Former British worldwide thrower is now guiding athletes on the Aspire Academy in Qatar and right here explains his strategy, his influences and why constructing a pathway is vital
Zane Duquemin is a former Nice Britain and Northern Eire internationalist specialising within the shot put and discus. He competed at 4 consecutive Commonwealth Video games for Jersey, reaching a greatest place of eighth (within the discus) in Glasgow 2014.
The 33-year-old, coach to European bronze medallist Lawrence Okoye and a number of Paralympic Video games medallist Dan Greaves, is the lead “growth” throws coach at Qatar’s prestigious Aspire Academy with the purpose of progressing athletes aged 12-18 years from grassroots degree via to Asian Video games, World Championships and Olympic Video games (throughout all throwing disciplines). Working alongside programme lead Ivica Jakeljic – coach to former Olympic, world and European hammer champion and world file holder Anita Wlodarczyk – Duquemin can be the “efficiency” throws coach for shot put and discus on the Academy.
How did you get into teaching?
I wished to teach from a younger age. My first throws coach in Jersey was from New Zealand and he or she went again over there once we have been fairly younger. My mum ended up getting a training qualification simply to permit us to coach, however I’d assist out the opposite throwers within the group from about 15 years previous and I loved it. I assume I acquired fairly style of teaching early on in my profession due to that.
My teaching took a again seat as soon as I went to school [St Mary’s University, London]. I targeted extra by myself coaching and I didn’t coach anybody aside from my sister.
After I graduated I moved to Loughborough. At that time I used to be nonetheless totally targeted on making the Rio Olympics and I used to be on the lookout for a job to assist assist me financially after being faraway from the World Class Efficiency Programme (WCPP). Just a few folks on the observe recommended that I ought to do some teaching as a result of there gave the impression to be a marketplace for it. I began teaching for Loughborough College and shortly after that I began my very own teaching firm.
My firm took off fairly shortly. I knew the extent of dedication that was required to be a full-time coach and I additionally knew that it will be detrimental to my coaching, so it was actually simply meant to be a short-term challenge till I might discover one other job, however I quickly realised I loved it – and I used to be fairly good at it.
On the time I believe I used to be most likely the primary UK throws coach to advertise content material on Instagram and it actually blew up. I used to be fairly lucky in that sense, I realised I might get by financially with on-line programming, and due to my popularity as an athlete and my relationships with different UK athletes I used to be quickly capable of develop coaching group.
Zane Duquemin (Getty)
Who’s your biggest teaching affect?
I met my coach John Hillier when he was on vacation in Jersey. He had that typical coach mentality, so even when he was on vacation he’d come right down to the observe and take a few periods. He clearly had no thought I’d go on to do something – I used to be only a scrawny little 12-year-old who was obsessive about throwing the discus – however in the long run I went to school in London simply in order that I might be coached by him.
John has been my largest affect and biggest mentor by far. I believe, as an athlete, whenever you spend a lot time round somebody, you decide up a number of their traits. John has a really distinctive approach of getting folks to work arduous and he was capable of squeeze performances out of athletes who ought to by no means have been anyplace close to that degree. He did it on a constant foundation, and he nonetheless does.
There are a number of issues that John did that I nonetheless apply immediately, particularly once I’m working with the event athletes, for instance understanding when to go arduous on them, when to be that father determine, or when to go a bit softer. Technically and programme-wise I realized rather a lot from him, however I believe that studying easy methods to take care of athletes and easy methods to push their buttons in the fitting approach on the proper time was the largest factor I took from John.
I additionally spent numerous time on coaching camps with Shaun Pickering and Swedish coach Vésteinn Hafsteinsson [coach to former Olympic champion and reigning world champion Daniel Stahl].
I realized rather a lot technically from Vésteinn as he had a little bit of a distinct strategy to John, however Shaun was a very totally different affect. There was a small teaching component, however it was extra a way of easy methods to be actually skilled and he questioned the whole lot I knew about what it meant to be an athlete. Some folks discovered Shaun intrusive as a result of he was opinionated and wished folks to do properly. If he didn’t suppose somebody was doing what was greatest for them he didn’t maintain again, he’d simply inform them. Not everybody appreciates that however, for me, that was one thing I all the time actually appreciated about him. If he didn’t suppose I used to be making good choices he’d pull me up on it immediately. He would all the time ask: ‘Why?’. Even when the purpose was irrelevant, the very fact you had to consider what you have been doing and justify it’s one thing that I do to this present day, so, if I’m writing a programme or I’m making an attempt to alter somebody’s approach I’ve to actually perceive why I’m doing one thing, slightly than simply going with the circulate and hoping it really works out.
Most just lately I’ve clearly been working with Ivica Jakeljic. He’s been in Doha for ten years and he’s the highest man on the programme. He’s fairly much like John in how he approaches issues with athletes, however technically he additionally does a couple of issues otherwise, particularly within the hammer and the javelin that are occasions I hadn’t been uncovered to a lot earlier than I got here out right here, so he’s actually upgraded me in these areas.
What’s your teaching fashion?
It’s necessary to teach the particular person and never the occasion, and that’s the best way we try to do it right here. Everybody’s programme is totally different based mostly on who they’re and what their physique responds properly to. You may’t simply put folks in containers; it’s making an attempt to take them on the trail that’s proper for them, versus making an attempt to squeeze them right into a set programme or a path you’ve taken athletes beforehand.
What we do on the Aspire Academy is definitely quite simple. We’ve got a strong expertise ID programme, we’ve got a quite simple philosophy of how we develop athletes from age 12-18 and we persist with it. We’ve got primary rules – throwing, lifting, athleticism, gymnastics – and we let the programme run its course.
For those who take an athlete from level A to level B there’s a reasonably good likelihood they’ll be at a excessive degree so long as you’re recruiting appropriately.
How would you describe the present state of throws within the UK?
Very similar to British Athletics as an entire, it’s a little bit of a large number.
What we’re doing in Qatar isn’t rocket science, however within the UK we don’t appear able to doing that. We hope it comes collectively, we chop and alter plans each few years, and we don’t get anyplace.
The truth is, earlier than I moved out right here [in 2019], there have been possibly solely two different guys round my age who have been teaching at a good degree. We should always most likely have been supported at that stage to plug a niche via to the older technology. I used to be provided a really small bundle with British Athletics as a advisor, however once I informed them I used to be seeking to transfer to Qatar they wished me luck; they didn’t even attempt to preserve me, and that mentioned the whole lot to me.
On the hammer facet, the hammer circle organisation within the UK does an awesome job of bringing folks collectively, however with the opposite occasions, each time one thing begins to achieve momentum it appears to cease. Till you could have a good variety of full-time coaches who’re inspired to undergo CPD [continuing professional development] and upskill themselves, we’re by no means actually going to get anyplace, that’s the underside line.
Every so often you’ll get a freak athlete who comes out of nowhere, however with out the teaching construction you possibly can’t even start to speak concerning the athletics construction and the athletes themselves. The very fact is, the nice athletes who come via within the UK simply now, they could have supportive households and a coach who’s match on the time, however usually it comes collectively via luck versus a pathway or a system.
There are many proficient athletes who fall by the wayside and we by no means see them once more. It’s a disgrace, sadly.
You’re balancing a full-time job at Aspire with teaching UK-based athletes remotely. What are the primary challenges you’ve confronted?
Distant teaching shouldn’t be the identical, it doesn’t matter what anybody says.
For those who see somebody in particular person earlier than coaching you possibly can inform in the event that they’re having a foul day. You may have a dialog with them they usually would possibly nonetheless have likelihood of a good coaching session. For those who’ve acquired a 30-minute window on Zoom they usually’re dashing round in a foul temper, that session is completed earlier than you even begin.
Inter-personal relationships are by no means the identical working on-line and I’ve actually struggled with that. Regardless that I had good relationships with my athletes earlier than I moved out right here, it’s one thing that’s arduous to keep up as a result of everybody desires extra.
Lawrence is a comparatively low-maintenance man so he’s fairly straightforward to work with long-distance. The problem is when you could have athletes who’re a bit extra emotional; that may be very tough.
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