I used to be like you, intimidated by the achievements and knowledge of senior coaches. But in 1985 (maybe earlier) I approached Charlie when I met him a couple of times in Europe and asked if he would mind answering my naive questions. He said that would be OK but I would have to buy the cappucinos Then I asked if I could put a tape recorder on so I could digest his advice over time. He was good with that too. I learned so much from listening and he was so generous in providing less complex explanations on a million areas of coaching - program theory, session structure, S2L (which only the East Germans seemed to be doing much of), tempo, weightlifting (which exercises), technique, block setups, response and the first three steps, the lift, relaxation on the run…endless. Now you can get that all set out systematically on the DVDs!
I’ve attended one of his formal two-day presentations (brilliant!) and found that he was happy to field questions on the run at any time and explain the key points in a way which even I could absorb:o… but I also think a lot of information was exchanged during the drinks and meal breaks, with CF mingling and chatting and generally boosting the confidence and knowledge of everyone in the room.
You have got to meet this man, you have got to listen to him in person. Completely unpretentious, keeps it as simple as he can. He’s got a wicked sense of humour and a spectacular bredth of knowledge on all matters fast! Go to the source of knowledge. All the guys 9.7 and better are just working off the templates Charlie devised. . . if you’re serious, invest in CF “live”. kk:)