Starting Level 3

As I come into the home stretch here with a little less than 2 weeks left, things are starting to settle down. Today we finished the first batch of level 3 coaches. Yesterday I had to leave training in the afternoon to go to a second training location at look at some potential training facility sites. I am developing a facility layout and making equipment recommendations for a new athletic performance facility.

Today as we finished level 3, the coaches took a break to celebrate a couple birthdays and performed a birthday song with a dance using some of our training exercises. They had a lot of fun with it as you can see in the video below.

Today's training involved speed agility, plyometric training and high intensity aerobic training. Tomorrow and Thursday will be spent running a quick catch up class for coaches that missed the initial level 1 and level 2 trainings. We should have at least 20 coaches. These coaches will get tested on levels 1 and 2 on Friday.

Next week we will get back to doing the last two level 3 training groups and test out the coaches on level 3. Time permitting I will be doing a basic athletic fitness seminar for sports like bowling and billiards that do not need the full athletic performance training.

I just got of the phone doing a radio interview with the University of the Philippines radio station discussing our work with the coaches and AIA.

Level 2 Testing

We completed the level 2 training this week and conducted the written and practical testing for level 2 all day Thursday. We had over 60 coaches complete the testing with only five mot receiving a passing score. There are still 20 coaches that had not taken the test. Some of those may still take the test when we do a short level 1 & 2 training that will catch up 15-20 coaches the end of next week. The first batch of coaches will go through level 3 next Monday and Tuesday.

Sunday Off: Trip to the mall and fencing competition

Sunday was a relaxing day off. Ryan and I ventured off to a mall for lunch. Since we have been training the fencing coaches and taking up their fencing hall most of the day for training, we decided to go to the mall that they were having a fencing competition at. We had a chance to talk some with the head fencing coach and had a chance to see one other coaches we had been training compete and will her event.

I don't know that I'd chose watching fencing over a Brewers game, but it was good to see some of the coaches we have been working with in their element.

National Boxing Team and continue Level 2 training

The second batch of coaches went through level 2 training on Friday and Saturday. On Friday the national Boxing team asked for a program to be designed to prepare the boxers for this year's world championship (which will serve as the qualifying tournament for next year's Olympics). They expect 6-7 boxers to qualify.

In Tagalog there isn't a letter "x" so boxing is spelled with an ks to make the x sound. 

Craig would have been proud of Totie putting the coaches and athletes through a classic "Schinck" leg circuit. Too bad they still had another activity segment after this.

Level 2 Begins

On Wednesday, the first group of coaches began the two day level 2 training. The second group of coaches completed level 2 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday and Monday are off days (Thank God for Monday being a Philippine national holiday because we have been going 14 days straight counting our traveling last Sunday). Next Tuesday and Wednesday will be the last group for the level 2 training with Thursday being set aside for level 2 testing.

Sunday and Monday wont totally be off days since there still plenty of work to be done making the test for level 2 and working on the teaching materials for level 3. The coaches have started taking ownership of leading the athlete instruction for at least one of the two afternoon training sessions. That has really worked out great (beside giving Ryan and I a break) it has allowed the coaches to practice coaching the drills and exercises which will help prepare them for the practical test and to be able to teach their teams in the future.

 
The coaches have really stepped up and done a great job running the drills and the athletes really enjoy the coaches doing the instruction (especially since coaches can explain instructions in Tagalog as well as English).

POC / PowerRev Level 1 Testing

On Monday and Tuesday evening we put over 80 national coaches through a written and practical exam on the level 1 training.

It really is better to give than receive when it comes to tests :-).

 Totie administered the practical tests for the power and core stations.

Ryan ran the speed and plyometric testing stations.

I ran the dynamic movement and agility stations.

AIA volunteer, Joseph, was in charge of the strength station

 

Coaches had to pick exercises to demonstrate and teach their partner. Each station had 3 to 5 exercises that could be randomly chosen by the coaches. The practical was worth 70% of the total points and the 25 question written exam was worth the remaining 30%. Coaches had to have a score of at least 75% overall to pass. Less then 10 coaches failed to meet the passing level, but were close enough to have probationary status and be allowed to go through level 2 (if they don't pass level 2 they aren't allowed to move on until passing levels 1 & 2).

Davao Christian High School Clinic

Last Friday we traveled by plane to Davoa City which is on the southern most island of the Philippines. We conducted an AIA strength and conditioning clinic at the High School Wynsjohn, an AIA staff member, had graduated from.

We arrived later than planned getting into Davao by 4:30 PM and we conducted an informational session starting at 6 PM with 10-15 coaches. On Saturday, we spent all day doing a clinic with the coaches and 75-100 athletes from 9 AM until 5 PM with a break for lunch. Then coach Potit and Wynsjohn conducted a basketball clinic with the basketball players from 5-7 PM.

Our host Pastor Jere was great. He wined and dined us taking us to local restaurants to experience things like native chicken, BBQ Squid and other things. We also visited Kangaroo Coffee, an Australian chain of coffee houses, for coffee and desserts (Jeff should be jealous). The cool part of the coffee house was that it was owned by Christians and served as a Christian meeting and ministry place.

Pastor Jere gave each of us a box of sweet Pomelos, which is a popular local fruit from near Davao. We had to leave for the airport at 5 AM on Sunday morning. I had the chance to go and have lunch at coach Potit's house and was able to visit his church. Then we were back working with the POC by 9 AM Monday morning.

Continued POC Training and Jeff's Last Supper

Last week we continue the level 1 training at the POC working with combat sports, volleyball, tennis, weigh training, badminton, and track and filed coaches and athletes.

On Wednesday night we found a Cajun restaurant for Jeff's last supper before heading back to the states on Thursday. We all followed Jeff's lead ordering the 1-pound Cajun burger.