup can be hard for athletes to get the individual instruction they need as well as the sheer knowledge to get better at their events. That is why people seek me out and the reason I created 1TimeThrows. My goal is to get athletes to throw farther. I am not simply here to give you a few drills or cues and then send you off on your merry way. I am here to figure out what I must do to get you to throw farther. That is why I work with less athletes than more because I view development as an intensive project that requires a lot of effort.

I tell all the athletes I start working with that if they are not willing to go home and work at this daily to get better that they should find another coach. I will happily give referrals of other good coaches in the area. Throwing requires lots of technical work, training, and lifting to improve. I cannot make you better if you do not go home and do the work. I am working to make it as easy as possible to throw far. This comes from someone that has climbed the high school, collegiate, and now the professional ranks as an athlete and in their few years of coaching has seen tremendous improvement. The training works at 1TimeThrows. We are just getting started.

With that being said, the private and high school coach question can be a tricky one. It is first important for an athlete to understand that their high school coach is important in their development. This is someone that will see them the most consistently. I believe coaches with even little knowledge of throws can be useful. Just because a coach does not know that much in shot put, does not mean that they cannot watch or provide a keen set of eyes on many things you are working on. The relationship should not be a private coach versus high school coach dynamic. I tell head coaches and athletes that I am always willing to jump on the phone with your throws coach to discuss what we are working on in training and how I am trying to make their job easier. It is also important for athletes to be respectful to their high school coach as that is important bridge not to burn. But, the idea of an open dialogue is doable and can create the bridge between myself and their coach as seamless, but also very collaborative. I encourage high school coaches to reach out to me to figure out ways I can help them, whether that’s through coaches’ clinics, zoom webinars, or working with their athletes directly to create.

My only goal is to get my athletes to throw farther. There is no ego for me to get the recognition that I was the one that ‘made’ my athletes better. I am merely guiding my athletes through the education and implementation. They are doing the work. For the elite level athletes, my training is helping them grow from high school to the college level and as far as they take it. From competition preparation, to college recruiting, to the mental side of competing, we are the one stop shop for athletes seeking high level performance training.

I am old school with my methods. At 1TimeThrows, we are not posting highlight reels of our athletes online to show off their progress or their training. We are not in the business of mass marketing for clicks and likes to put more money in our pocket. Our belief is that athletes should not be taught that sport is all one big highlight promotion. I was taught through my own training to do the dirty work behind the scenes and let your results speak for themselves. My coaches also expected that of me. Now, I expect that from my athletes and I hold them to this standard. 

If you have any questions or want to find out how 1TimeThrows can help you as a coach, your athletes, or your high school program never hesitate to reach out to me at cjlicata@1timethrows.com.