The Language of Coaching

It would take you an entire career of coaching to pick up, just by chance, some of the competencies he outlinesand even then, youd come up short. Nicks work will fast-track coaches to effective communicationand, in turn, outstanding resultsfor their athletes and clients. I wish Id had this book 20 years ago! Eric Cressey, CSCS, President and Cofounder of Cressey Sports Performance Nick is one of the bright young minds in our field. The Language of Coaching continues Nicks excellent progression from coach, to speaker, and now to writer." Michael Boyle, Owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning "Nick Winkelman is what I like to call a coachs coach. He is one of the few people I lean on for advice in our industry. Hes my go-to resource. I will be gifting The Language of Coaching to dozens of coaches and athletes." Don Saladino, Celebrity Trainer, Health and Performance Specialist, and Founder and Owner of Drive Health Clubs "Nick Winkelman takes the science of coaching to another level with this book and delivers effective real-world strategies to improve not only communication but also the ultimate goalclient results. The Language of Coaching is a masterpiece. It's already mandatory reading for all my coaches." Alwyn Cosgrove, Fitness Coach and Owner of Results Fitness Nick Winkelmans passion, wisdom, and knowledge have helped to turn the science of motor learning into a digestible, applicable framework. His book, The Language of Coaching, will serve as an invaluable tool for driving results with athletes and clients. Alex Zimmerman, Senior Director of the Tier X Program at Equinox "Nick Winkelman helped me gain an edge on the combine and take full advantage of my training. His book, The Language of Coaching, will help other athletes do the same." Dontari Poe, Defensive Tackle for the Carolina Panthers The Language of Coaching is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched book that delivers practical and user-friendly ways for a coach to connect for results. This book should be on every coachs shelf. Martin Rooney, Founder of Training for Warriors; Coach to Hundreds of NFL, UFC, NBA, WNBA, MLB, and Olympic Athletes; and Author of Coach to Coach "Nick Winkelman helped improve my mind-set and introduced me to a new way of performing at the highest level. With The Language of Coaching, he will do the same for you. Prince Kelechi Amukamara, Cornerback for the Chicago Bears "Using a logical, evidence-guided approach, Nick essentially obliterates the communication barrier between coaches and athletes. If your job description includes conveying ideas with the intention of improving the physical capabilities of others, read The Language of Coaching. Andreo Spina, BKin, DC, FRCCSS(C), Sports Specialist Chiropractor, Movement and Mobility Coach, and CEO of Functional Anatomy Seminars "Drawing on Winkelmans vast personal experience with high-level athletes, The Language of Coaching unpacks the flaws in our assumptions, examining how apparently small changes in what we say and how we say it can result in more durable learning for the athletes we teach. It will surely prove to be a significant and enduring contribution to the literature of coaching. Doug Lemov, Author of Teach Like a Champion, Teach Like a Champion 2.0, and Practice Perfect In The Language of Coaching, Nick has offered an important contribution to the coaching world. A combination of a comprehensive scientific text and a practical operators manual, this is a must-read for all coaches. Stuart McMillan, CEO of Altis and Sprint Coach I was privileged to spend an intense period learning from Nick in a formal workshop setting. These sessions were Olympic-coach-level workshops and presentations. I can honestly say that the guidance on cueing was evidence based, highly practical, and immediate

Nick Winkelman, PhD, is the head of athletic performance and science for the Irish Rugby Football Union. His primary role is to oversee the delivery and development of strength and conditioning and sports science across all national and provincial teams. Prior to working for Irish Rugby, Winkelman was the director of education and training systems for EXOS, where he directed the development and execution of all educational initiatives. As a performance coach, he oversaw the speed component of the EXOS NFL Combine Development Program, and he has supported a variety of athletes across professional and elite level sport. Winkelman completed his doctorate through Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions with a dissertation focus on motor skill learning and sprinting. He is a recognized speaker and consultant on human performance and coaching science. He has written numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed papers focusing on the intersection between coaching language and athlete learning.

Part I. Learn Chapter 1. Learn This Learning: A Primer Motor Learning: The Profile Motor Learning: The Process Motor Learning: The Distinction Summary Chapter 2. Pay Attention Attention: A Primer The Movie Theater of the Mind: Attention at Work The Mind Part 1: Out of Focus The Mind Part 2: Coming Into Focus The Mind Part 3: In Focus Summary Chapter 3. Remember When Memory: A Primer Whats in a Memory? Part 1: Working Memory Part 2: Long-Term Memory Part 3: Making Memories Summary Part II. Coach Chapter 4. Finding Focus Cueing: A Primer Part 1: A Cue Is Born Part 2: The Dark Side of the Cue Part 3: You Gotta Be Choking Me Summary Chapter 5. Cue It Up Constructing Cues: A Primer Part 1: Cueing in 3D Part 2: Cue-Tips Part 3: Clarifying Internal Cues Summary Chapter 6. Going Analog Analogies: A Primer Part 1: Mental Maps Part 2: Similarity Part 3: Familiarity Summary Part III. Cue Chapter 7. The Road Map Habits: A Primer The Habit Instinct A Habit of Cueing Habit Upgrade: A Three-Step Process Fishing for Cues Summary Chapter 8. Strong Cueing Upper-Body Push/Horizontal/Two-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press Upper-Body Push/Vertical/Two-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press Upper-Body Pull/Horizontal/One-Arm One-Leg Dumbbell Row Upper-Body Pull/Vertical/Pull-Up Lower-Body Push/Two-Leg Front Squat Lower-Body Push/One-Leg Squat to Bench Lower-Body Push/Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat Lower-Body Pull/Two-Leg Romanian Deadlift Lower-Body Pull/One-Leg Romanian Deadlift Chapter 9. Powerful Cueing Countermovement/Vertical Jump Countermovement/Horizontal Jump Countermovement/Vertical Hop Countermovement/Lateral Bound Noncountermovement/Squat to Throw Noncountermovement/Vertical Toss Noncountermovement/Chest Pass Noncountermovement/Rotational Throw Chapter 10. Fast Cueing Linear Speed/Three-Point Start Linear Speed/Acceleration Linear Speed/Absolute Speed Multidirectional Speed/45-Degree Cut Multidirectional Speed/Side-Step Cut Multidirectional Speed/180-Degree Cut Multidirectional Speed/Crossover to Sprint Multidirectional Speed/Crossover Run Multidirectional Speed/Drop Step to Sprint Multidirectional Speed/Backpedal