Over the weekend I watched again a documentary about Sissinghurst, the garden created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson in Kent, England.
Their grandson, Adam Nicolson, was interviewed in the program. In a delightful turn of phrase he observed that the plaque Harold Nicolson placed at Sissinghurst to commemorate Vita Sackville-West’s life was an act of delicate elegance.
Adam made the very strong point that the epitaph “Here lived Vita Sackville-West who made this garden” did not acknowledge Harold’s role in the design and upkeep of the garden. Harold’s modesty, Adam suggested was an act devotion, an act of delicate elegance.
This phrase encouraged me to think about the role coaches play in supporting athletes. I wondered if a characteristic of a sensitive coach is the ability to exhibit delicate elegance. I wondered too if the opportunities sport gives for mutual recognition provides moments when delicacy and elegance are the ‘natural’ choice.
Photo Credits
Sissinghurst
Des Frawley
Acts of Delicate Elegance
Op Shop, Connectivism and Mutual Flourishing
This is another post that has been waiting to be written! Michael Clarke’s post on Sounding the Revolution gave me the impetus I needed.
I like the idea of Op Shops. Wikipedia points out that:
Charity shops are a type of social enterprise. They usually sell mainly second-hand goods donated by members of the public, and are often staffed by volunteers. Because the items for sale were obtained for free, and business costs are low, the items can be sold at very low prices. After costs are paid, all remaining income from the sales is used in accord with the organization’s stated charitable purpose. Costs include purchase and/or depreciation of fixtures (clothing racks, bookshelves, counters, etc.), operating costs (maintenance, municipal service fees, electricity, telephone, limited advertising) and the building lease or mortgage.
I take connectivism to be a kindred social enterprise. Each day, because of the generosity of others, I discover wonderful opportunities to learn and then share. I have an opportunity to participate in the move from information to coordination.
Recently I was struck by Sally Fincher‘s Op Shop credentials. I found her work through a Mark Guzdial post Tell Sally Your Stories: Monthly for a Year. The Share Project is researching teaching practice. Sally points out that:
we are investigating how academics represent, share and change their practices. One strand of our investigation (this one) is designed to collect material on the everyday lives and normal routines of academics. If you sign up, we’ll ask you to keep a diary for a day—the 15th day of each month—detailing what you do (especially with regard to teaching) and what you think and feel about it.
I was struck by a post by Kent Anderson in the Scholarly Kitchen that prompted me to think that this really is the age of social enterprise:
An interesting change has come in the modeling of society over the past few decades, namely the move from a generation gap to a fixation on youth to a reorientation on youth showing elders the way. Now, a study from the Pew Research Center indicates that older adults are adopting social media quickly, with those 50-64 years old picking it up at an 88% greater rate in just one year. Overall, 47% of people in this age group now use social media, up from 25% in April 2009.
Tools like Greplin are giving us the opportunity to range far and wide in our sharing.
As a conclusion to this post I thought I would add Clay Shirky’s TED video from 2009 about the transformed media landscape and the Internet as a site of coordination.
[ted id=575]
Creating an Atmosphere
I have had this post in draft for for a few weeks. It was prompted by a conversation I heard about Brian Ritchie‘s work with the Mona foma annual festival in Tasmania. This is a link to the 2010 Festival Site.
Brian Ritchie’s discussion of his approach to the festival encouraged me to think about how coaches create atmosphere in their training and competition environments. In an interview with the Australian Stage Brain outlined what Mona Fona is:
MONA FOMA stands for Museum of Old and New Art Festival of Music and Art. So everything that’s in the festival has something to do with music –even a visual art thing would have a musical element to it, whether it’s covering a musical idea or song and visual art combined. The idea also is to have some straight-ahead musical performances, ranging from funk to classical to noise music, a little bit of punk and other kinds of rock music here and there – but not the really commercial and boring kinds. It reflects my broad interest in music and art and also the interests of the museum.
I was particularly interested in his assessment of the festival program:
It is pretty overwhelming and it’s exhausting, maybe a little bit too ambitious – but it’s probably better to err on that side than being too cautious. I hope to refine it a bit next year, maybe simplify and not have it quite as sprawling [but] we’ll probably try to attract bigger and – well, I wouldn’t say better but more well known artists as well.
I was fascinated by how close these sentiments are to what coaches think.
This is a link to the Hobart Mercury’s review of the opening night in 2010. Nick Cave was the headline act for the 2009 Festival.
I am very interested in the points of difference coaches create in their daily training environments and how these environments translate into competition contexts. Brian Ritchie’s Wikipedia entry reports that:
Brian Ritchie (born 21 November 1960) was the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Violent Femmes. His distinct sound comes from using Ernie Ball acoustic bass guitars, which is very uncommon in rock music. He is also one of the more high-profile users of the relatively new Barker Bass.
In addition to his bass playing, Ritchie is proficient at the shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute.
I like the idea that Brian Ritchie has a distinct sound and that his musical journey led him to a completely different instrument. Once again I see enormous parallels with coaches who live continuous professional development.
Photo Credits
Atmosphere
Wrestler and His Coach
GWS and the University of Canberra (2)
On Thursday 9 September the University of Canberra signed a memorandum of understanding with the GWS AFL club. The formal signing took place in the atrium of the new NATSEM Building on the University’s Bruce Campus.
Dale Holmes (left) CEO GWS and Stephen Parker (right) Vice Chancellor, UC
In a previous post I wrote about GWS coming home to Canberra through a remarkable link with Tom Wills.
Hosting the MOU signatures in the NATSEM Building adds another dimension to the GWS-UC relationship.
The NATSEM International Microsimulation Centre is the second project completed under the Commonwealth Government’s Education Investment Fund, with the $11m building coming in on-time and on-budget. The design of the building is a completely new concept for the University, offering flexible and sustainable multipurpose spaces to house NATSEM as well as a venue with full conferencing facilities.
The project was awarded the first ever “5-star Green Star Education Building in the ACT”. Its features include a Photo Voltaic System (or solar panels), on the roof to collect and generate electricity (resulting in a predicted net reduction of greenhouse gases by 62% compared to a standard practice benchmark) as well as underground rainwater tanks to store collected water that will be used for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. There is also a seasonal pond which will result in biodiversity and water quality benefits to the site.
The University aims to build its links with GWS through a commitment to the club’s organic development. This approach resonates completely with the University’s ecological commitment to the Canberra and Capital Region. It resonates too with both partners’ commitments to community development.
Today is the start of the partnership. This is a link to an ABC 666 interview with Ross Solly about the partnership.
GWS and the University of Canberra
On Thursday 9 September the University of Canberra will sign a memorandum of understanding with the GWS AFL club.
The ACT4GWS campaign statement is:
After years of false starts and short term playing deals with cash strapped Melbourne based AFL teams, supporters of AFL in Canberra and the region have been offered a partnership that will benefit the game at all levels.
This partnership will enrich the AFL community of the ACT and Southern NSW region, grow participation numbers and assist AFL to compete more effectively with the other professional football codes (League, Union and Soccer).
The aim of ACT 4 GWS is to secure 5000 $50 pledges as well as significant local and regional corporate support.
In return:
- GWS will play up to 40 games in Canberra over the next 10 years
- AFL in Canberra and the region will have a seat on the GWS board
- GWS will continue to invest in local talent academies
- GWS will establish a training base in Canberra and the region
- GWS will conduct community camps in the region
- GWS will field a team in the AFL Canberra competition or in a second tier AFL competition that will feature Canberra clubs.
The opportunity for the AFL community of ACT and Southern NSW to join GWS has been described as the game’s best and last chance to establish a meaningful presence in the region.
This is our opportunity to become a significant part of our national game. It’s our time. Let’s secure our national game for our national capital region.
The University of Canberra in general and the National Institute of Sport Studies in particular see the memorandum of understanding as a way to grow community sport. GWS has a clear commitment to community development that resonates with the University’s plans to engage with the Capital Region.
Whilst preparing for the formal signing of the memorandum of understanding I came across Greg de Moore’s article in the Sydney Alumni Magazine (July 2010). Greg’s article The man who invented AFL provides an insight into the life of Tom Wills. Greg notes that:
The introduction of an AFL team into western Sydney is regarded by some as an invasion. But Tom Wills might disagree. In fact one could say that, when the new AFL team takes root in western Sydney and Israel Folau kicks his first goal, the game of Australian Rules football – our great and unique contribution to world sporting culture – will simply return to the family “home” of the man who started it all.
It was interesting to read that “Wills was born in 1835, near the township of Queanbeyan in NSW.” So the GWS/UC link has a double homecoming to celebrate.
Greg de Moore’s biography of Tom Wills (2008) provides a fascinating insight into the codification of football. Previously Eric Dunning had discussed in detail the development of football in nineteenth century England and provides a context for understand Tom Wills’ experience at Rugby School. J A Mangan’s study of Athleticism adds to the knowledge of the environment in which Tom Wills went to school.
As I attend the signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding I will be thinking about Tom Wills and the role that biography plays in developing sport. I think Kevin Sheedy, the foundation coach of the GWS team and Tom Wills would have had a lot to share and discuss about their lives in sport and their visions.
It is great to think that the National Institute of Sport Studies can be part of this journey in Ngunnawal Country.
Photo Credits
Recreation Reserve Goal-Posts
KC Power
Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport
Introduction
On Monday 30 August I met Will Grant’s class at the ANU. My topic was Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport. I wrote this blog post as a point of reference for discussion in the class. There is a Slideshare link too.
Background
In 2007 the Select Committee on Science and Technology of the UK Parliament reported on Human Enhancement Technologies.
In their discussion of drugs in sport they note that doping “refers to the use of performance-enhancing drugs which have been prohibited by sporting regulatory organisations.” The report observes that:
The prevalence of doping in sport has been attributed to a number of factors. Athletes are often under significant pressure to deliver medal-winning performances. They may also face team pressure where success is dependent on the performance of all. There are often significant financial gains to be made from success in many competitive sporting events. Other factors contributing to doping in sport might include a perception that other sportsmen and women are doping and getting away with it and that competition is imbalanced should an individual athlete choose not to go down the same route. Finally, the ease of availability of many prohibited substances may be an exacerbating factor.
Chapter 2 of the Committee’s report provides a detailed background to the regulation of performance enhancing drugs in sport.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) promotes, co-ordinates, and monitors anti-doping in sport in all its forms at the international level. WADA’s key activities include “scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti Doping Code – the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.”
WADA points out that:
The Code is the core document that provides the framework for harmonized anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities. It works in conjunction with five International Standards aimed at bringing harmonization among anti-doping organizations in various areas: testing, laboratories, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, and for the protection of privacy and personal information.
The current code in use took effect on 1 January 2009. WADA publishes a list of prohibited substances each year. WADA asserts that:
- The List is a cornerstone of the Code and a key component of harmonization.
- It is an International Standard identifying substances and methods prohibited in-competition, out-of-competition and in particular sports.
- Substances and methods are classified by categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).
- The use of any prohibited substance by an athlete for medical reasons is possible by virtue of a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
The 2010 List specifies the following prohibited substances:
- Anabolic Agents
- Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors and Related Substances
- Beta-2 Antagonists
- Hormone Antagonists and Modulators
- Diuretics and Other Masking Agents
- Stimulants
- Narcotics
- Cannabinoids
- Glucocorticosteroids
The 2010 List specifies the following prohibited methods:
- Enhancement of Oxygen Transfer
- Chemical and Physical Manipulation
- Gene Doping
An example of the detail of the Prohibited List can be found in the changes made to the 2010 List WADA_Summary_of_Modifications_2010_EN. For example:
The issue of growth factors enhancing certain functions was addressed in more detail. Additional examples of growth factors affecting muscle, tendon or ligament protein synthesis/degradation, vascularisation, energy utilization, regenerative capacity or fibre type switching [e.g. Platelet-derived Growth Factor (PDGF), Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs), Vascular-Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF)] were included.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) is “a government statutory authority that is Australia’s driving force for pure performance in sport. It is the organisation with prime responsibility for implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) in Australia.”
Amongst other duties ASADA is responsible for Athlete Wherabouts AW Policy:
As a result, the Code, the ASADA Act 2006 and ASADA Regulations, which contain the National Anti-Doping (NAD) scheme, requires certain Athletes to provide current and accurate Whereabouts Filing to enable Athletes to be located for Out of Competition Sample collection.
ASADA’s mission is to ensure that:
- every member of Australia’s sporting community has the opportunity to access quality anti-doping education
- a blend of flexible teaching and learning approaches that cater to a diverse range of needs
- efficient participant and program management, with meaningful and timely reporting to enable continuous monitoring, evaluation and accountability.
Ryan Napoleon
An Australian swimmer, Ryan Napoleon, provides a current example of the issues and responsibilities raised by WADA’s role in anti-doping and ASADA’s delivery of national anti-doping implementation practice.
The world governing body for swimming (FINA) announced that:
The Australian swimmer Ryan Napoleon was tested positive to the substance Formoterol (Class S.3 Beta-2 Agonists) on 16 November 2009. According to DC 10.4, during the hearing of the Doping Panel it has been sufficiently established how the substance Formoterol entered the body of the athlete due to the use of an inhaler wrongly labelled by a pharmacist. It is clear that the swimmer had no intention of enhancing his sports performances. The Doping Panel underlines the responsibility of the athlete to check his medicine (in this case for asthma). The Doping Panel took into consideration the degree of negligence and decided to apply a 3 months period of ineligibility starting from 20 august 2010.
This is a Swimming Times post on Ryan’s case. This is a post in Pharmacy News about the case.
The national body for swimming in Australia (Swimming Australia) stated that:
Swimming Australia has been informed by FINA’s anti-doping agency that Queenslander Ryan Napoleon has been suspended from swimming for three months. An asthmatic for 20 years, Napoleon took medication from an asthma inhaler which was incorrectly labelled and subsequently tested positive to Formoterol, a common asthma medication, which is also a banned substance on the WADA list. Napoleon has taken the asthma medication Pulmicort for the majority of his life, however on this occasion a Pulmicort inhaler was incorrectly labelled, and was actually Symbicort – which consists of the banned substance Formoterol. In the FINA hearing which was held via teleconference last Wednesday, the panel accepted that Napoleon was not at fault due to the mistake of the pharmacist incorrectly labelling the medication, and that there was no intent to use the banned substance, which he could have applied for a TUE for, if he knew he was actually taking it. FINA did however find that as an elite athlete Napoleon had a ‘reduced responsibility’ in this matter, and should have been fully aware of the medication he was taking, and subsequently applied the three month suspension.
The ban means that Ryan will not compete at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. In a very impressive statement about responsibility, Ryan observed that “A mistake was made, and the FINA panel accepted that a mistake was made in the hearing, but as an athlete I still understand that I have a responsibility to check all my medication thoroughly.” See my Postscript 2 below for an update.
I am interested to discuss with Will’s class what students the same age as Ryan think about the decision at a personal level and at a governance level.
Conclusion
An Australian Academy of Science (2004) discussion of drugs in sport concludes that:
Historians point out that drugs have probably been used to enhance sporting performance for more than 2000 years, so it’s unlikely the problem will ever go away. Some commentators are even calling for the legalisation of such drugs so they can be dispensed, administered and monitored more closely. Others say the only way to ensure the health of our athletes is to stamp out drugs altogether. For now, performance-enhancing drugs are illegal, so athletes who use them are cheats. And, given the health risks associated with drug abuse, we can safely say that the race to beat the drug tests is a race nobody wins.
I think this quote contains the essence of the discussion for Monday.
- Play and display
- Regulation and deviance
- Ethical behaviour
- Governance
In a recent study (2010), Matthew Dunn et al report the findings of a study of 974 elite Australian athletes. They found that:
The athletes surveyed endorsed testing for banned substances as an effective way of deterring drug use; believed that the current punishments for being caught using a banned substance was of the appropriate severity; and indicated that there should be separate policies regarding illicit drug and performance-enhancing drug use.
James Connor and Jason Mazanov (2009) have explored some of the Faustian issues (taking a drug that guaranteed sporting success but would result in their death in 5 years’ time) for those who choose to take performance enhancing drugs. They note that “athletes differ markedly from the general population in response to the dilemma”.
Some Literature
In addition to the hyperlinks in this post, I think the following are interesting contributions to the discussion of performance enhancing drugs.
John Hoberman’s Testosterone Dreams (2006) and Mortal Engines (1992)
Andy Miah’s Website
Ivan Waddington and Andy Smith (2009) An Introduction to drugs in sport: addicted to winning? Abingdon: Routledge.
Postscript 1
Shortly after discussing performance enhancing drugs with Will and his group news broke about Travis Tuck and his appearance at the AFL Tribunal in relation to illicit drugs. Amongst other issues raised by Travis’s case is the role a sporting organisation plays in the sanctions against those who fail drug tests. The AFL policy has raised significant debate about duty of care in relation to players who are at risk.
Postscript 2
Lausanne, 14 September 2010 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the arbitration between the Australian swimmer Ryan Napoleon and the International Swimming Federation (FINA).
The decision reads as follows:
1. The appeal filed by Ryan Napoleon on 2 September 2010 against the decision of the FINA Doping Panel of 20 August 2010, decision 03/10, is partially upheld.
2. The decision of the FINA Doping Panel of 20 August 2010, decision 03/10, is partially set aside.
3. Ryan Napoleon is sanctioned with a three-month period of ineligibility commencing on 15 June 2010.
4. All competitive results obtained by Ryan Napoleon from 16 November 2009 up to and including 28 January 2010 shall be disqualified, with all of the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
On 2 September 2010, Ryan Napoleon filed an appeal with the CAS against the decision issued by the FINA Anti-doping Panel imposing a three-month period of ineligibility following a positive doping test for the substance Formoterol (Beta-2 agonist/specified substance) on 16 November 2009. The CAS conducted an expedited procedure in light of the fact that Ryan Napoleon was selected to represent Australia at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in New Delhi/India. The parties were heard by a CAS Panel composed of Mr Stuart McInnes (United Kingdom), President, Mr Malcolm Holmes (Australia) and Mr Olivier Carrard (Switzerland) by video conference on 10 September 2010. The full award with the grounds will be issued at a later date.
Photo Credits
Olympic Spirit
Olympic Natatorium
Olympic Flame
False Relations and Muscle Memory
Emma Ayres introduces some fascinating themes in her Classic FM breakfast program. Two days ago I was listening to a Thomas Tallis composition (Honor, virtus et potestas) on her show after which she discussed false relations:
A false-relation is nothing more than a chromatic contradiction between two notes in a single chord or in different parts of adjacent chords. Within the confines of academic tonal theory this is considered a “syntax error” but it has been used throughout the ages by composers for expressive effect; a sort of a musical poetic license.
My take on what she was saying was that the listener can be surprised or have attention changed by false relations.
With my interest in the links between different kinds of performance I was intrigued to listen to Emma Ayres’ discussion of muscle memory during the same program. She was exploring ideas around how one returns to a musical instrument after decades away from it. She noted the research in sport on practice, expertise and its application to music.
Her juxtaposition in the same program of false relations and muscle memory prompted me to think about the guided discovery possibilities of play and the structured learning opportunities provided in a developmental and personal training program.
I do think the lessons we can learn from composition and performance of polyphonic music can help us explore individual difference. I wondered if acts of creativity or inspiration in sport might be a form of false relation. Contemplating the potential of muscle memory has important implications for how we plan for and support motor learning.
I realise I need to go back to Edward Thorndike‘s work now to look at his theory of learning. In particular:
- Readiness
- Use and disuse
- Belongingness
What a surprising journey one radio program can initiate!
Photo Credit
Two men on a Northwest Aircraft
Stongfjorden Songlag
Becoming Social
This post started with someone sharing this flow diagram with me:
I have not eaten bacon for twenty years but the diagram made complete sense to me … apart from not having a dog called Dante (what a great name for a dog).
In terms of being social:
- Someone sent the flow chart to me
- They thought I would find it amusing
- I sent it on to some friends thinking that they might find it amusing.
The friends I wrote to liked the flow chart and sent it on to their friends. I researched the origin of the diagram (Miss Fipi Lele, 2007) and found a link to a post in February 2009. I have asked my friends to acknowledge the origins of the diagram if they use it.
I last read Harold Garfinkel’s Studies in Ethnomethodology just before I stopped eating bacon but the flow chart brought back memories of his work (a clear case of synesthesia). I am particularly interested in how we become social and I liked Garfinkel’s approach to how we make sense of the world.
Whilst pondering bacon and ethnomethodology I listened to a delightful Life Matters program on Radio National. In the course of a one hour program, Richard Aedy explored:
- The cost of alcohol abuse (Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation)
- The Beauty Bias (The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law)
- French Cuisine
All three stories shared insights about social behaviour through the eyes of three remarkable people: Gordian Fulde, Deborah Rhode and Mireille Guilano. Their insights affirmed for me Garfinkel’s approach to life worlds. Each understood their social being in ways that provide astute observations for those interested in shared meanings.
Photo Credits
Bacon Flowchart
A woman painting a view of the Shenandoah Valley
Voting
Yesterday I voted early in the federal election. I was the fourth person into the polling station at Braidwood Central School on a cold, bright morning.
I thought the school sign inadvertently said it all!
Focus
In June 2010 I wrote about persuasion and mentioned activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain. Shortly after in July I wrote about high touch coaching. In August I shared some information about research into the role of the brain’s prefrontal cortex in listening to stories.
These three posts reflect my growing interest in brain activity and coaching behaviour. This week I caught up with a post that added to my interest in focus. Clay Johnson observes that:
Paying attention, for long periods of time, is a form of endurance athleticism. Like running a marathon, it requires practice and training to get the most out of it. It is as much Twitter’s fault that you have a short attention span as it is your closet’s fault it doesn’t have any running shoes in it. If you want the ability to focus on things for a long period of time, you need attention fitness.
He suggests that:
Neuroplasticity is how your brain changes its organization over time to deal with new experiences. It involves physical changes inside of the brain based on the particular tasks the brain is asked to complete. It’s why the hippocampus of a seasoned taxi driver in London is larger than average, and how a meditating monk grows grey matter. Your brain isn’t a mythological deity but a physical part of your body that needs to be taken care of just like the rest of your body. And your body responds to two things really well — diet and exercise. Let’s presume your brain, being a part of the body, also does.
He advises that to develop attention fitness:
- Do slightly less than you think you’re capable of.
- Increase your capacity while staying under that bar.
- Start slow.
Clay Johnson outlines his use of the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo. This technique aims to enhance productivity, improve process and support agile teams.
Clay and Francesco have insights and approaches that will be of interest to coaches. I like the discipline they bring to time management for personal productivity but can see the possibility of using their insights to transform training environments. I can see the possibility of using their approach (enriched by agility of thought) in ways to manage time within competition environments too. Most importantly it is one take on the desire to do simple things well.
As ever I am struck by the importance we must attach to personal differences in the ability to focus. Clay Johnson’s post has encouraged me to think carefully about the meta-learning that can take place in the building of coaching contexts. This approach invest a great deal of time in the process of learning rather than in the pursuit of content. It values the ability to deliver performance through focus not as an occasional fortuitous outcome but as a habit.
Photo Credit
In Focus
