February 2015
Super Bowl 49 Starters and
How They Were Rated out of High School
By: Luke Dahlgren
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Super Bowl H.S. Rankings
1
A list of the starters for the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots
shows a surprising lack of former high school superstars. On the basis of
their high school ratings alone, both the Seattle Seahawks and the New
England Patriots would probably lose to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
ADM Support
2
Webinar Series
2
USA Archery Recap
3
This is of course ridiculous, but it is interesting to look back and see how
each Super Bowl starter was profiled as a fresh-eyed youngster in high
school. Here’s how the Seahawks and the Patriots stack up against each
other.
Internship
3
CNS Program
3
Olympic Day
4
Featured Book
4
Nutrition Tip
4
2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
There’s something interesting here: none of these players were rated
as full five-star recruits coming out of high school. A few other players
weren’t eligible for high school ratings, like the football Methuselah that is
Tom Brady or the German Giant Sebastien Vollmer, but it is unlikely that
they would have received high ratings anyway, considering Brady’s relatively low profile at Michigan and Vollmer anonymity overseas.
There are a few players on each side who were considered 4-star recruits
out of high school: Marshawn Lynch, James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin and
Vernon Maxwell for Seattle; Blount, Rob Gronkowski and Dont’a Hightower
for New England. But other starters, like Seattle defensive end and bicycle
thief Michael Bennett, came out of high school unrated. For the most part,
though, the players have been given two or three-star ratings.
This is an inspiration for all the kids who want to make their dream
happen in the NFL. You don’t need to be a 5-star recruit out of high
school, with all of the big programs chasing you with scholarship offers. You just probably have to be a 2 or 3-star recruit that works really
hard.
Read the full story here.
Dahlgren, L. (2015). Super bowl 49 starters and how they were rated out of high school. Fansided, Retrieved from http://
fansided.com/2015/01/24/super-bowl-49-starters-rated-high-school/
COACHING EDUCATION NEWSLETTER //
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Jason Brown, became the youngest
man to win a national championship
since Johnny Weir in 2004, holding off
Adam Rippon by 2.5 points, the closest
margin since Weir and Evan Lysacek
had matching scores in 2008.
The USOC’s coaching education
department is committed to supporting
NGBs by providing cutting-edge
information and training opportunities
to contribute the expertise necessary
to direct Team USA athletes to
national and international success.
February 2015
The Perils of Single-Sport Participation
By: John O’Sullivan, Changing the Game Project
Human Kinetics Coach
Education Leadership
Webinar Series
Led by renowned coaching education
expert Dr. Wade Gilbert, this free
series of three leadership-focused
webinars are designed to help coaches understand what motivates them as
coaches, how to draw the best out of
their athletes, and how to build team
cohesion.
Webinar 1: Demonstrating Core Values
and Clear Purpose in Coaching
The question I was asked over and over this week was “What do you think of this?” My
answer, over and over was, “Amen, agreed, hopefully now people will start paying attention.”
To be an elite level player at a college or professional sport, you need a degree of exceptional athleticism. And the best medically, scientifically and psychologically recommended way to develop such all around athleticism is ample free play and multiple sport
participation as a child. Here are some advantages I have previously written about:
1.Better Overall Skills and Ability: Research shows that early participation in multiple
sports leads to better overall motor and athletic development, longer playing careers,
increased ability to transfer sports skills other sports and increased motivation, ownership of the sports experience, and confidence.
2.Smarter, More Creative Players: Multi-sport participation at the youngest ages yields
better decision making and pattern recognition, as well as increased creativity. These
are all qualities that coaches of high-level teams look for.
3.Most College Athletes Come From a Multi-Sport Background: A 2013 American
Medical Society for Sports Medicine survey found that 88% of college athletes surveyed participated in more than one sport as a child
Watch this webinar here!
Webinar 2: Putting Athlete’s Interests
First for More Powerful Coaching
Wednesday, February 25
1:00 to 2:00 pm EST
Register now!
Webinar 3: Cultivating Mutual Trust and
Cohesion on Teams
Wednesday, March 25
1:00 to 2:00 pm EDT
Register now!
Even if you know you can’t make the
live event, go ahead and register for
4.10,000 Hours is not a Rule: In his survey of the scientific literature regarding sport
the webinar anyway. You’ll be added
specific practice in The Sports Gene, author David Epstein finds that most elite comto a list of registrants who will receive
petitors require far less than 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. Specifically, studies
an automated email containing a link
have shown that basketball (4000), field hockey (4000) and wrestling (6000) all require
to the recorded webinar. The email will
far less than 10,000 hours.
be sent later the same day.
5.There are Many Paths to Mastery: A 2003 study on professional ice hockey players
found that while most pros had spent 10,000 hours or more involved in sports prior to
age 20, only 3000 of those hours were involved in hockey specific deliberate practice
(and only 450 of those hours were prior to age 12).
If you want your child to play at a high-level, then the best thing you can do is
help them find a sport that best suits their abilities, and help create an environment that gives them the best chance of success. That environment is a multisport one.
Read the full article here which includes examples from elite coaches, elite athletes, sport scientists and medical experts.
O’Sullivan, J. (2015). The perils of single-sport participation. Changing the Game Project, Retrieved from http://
changingthegameproject.com/the-perils-of-single-sport-participation/
COACHING EDUCATION NEWSLETTER //
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February 2015
Meet Our New Intern!
USA Archery Hosts Successful
International Team Staff Training and
2015 Coach Symposium
On January 14-17, 2015, USA Archery hosted an
International Team Staff training followed by the 5th annual
USA Archery Coach Symposium. There were over 20
participants in the International Team Staff training, all of
which have been on staff for USA Archery’s national teams.
The Coaches Symposium hosted 60 participants from all over
the U.S. as well as a handful of international coaches.
Presenters for both events included keynote speaker, Dr.
Wade Gilbert, USOC Sports Psychologist Dr. Peter Haberl
and Dr. Lindsay Thornton, Sports Psychologist Dr. Artur
Poczwardowski, USOC Doctor of Chiropractic Kevin Pierce,
National Head Coach Kisik Lee, Assistant Head Coach Guy
Krueger, Para Head Coach Randi Smith, Junior Dream Team
Compound Coach Linda Beck, Outreach Director Mary
Emmons, and other USA Archery coaches.
The International Team Staff training focused on improving
coaching effectiveness by improving communication, creating
a culture for success, motivating athletes, and developing
conflict resolution skills. Improving these skills in our coaches
will have a direct impact on the performance and cohesion of
our international teams.
The Coach Symposium focused on building a better coach
toolbox and developing the coaching tools for each coach’s
toolbox. At the center of this discussion was the topic of
understanding what motivates each individual coach and what
culture have they defined in their program. From there, tools
like preparing athletes for competitions, archery technical
advice, identifying shoulder injuries, creating a learning
environment, and developing a Paralympic archery program
were also addressed.
Nadine Dubina is the USOC’s Coaching Education Intern for the Spring term. Nadine earned a B.S. in Athletic Coaching Education from West Virginia University and
a M.A. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology from California
State University, Fresno. Nadine brings a multidimensional perspective to the team as she is a former
athlete, coach, team manager, challenge course leader
and sport educator. Nadine will be working on several
projects during her time here which includes kicking off
our first ever online Sport Psychology Course! Summer
internships will be posting the first week of February. To
learn more about internship opportunities at the USOC,
visit here.
Is Your Program CNS Approved?
Congratulations to the following NGB’s for their approved
Complies with National Standards Program!
The USOC is accepting NGB information for the Complies with
National Standards Program. The CNS Program verifies that
NGB coaching curriculum addresses the National Standards
for Sport Coaches (NASPE, 2006) in delivering quality programming to their coaches. Deadline for submission is March
15, 2015. Contact Christine Bolger for more information.
COACHING EDUCATION NEWSLETTER //
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February 2015
Expanding Your Mind:
Featured Book
Eleven Rings: The Soul of
Success
Olympic Day and Your Community
By: Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty
Sports have the power to influence character, to alter perspective, and to change the world.
As facilitators of sport to athletes, coaches have the tremendous opportunity to teach not only techniques, but
also values. You act as role models with the potential to
majorly impact athletes in every realm of life. In efforts to
enhance the relevance of virtue in sport, the International
Olympic Committee has established Olympic Day as a
celebration of values. Every year on June 23rd, events
around the world encourage communities to learn about
Perseverance, Fair Play, Respect, and Sportsmanship.
The presence of coaches and athletes is crucial to the
success of Olympic Day events. Role models provide
communities with inspiration while bringing a special atmosphere of Olympism to participants. More importantly,
coaches, Olympians, and Paralympians give a unique perspective of the Olympic Ideals from years, if not decades,
of experience with training and interaction with people of
all reaches of the globe.
During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls
and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even
more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching
his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as
the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname
speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not
goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed. This
book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and
their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring
out the best in ourselves and others.
NUTRITION TIP
With the help of Olympic coaches and athletes, Olympic
Day 2014 was the best yet in the United States. Last year
throughout the month of June, 1,055 events included over
500,000 participants. Events inspired communities to
move, learn, and discover with activities ranging from basketball tournaments to world record breaking gymnastic
stunts. The U.S. Olympic Committee extends appreciation
to those who participated in Olympic Day last year.
By registering to host or attend an Olympic Day event in
2015, you have the power to encourage children and communities to consider the Olympic Ideals in sports and beyond while inspiring Team USA’s next generation of Olympians and Paralympians.
For more information, visit the Olympic Day Website!
CONTACT US
Please send NGB coaching news and updates to
[email protected] with the subject line
“Coaching Newsletter” for inclusion in future editions.
USOC Coaching Education
[email protected]
719-866-2245
Chris Snyder, Director
Christine Bolger, Manager
Ben Leopold, Coordinator
COACHING EDUCATION NEWSLETTER //
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