In a recent blog post on his site, Stuart McMillan used the analogy of making chili to the training process. “Coaching is cooking – we want to make chili. Just because people like mint ice cream, does not mean it’s good in chili.”
This goes for athletes as well as coaches. Yes, there is a place for activities, drills, and exercises you like to do, but on the whole, it needs to be about the things you need to do to get better. Coaches many times operate from an “exercises” standpoint, rather than a training one. They worry about “what exercise do I use to do X,” or “where can I fit in Y,” as opposed to taking an inventory of what needs to be accomplished, and picking the right tools to achieve it.
It’s not about what you like or want – it’s about what’s necessary.
Find a recipe for chili, get the ingredients, and get to work.
