High Performance Coaching in Ultrarunning with Guillaume Millet & Vincent Viet #196
Episode overview:
Guillame Millet and Vincent Viet manage the Salomon High performance program for their elite athletes.
Episode highlights:
(12:57) HPC coaching structure: team sports the U.S., the high performance coordinator, bringing in other experts
(24:30) Building athlete confidence: the process takes time, not all athletes are interested, being careful with the framing of HPC, examples, injury prevention
(44:08) Who should create HPC: example of athlete concerns about the HPC as a screening process within Salomon, recognizing bias, theorizing athlete-driven HPC, data confidentiality
Our conversation:
(0:00) Introduction: the high performance coaching (HPC) model, Salomon’s model
(2:48) The origin of Salomon’s HPC model: Vincent proposing the idea during his job application, Gui and Salmon’s existing working on HPC
(5:11) Salomon’s S2A (Sport to Athlete) program: expanding the S2A concept to include coaching, the reason for so many biomechanics experts at Salomon, putting HPC into action
(8:11) The HPC process: athlete interviews and feedback on what tests to include
(10:16) HPC as an ecosystem to enhance performance: individualization, lab testing, wearables, nutrition, recovery, examples
(12:57) HPC coaching structure: team sports the U.S., the high performance coordinator, bringing in other experts
(14:51) Identifying experts: the greatest challenge of HPC, filtering down a worldwide portfolio of service providers, mental training example
(16:44) Athlete reception: athletes reach out for HPC, the project is recent and a long-term process
(19:55) Building trust in elite athletes: Koop on Gui’s eminent and pioneering role in ultramarathon coaching and science, athletes are usually unfamiliar with this sphere, connecting with athletes
(21:48) Athlete feedback: athletes have to be willing to open up their lives to HPC, building trust is a constant process, barriers to external recommendations
(24:30) Building athlete confidence: the process takes time, not all athletes are interested, being careful with the framing of HPC, examples, injury prevention
(27:03) Providing counsel to athletes: barriers, Gui’s process at Salomon
(29:04) Feedback from practitioners: positive feedback from coaches, starting with small pieces of advice, recognizing additional coach workload, build coach trust also takes time
(32:32) HPC is built on time and expertise: examples, coaching education programs, time and expertise is the limiting factor for practitioners, challenges with coordination
(34:19) A service to athletes and coaches: deferring to coach expertise, filling in gaps in coach experience, Koop’s example of deferring to experts, framing the HPC as a resource to help when called upon
(38:24) Benefits of HPC: half of the benefit from HPC is the services, half is from the HPC environment, Salomon camp and meal service example, indirect benefits of HPC
(41:13) Trusting your athletes: recognizing athlete skills, education, combining practice and theory, you need experts who are also good with athletes
(42:45) Koop’s philosophy for elite athletes: do no harm, get out of the way when necessary, intervene in small increments, examples from Gui
(44:08) Who should create HPC: example of athlete concerns about the HPC as a screening process within Salomon, recognizing bias, theorizing athlete-driven HPC, data confidentiality
(48:03) Athletes own their data: example of building an athlete-service interface, the athlete takes their data with them when they leave, the athlete owns the service they pay for, example of data confidentiality within Salomon
(50:46) Sports psychology confidentiality: athletes fears of breaches of trust
(52:06) Goals for HPC: expanding the HPC from elite athletes to all Salomon athletes, reducing athlete injuries, talent detection, education and healthier athletes
(56:00) Expanding HPC at Salomon: expanding breadth, depth, scope, and specificity
(57:42) HPC is the next frontier in coaching: HPC is a difficult model to crack, when executed properly HPC is an extremely effective tool, small performance differences at the elite level
(1:00:10) Wrap-up: don’t reach out to Gui, giving thanks
(1:01:27) Outro: Koop’s work in HPC, maximizing performance at the elite level, the upcoming UESCA coach conference and in-person networking
Additional resources:
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