Quotes from Coaches

Here is a selection of great quotes from coaches I found in the News this month.

From Duncan Laing about double gold medallist Danyon loader:

"Beneath the laid-back exterior is a steely determination. He does not speak of it, he just does it."

This gives a great insight into what it takes to be a champion, determination and actions, not words.

Story from NZ herald click here for more

Kiwi pair hope for plenty of breeze

Here are some quotes from a great interview from the Kiwi Olympic 49er sailors and their coach.

Yachting New Zealand Olympic director Jez Fanstone catches himself as he blurts out the words.

"Peter is going to his second Olympics at 21 - that's just mad, actually," he said disbelievingly.

"You don't give away four years of your life just to go there and not win," Burling said.

"When you start easing back, that's when it doesn't work," Tuke said. "You have to be on the edge and that means pushing the boat hard. There are times when it's really windy and you might be in a good position and you might ease back but we try to push ourselves harder on Auckland harbour than what we hope we will experience in Weymouth so we can cope with any situation."

"We try to push it harder than everyone else," Burling offered. "We are the last ones to have to back off."

"The detail they put into the programme and the way they are operating now is world-class," said Fanstone, who is also their coach. "They have a good mix of skills. Pete is an engineer and is really detailed on the equipment. Blair is a bit more outgoing so drives communication, which is really important in a two-person boat. And they get on really well ... It's a really good package."

This is something to think about for sailors jumping into 2 handed classes.

Story from NZ Herald click here for more

Rowing: Fast start not a worry for Bond and Murray

It's a simple enough philosophy, but one that has seen off allcomers since they started as a pair in 2009. Part of coach Richard Tonks' strength is the ability to strip out all the extraneous stuff and just concentrate on the things that can help make a boat go faster.

"We're standing there on the docks and Richard's there holding our oars. We put the oars in the gate and we're sitting there waiting. He looks at us and we look at him. We look at him, still waiting... he says, 'Oh well, just go out on the water and do what you've always done.'

"That's pretty much our pep talk from Richard. We've done the preparation so there's no point standing there saying 'let's do this, let's do that, let's do this'. We've done it before so we go out and basically do it all again."

Story from NZ Herald click here for more

Olympics: Hopes high for end to yachting medal drought

It doesn't guarantee gold in August, but it does suggest the New Zealanders know their way around the only patch of water that really matters in an Olympic year.

"It's a bit like sailing off Takapuna," said coach Nathan Handley.

"It depends on the weather system around at the time on what you're going to get. We've had a lot of fresh days but also a lot of light airs.

"When the light weather comes into it, more Europeans come into the picture."

So Aleh and Powrie would prefer more wind to less. By Handley's count, when it's windier there are four or five top class crews; double that if it's lighter.

Story from NZ Herald click here for more

Swimming Coach ends lengthy tenure

30 years of coaching, we have a few people in yachting with very lengthy terms as coach as well check out this story from timaru

Timaru swim instructor Rob Naylor last night coached his last session, ending an almost-30-year legacy.

The Swim Timaru programme is to be taken over by the Timaru District Council, which has employed professional swim coaches to carry out its programme at the new Caroline Bay Trust Aoraki Centre aquatic facility.

Mr Naylor, an accountant by day, is philosophical about leaving coaching behind.

"I always hoped that when they built the new pool they'd employ a professional coach because somebody that can do it fulltime can give the kids [their full focus]."

A competitive swimmer as a child, Mr Naylor has a long association with South Canterbury swimming.

He took over the Swim Timaru squad, along with Noel Smith, in 1985. "And I've been here ever since. We just sort of took over the kids that were here."

Story from Stuff  click here for more

Pain forgotten on the water

Jan Apel skud 18 sailor is heading to the paralympic games "This story has me in it, sorry for being biased"

"I've seen statistics where it's 10 years to a gold medal. I've had just over two years and got to the selection stage which is pretty good."

Story from Stuff  click here for more

Duo set sail for glory

And this one has me in it as well.

The New Zealand Paralympic team will race from September 1 to 6 and is under no illusions as to what's ahead.

"Australia and Great Britain are certainly the strongest teams but there's no reason why we can't aim for the bronze medal," Mr Dempsey says.

The journey has been an uphill battle for the two sailors financially.

Sailability coach Robert Hielkema is their coach and will be joining them in London.

"There has been no programme funding in place up until a couple of years ago for the sport," he says.

"Tim and Jan took on the fundraising duties all themselves and got to the Netherlands to qualify in 2010. They really drove it and made Paralympics NZ take notice."

The finish in the Netherlands put the wind in their sails and helped Paralympics NZ forge a strong relationship with Yachting NZ to get the Paralympian sailing team to London.

"We want to show other athletes out there with disabilities that the door is open," Mr Dempsey says.

The impetus to get serious came from teammate Tim Dempsey, who needed a partner for the event.

Two-person keelboats need to be crewed by a man and a woman and Mr Dempsey had put the word out.

Despite her initially ropy performance Mrs Apel put her hand up.

"I thought I'd give it a go and my coach just about fell through the floor.

"Robert Hielkema from Yachting New Zealand came over and put me on the water in 20-25 knots and it was OK.

"They asked if I'd commit and the next thing we were up in The Netherlands.

"In our first regatta we beat the world champs twice," she says.

Story from Stuff  click here for more

Sailing coach gets taste of Olympics - four years early

A CHICHESTER sailing coach preparing young athletes for Rio 2016 Olympics has been rewarded with his own special experience of the London Games.

Harvey Hillary, 35, a British Sailing instructor, was one of 56 coaches picked from across the country to join the British Olympic Association’s Team GB Olympic Ambition Programme.

The programme, supported by London 2012 partner Lloyds TSB, will give 130 young and talented British athletes and coaches a unique opportunity to experience the Olympics this summer.

They will visit the Olympic village, watch two Olympic competition sessions and experience the atmosphere at the Team GB House in Westfield Stratford City.

The programme focuses on preparing the athletes and coaches to compete at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics or Rio 2016.

It aims to provide personal development and inspiration to the participants and produce a performance legacy for Team GB from London 2012.

“The message I hope got across to the athletes was that going to the Olympics is not just about turning up,” said Hillary.

“It is about doing as much as you can beforehand to be able to turn up and give a gold medal winning performance.

“The Olympic Games will be different to anything that our athletes would have attended.

Story from Chichester click here for more

ISAF Youth Sailing Worlds closes with strong races for NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team

“This year was an exceptionally tough and trying event and all the sailors did well to stay focussed right to the very end” said lead coach Ian Neely.   “The team really finished off the last race of the regatta strongly.”

Story from Voxy click here for more