Stop Worrying As A Coach Part 2: Jimmy Joy
To expert coach Jimmy Joy, planning is everything when it comes to dealing with worry and stress as a rowing coach. The challenges that come with organising a rowing club and its coaching is extensive. But we’re looking to find the answers for you.
In this post we hope to outline how rowing coaches deal with the stress of coaching and keeping a club going. This week Jim lent us his voice.
Plan to plan to plan, then share that plan around
Jim is the founder of Joy Of Sculling and has been a rowing coach since the late 1970s. He takes a brilliant approach to dealing with worry and stress – delegation. No no, he doesn’t give his coaching tasks to his rowers or something silly like that. Instead he makes lesson plans, gives a copy to everyone, and expects them to follow it. His coaching style revolves around constantly being prepared with rigorous plans and by making sure everyone is working as a cohesive unit towards a single goal.
Jim expanded on this by saying “[My approach] refers to the famous Canadian battle of 1917 where the Canadians took Vimy ridge in one day where the French and British sat there for 4 months. Every Canadian soldier had a written copy of the battle plan.”
Learning from history is certainly important, but applying it correctly is doubly so and Jimmy has truly taken that to heart here.
Lesson? Reduce stress by planning meticulously and making sure everyone involved in the plan knows the full plan!
Cheers for your insight and ideas Jim.
