Dec. 18, 2007
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
by Michelle Nolan, The Bellingham Herald
The latest in Ralph Vernacchia's long list of professional honors is an invitation to speak Wednesday at an annual national convention of track and cross country coaches in Phoenix.
Vernacchia's topic is one of his favorites: "Quality Coaching: The Key to Beating Coaching Stress."
Vernacchia, who is in his 35th year at Western Washington University, has spent untold hours helping coaches and athletes in all sports -- plus many other people -- gain fresh insights concerning stress and potential burnout.
"The goal of my presentation is to help retain the best and brightest coaches and to protect them from burnout," said Vernacchia, who is especially concerned with aspects of coaching and life that extend far afield from running, jumping and throwing.
If you're one of the hundreds of Whatcom County coaches on all levels who may be intrigued by this topic, you won't have to attend his speech at the convention of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Vernacchia, 62, will present his annual five-week Peak Performance Class beginning Jan. 22 on five consecutive Tuesday evenings at Western's Parks Hall. The class is one of his projects as founding director of Western's Center for Performance Excellence, which has offered numerous workshops and programs since being formally dedicated nearly six years ago.
He achieved so much coaching success on the track at Western from 1973 to 1987 that he is a member of the WWU Hall of Fame. But he has long since dedicated his career to the mental aspect of achieving excellence, much of which includes dealing with stress.
He has spoken at dozens of venues around the country and served as a consultant to the U.S. Olympic track and field team at the Sydney Games in 2000, shortly before he established the Center for Performance Excellence. One of his primary goals is to help people understand how much they may or may not know how well they are dealing with aspects, and coaching they both can and can't control.
He covered much of this in a 2003 book nationally acknowledged as a leader in its field: "Inner Strength: The Mental Dynamics of Athletic Performance."
One of the best ways to get a handle on what he offers is to list part of the content of his Peak Performance Class: Understanding the achievement trap; the reality of sport and life; sport, like life, isn't fair; motivation and the giving vs. getting mentality.
He labels the final four weeks of his class with his four Cs: Confidence, concentration, composure and commitment.
Vernacchia often speaks of balance in life, but his is not a touchy-feeling approach.
"Results are important," he said.
But not, he stresses, everything.
He puts it this way: "Sports are important, but they really aren't that important. When you're coaching or competing or working, fall in love with that at the time. But when you're cooking or studying, it's time to fall in love with that. That's the time to step away from athletics, or whatever you're passionate about, to achieve peak performance and excellence in other areas."
Vernacchia is especially fond of helping coaches, since he knows what it's like to be in the trenches.
"Sports don't build character, but coaches do," he said. "And parenting is the most important teaching of all."
"A lot of people leave the coaching profession because of the stress and demands placed on them," he said, referring to coaches who aren't famous as well as those who are. "A lot of coaching is about energy -- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
"I see the passion and poison of any endeavor."
He says many people do not realize the unique nature of coaching. He points out that athletes want to work with coaches and compete; in contrast, what percentage of people consistently look forward to their work or studies?
Thus, there is always this key question for coaches: "Do you coach to live," he asks, "or do you live to coach? Every coach needs to ask that question.
"Coaching is different from just about anything else people ever do, and especially because it's always on your mind. But the best people, in whatever endeavor they're involved in, learn how to step out of what they're doing and leave it behind.
"The issue really is about self-care and the need to have balance in life. I like to say, `Everything in its own time and a time for everything.' "
Speaking from a local standpoint, he is encouraged by how many local coaches and parents are doing effective jobs.
"Many people here are successfully focusing on the process, not the destination, and letting the players play and letting the chips fall where they may," he said. "I'm very impressed with the quality of coaching. I see lots of coaches who truly care about their athletes."
