Coaching

Coaching

Philosophy

A philosophy of coaching is not the same as a philosophy of training. It is important for a coach not only to have a clear understanding of how physical training should be conducted, but also to reflect on their broader coaching philosophy. Below are the key components of Oscar Gidewall’s coaching philosophy.

▫️ The athlete is first and foremost a human being. If life outside of sport is problematic, it can significantly hinder opportunities for development. The support a coach can provide in everyday life can sometimes be more valuable than hundreds of hours of training. The athlete needs to find balance in life. Sport must play a significant and central role in an elite athlete’s life, but it should not occupy their entire life 24/7. However, as an elite athlete, you cannot do everything in life; you need to get your priorities right. It is also important that the elite athlete strives for independence and control over their own life. Developing as an elite athlete requires understanding and support from the people around them. This understanding from family, friends and partners cannot always be taken for granted and therefore needs to be developed. As an elite athlete, you need to surround yourself with people who understand your priorities and your passion for the sport.

▫️ The athlete’s health is the key to long-term development. The focus should always be on staying healthy, both mentally and physically. Training should not be carried out when the athlete is experiencing abnormal fatigue, regardless of the reason, such as a suspected infection or mental health issues. Training is counterproductive if the body is unable to recover and adapt; it will only increase the risk of breaking the athlete down and sustaining injury. Recovery is just as important as training. Training or competing with an infection can also have serious medical consequences and should be avoided. The athlete must learn how to stay healthy, listen to the body’s signals and rest when needed. Practical measures to reduce the risk of illness and injury, such as good hand hygiene and appropriate recovery strategies, should be learned and implemented.

▫️ Shortcuts are never acceptable, regardless of context. The desire to win is important in sport, but it can never justify compromising the athlete’s health. There are no shortcuts to long-term success. Doping is not only cheating; it also means deceiving yourself and your fellow competitors. I take a very restrictive approach to dietary supplements. They should only be used when there is a clear and justified need, and with careful consideration of both health and anti-doping risks, including the risk of contamination. It is my firm conviction, based on personal experience, that it is possible to win medals at the highest international level without using performance-enhancing substances or relying on nutritional supplements. Without this belief, I would not be involved in elite sport.

▫️ A well-planned, well-thought-out and individually tailored training plan is a prerequisite for long-term success. But even a perfectly designed training programme does not automatically lead to success. A training programme should never be a static plan on paper. Flexibility and cooperation between athlete and coach are what turn the plan into effective training and continued progression. The training process must be continuously adapted to the circumstances at any given time, and evaluation is an ongoing part of that process. The coach must maintain a continuous dialogue with the athlete, providing guidance, mentoring and mental support. Continuity and long-term commitment are essential.

▫️ The training process is a constant balance between science and art. All available knowledge, both empirical and scientific, should be taken into account, but always with critical examination and careful consideration of the individual athlete. No two athletes are identical, and athletes therefore need to train and focus on different things. No single method or specific training regime is the key to success for everyone. The art lies in finding training methods that are appropriate for the individual athlete.

▫️ The athlete’s own thoughts and free will must always be respected and should carry more weight than pressure from others. However, the coach should seek to motivate and inspire the athlete towards what they believe is the right direction. Progression and development take place through interaction between athlete and coach. Discussion and disagreement are part of this process, and both athlete and coach can learn from each other.

▫️ The aim is for the athlete to understand how the coach reasons and thinks, and gradually develop the ability to reason independently about specific problems that arise. The knowledge within the training group should also be recognised and used as a resource. Each member of the group has individual knowledge and experience that can be valuable to others. Athletes should therefore be encouraged both to give and receive feedback and guidance within the group. Furthermore, the training group provides important social and mental support.

▫️ Mental training is an integral part of the daily training process. Preparations such as competition routines should be practised regularly. The thoughts, focus and concentration required during competition should therefore also be reproduced in appropriate training situations. Independence and self-awareness are key principles.

▫️ Training should always feel rewarding. If training does not feel meaningful, it is rarely enjoyable, especially when it is demanding. Not all training can always be fun, but if the athlete understands how it fits into the overall process, even demanding training can feel satisfying and rewarding. The sense of progress and development can be rewarding in itself. The long-term drive and motivation must ultimately come from within the athlete; the coach can only provide support and encouragement along the way. A genuine love for the sport, in its broader sense, is often the strongest source of motivation.

▫️ The driving force behind coaching is to develop and support people, primarily in sport, but also in a broader human sense. In the process of supporting others, the coach is constantly challenged to develop as a person. This personal development is itself part of the motivation for coaching.