As an experienced athlete, speaker and coachI love to work with motivated people. Like last weekend in the Thomas Röhler Javelin School in Tanhuvaara, in the east of Finland. Over 150 enthusiastic athletes and coaches gathered at the sports center to add a little fresh knowledge to their javelin enthusiasm. In 6 varied units basics and in-depth aspects of the javelin throw were considered in practice and theory. In discussions with those responsible, however, important issues for the future came up.
Systems in transition
Everyone knows about the special role of the Javelin throw in Finland. Keihäs as it is called in Finnish. For hundreds of years, knowledge and passion have been passed on to families and small local clubs. Tradition in Finnish javelin is a top priority. No question, countless masters of their craft came from the Nordic country.
But something has changed over the course of time. Great successes are missing. Talents give up because of injury or do not find the way in the culturally anchored javelin throw.
Media gets more important
Finland has the role models so important today. It is difficult to use these in a targeted manner, as you live in innumerable wooded kilometers away, which makes teamwork from top to bottom much more difficult.
At the weekend in Tanhuvaara Harro Schwuchow and I tried to show fresh ways. Not only in training. But also in particular in dealing with the talents. On site and online. On-line?
Digital sports development
Yes, many 12 year olds sat with 2 mobile devices on the edge to report their environment from the weekend. No unimportant exchange in terms of digital sports development. It is understandable that many a coach from the 1950s or 60s gradually loses contact with the new talents, thus creating a break in the all-important tradition of the javelin passion.
Sport has to be “sexy”, convey joy, build up the space for social recognition and, of course, great pictures have to be created in the tough training routine.
Activate motivation and will differently
Many coaches say his athletes were much more motivated in the past. The load compatibility was also very different. Discussions on internal drives are conducted. As an international top athlete with a heart for sports and a head in marketing, I know that the motivation is there, even among the youngest, you only have to activate it differently.
Workout alone in the forest with the father as a coach? That was once and works in individual cases. GutsMuts already knew: “Sport is a social phenomenon”. Where are the youngest socially active? At school, yes, but this also represents only a suboptimal modern performance sportive set-up. Teams of all levels, clubs and events are already more flexible and can adapt to the social dynamics. This is also subject to the javelin. Hunt and feed the village, that was once.
Innovation despite tradition
Training content must stimulate competition with one’s own will. Joy after more despite enormous burden. This is what our Jena team at the JenJavelin throwing center has been able to do for the last 2 years – sustainable. Talents come to work out hard and occasionally even throw up afterwards. Yes, voluntarily. Because it’s cool to work as hard as an Olympic champion again.
Re-market old training content
Crossfit – that sounds great to say the young talents. Circular training, no we do not like that. Best example of how a thing with two names is accepted. This requires traditional sports systems to learn and rethink quickly. Leisure activities are more than just sports in the club. My mission is to help actively. Sport does not have to fall victim to eGaming, the approach is wrong. First, we have to understand why it is developing so well. The key is recognition of achievement again. And that starts today when reposting an Instagram story from the training of a young athlete.
Communication as a key
Feedback, it is important to know many. But only a few use it purposefully. My coach was shocked how little the athlete arrives. No matter how culturally anchored communication is, Sport writes its own laws. Development means differentiation. Where do we want to go? Looking for A or B in motion? The coach does not know, the young talent, where from. So we have to exchange, couple emotions to move forward.
