Vastaa aiheeseen: Uudet liiton valmentajat

[Quid Pro Quo]

Omilla rahoillaan saa jokainen tietysti ostaa vapaasti vaikka minkälaista huippugolfvalmennusta, mutta kun siihen käytetään meidän kaikkien verovaroja ja pakkojäsenmaksuja, toiminnan tulee paitsi OLLA hyvää, myös NÄYTTÄÄ siltä. Kieltämättä juuri tässä tapauksessa liiton toiminta ei näytä hyvältä.

Itseltä meni kokonaan ohi 8/1 julkaistun nimitysuutisen perään David Da Silvan 11/1 kirjoittama kommentti. Se sisältää sen verran mielenkiintoisia faktoja ja näkökulmia, että ansaitsee tulla nostetuksi mukaan myös tähän keskusteluun:

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Comments and opinions have arisen regarding the Federations (Fed.) new golf program including the group of 4 coaches selected.

I was approached by the Fed. to apply, which I did at the last minute for the U15 group – a key development group. I got called back for the interview with the 2-person selection panel, and later informed that my application had been unsuccessful. I accept being overlooked, hopefully by more competent, more experienced coaches with better results and track record. What matters are The Players – their development, performance and future successful careers.

Being directly involved in this process, it could be interesting for players, fellow coaches and golfers to better understand from a coach’s perspective, the decisions made. Importantly I have no problem with my selected coach colleagues, I wish them the best of luck in a very tough task.

In their response, the Fed acknowledged my technical skills, ideas and player development processes but as per their selection criteria I just didn’t FIT in.

I believe Finnish Junior/Youth Golf and the Federations role in it, especially between the ages of U12 and U18 yrs. needs to be seriously upgraded – those are the 3 critical age segments. The junior programs have been disastrous, chaotic based on my coach experiences, and the root of our lack of competitiveness internationally. In my opinion the U15 group is incorrectly structured again, the best technical coaches should work in the U12 to U 18 groups, etc, etc.

However, the poor state and results of our junior, amateur and young pro’s in a very competitive golf universe was not a key discussion point, which was surprising.

It was all about fitting into the system, the culture and coach group – not about restructuring, not about development of proper “Junior Talent Pipelines”; not about structured Player Models created by the group coaches – all featuring macro and micro Holistic work cycles – not about Player Criteria as opposed to Team Finland invites: not about plans for financially supported International Competitions at U14, U16, U18, Amateur and young Pro levels; not about critical Technical Competence or having no National Golf Technical Centre for players and coaches to work out of – unheard of in todays competitive sports universe -; not about Player and Coach Goal Setting, not about result driven mindset coaching, etc…..

I believed from the application that competence, proven coaching skills and results were key criteria – that REAL change and Success was the goal, a Fed driven structure for developing players to have a chance to fulfill their dreams, of sponsors, supporters and coaches too. I completely misjudged the Fed in that respect, so it was an eye-opening, but interesting experience.

The previous 5-year “infamous” World Top 50 Program was a total failure – NO players in any international junior, amateur or professional Top 50 ranking. The Reality is – 1 male professional inside Top 150 OWGR, 2 inside Top 300 OWGR; NO female professional inside Top 200 Rolex Woman’s Rankings, NO male amateur inside Top 300 WAGR, 1 female amateur inside Top 300 WAGR.

Fortunately at that failed programs launch, I publicly manifested my various concerns to all present… sadly for many players across all groups these concerns were confirmed.

In the “talent pipeline” of Boys, Girls and Juniors Rankings the current situation is very alarming. As per the R&A Participation Report and EGA Junior U14, U16, U18 rankings, the FACTS show that our poor programs, disinvestment in junior golf, poor Federation and PGA Finland junior coaching structures, etc, have severely impacted international performance the past 5 years. We have the junior players… and little else to show for it.

In the EGA Junior Rankings for U14, U16 and U18 categories combined, in comparison with 3 countries who have FEWER juniors than Finland, the FACTS are as follows: Total Sum of Top 300 Ranked junior Boys/Country – Finland 15 with 16.500 registered juniors, Denmark 31 with 7.500 juniors, Norway 25 with 14.000 and Italy 104 with 9.900 juniors!

In Girls, the situation is worse, only 9 girls across all the 3 age categories currently ranked inside the Top 300!

In amateur golf the downward spiral due to failed previous programs is clear. In 2018 Finland had 14 men amateurs ranked inside the Top 1200 WAGR, the ranking needed for entry into The Amateur – by 2024 it dropped to an all-time low of just 3 players!

Compared to the same 3 countries in 2018, Denmark had 28 WAGR ranked men, Norway 6 and Italy 34. In 2024 Denmark has 16, Norway 9 and Italy 14. The European downward curve is likely down to 3 reasons – Tougher WAGR ranking metrics, Impact of NCAA Div. 1 college golf upgrades with PGA Tour; limited access to tournaments with high WAGR Power Rankings points. Reality is that our many lowly ranked juniors and amateurs can no longer play the top tournaments worldwide.

The previous failed 5 yr. program cost over 5 million Euros yet delivered worse results in every category, with NO responsibility, NO accountability. Will it be the same with the 2024 to 2028 program? I hope not.

Finland ranked 9th in Europe with 164.000 registered golfers, 2.84% of the population plays golf ranking 6th, yet it’s failing all its elite players, the families and sponsors who invest in their golf. Is there now the competence, knowledge, experience, leadership and plan to turn this around, because there is definitely no Fed driven “Talent Pipeline” in Finnish Golf – Results are Facts!

Recognized coaching qualifications, past results, experience, technical skills sets, etc, and input into the new structure was not a selection criteria. The applicant coaches’ experience in
developing group standards and players were not analyzed or valued; the ability and proven experience to tutor junior club coaches and players personal coaches was not a criteria.

I don’t claim to be the best coach by far, but in the past 6 years, players I coached have achieved reasonable levels – LPGA and Olympic Woman’s Top 20 status, Top 5 LET O/M Rankings, Top 10 European Tour results, Challenge Tour Wins, Nordic League Wins, NCAA Div.1 college Wins, National Championships Wins, Regional and International Wins, various Top 10 placings at The Amateur, The Boys Amateur, European Men’s Championships, no.1 FAR ranked players, etc, so results do not matter – more important is I do not FIT!

I was available to put my international golf development experience, my skill sets and result driven coaching at the service of Finnish Golf. My take-away is now to keep adding to my skills, better my ability to help athletes overcome barriers, accept in all probability that this new program could be a recycling of similar, previously failed junior/youth development programs. I hope that this time I’m totally wrong as I was in evaluating selection criteria. Time, results will tell!

If so, the ones who will suffer the most will again be the players. Coaches will be blamed and fired again – and if so, thankfully I didn’t FIT into the Federations coach meat-grinder of 20 plus coaches over the past 8 years. Clearly the problem lies elsewhere.

Good luck to all Team Finland players and coaches!
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Team Finlandin valmentajien valintakriteerit olivat kyllä sinänsä selkeät ja tiedossa. Hakuilmoituksessa kaikilta valittavilta valmentajilta vaadittiin:

• erinomaisia vuorovaikutus- ja kommunikaatiotaitoja sekä kykyä toimia yhteistyössä urheilijan henkilökohtaisen valmennustiimin kanssa
• ymmärrystä kilpagolfin kansainvälisestä vaatimustasosta ja sen tinkimätöntä ylläpitämistä urheilijan polun eri vaiheissa
• kykyä hallita systemaattista ja pitkäjänteistä valmennusprosessia sekä nykyaikaisia golf- ja urheiluvalmennuksen apuvälineitä
• sopeutumiskykyä ja motivaatiota toimia yhteisöllisesti ja rohkeasti vahvistavana osana Golfliiton kilpaurheilutiimiä
• valmiutta matkustamiseen ja kansainvälisessä ympäristössä toimimiseen

Kolmen tällä kertaa valitun valmentajan kanssa enemmän tai vähemmän tekemisissä olleena on helppo uskoa, että ainakin he täyttävät useimmat yllä heille asetetuista vaatimuksista. Kokonaan toinen -ja ehkä jopa se tärkeämpi- kysymys on, ovatko nuo sinänsä välttämättömät kriteerit RIITTÄVIÄ huipputasolla menestyvien kilpapelaajien jatkuvaan tuottamiseen.