In a lecture given by Danièle Sauvageau a few years ago, this great lady of Montreal and Canadian sport explained something that is all too often forgotten... Where does the concept of coach come from? This term, borrowed from English, is now widely used in the French-speaking world, and is always associated with the world of sport. It refers to the person who is called upon to lead a team, athletes or group. It's a very special role to accompany those who aspire to push back their limits, limits which are sometimes still unsuspected. These limits become objectives that are reached step by step, progressively and patiently. The coach dissects, analyzes, measures and directs. The coach listens, listens and listens. He or she explains, describes, assists, reflects, sometimes pushes or holds back. Moderates or encourages depending on the moment. Of course, there will be those springboard moments that propel athletes forward and make them fully realize the value of the hours spent rehearsing and rehearsing movements, strategies and techniques. There will also be those moments of fatigue, discouragement and exhaustion, when you're on the verge of giving up and questioning yourself. This is when the coach plays his or her primary role: "What's the objective?
This is precisely what the "coach of coaches", as Madame Sauvageau is known, wisely reminded us. The term coach comes from the concept of a coach, a means of transport to get from point A to point B, quite simply... It's the means taken to reach one's destination. Of course, the concept of coach has developed over time. The science of sport is now here to better equip the development of sports practice.
We even talk about an IST approach for Integrated Support Team. Nutritionist, kinesiologist, psychologist, therapist and physiotherapist are just some of the support players who always place the athlete at the heart of this approach. However, the cornerstone of all athlete support lies in the fundamental role of the coach. It is the coach who, together with the athlete, establishes the destination, point B, towards which we are heading.
The emotionally-charged moments we've witnessed over the past few weeks with the Olympic and Paralympic Games have very often involved athletes and coaches. Those precise moments when the athlete runs up to his or her coach to melt into his or her arms at the end of a performance. There are also those other moments when the athlete needs emotional support, finding himself short of his goal despite all his efforts. These moments speak for themselves. There's the athlete and his coach.
At the beginning of September, we're just a few days away from National Coach Week. For all those who devote endless hours to perfecting their skills in order to support, to the best of their abilities, the athletes we love so much,
THANK YOU COACH! Thank you for being there. The sport and our athletes need you to grow even more and continue to give us such wonderful moments.
