COACHING PHELPS

Coach reveals tricks used to prepare Phelps
By Julian Linden

BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The first time Bob Bowman met Michael Phelps he knew instantly he had discovered the once in a lifetime swimmer every coach dreams about. Phelps was just 11 at the time but Bowman was so excited by his incredible athleticism and untapped potential that he was unable to sleep that night.

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It's not a great article, but there are two important messages that will probably be lost on the casual reader:

1. All great coaches start somewhere, and most (all?) have the objectivity to realize the areas in which they have to improve their coaching, in order to get the most out of their athletes.

2. Letting kids make mistakes and 'fail' during the course of their development will ultimately make them better athletes (and people).



Full article here.