The Day Of

This is it—the moment of truth. The day of competition is where the coach-student team finds out if their preparation was enough to overcome the skills of their opponents. It's an exciting, nerve-wracking experience that contains highs, lows and everything between.

At this point, coaches are there more for support than anything else. They may provide a slight edge in specific situations, but the results are mostly out of their hands on the day of. It's now up to the athlete to execute on what they've learned and honed over the last two phases of training.

Warmups

It's important for competitors to get at least ten minutes of moderate-to-high intensity exercise prior to their matches. A useful analogy: the difference between warming up and not warming up is like the difference between two cars about to race. They're the exact same make and model, but one has their engine on already, while the other doesn't. As soon as the race starts, the car with the active engine can go right away, while the other is forced to play catch up.

This is similar to how your body reacts when put into stressful situations like a competitive match. When your "engine" is off, you have to adapt in the moment to the increased load on your nervous system. But when it's primed, you can act and react at full capacity. Don't be the car with its engine off.

Cornering

Coaches tend to corner in ways that are counterproductive, to put it lightly. Many of them seem to view the match as a form of "remote control martial arts," where their job is to direct every movement of the athlete. These bits of "advice" tend to be based on the coach's own style, not the student's. Any deviations from this advice are considered a problem, with coaches unleashing a barrage of anger that only stresses athletes further.

The FCS approach emphasizes coaching with a high level of trust. The coach should have spent a significant amount of time with the student during the Training Camp and Final Mile phases, building a map of their strengths and weaknesses. Both parties should recognize this and trust one another. When the coach treats the competitor as an empty vessel to be directed, they deprive the student of their opportunity to express their own unique version of the art.

This is not to say that coaches shouldn't give any input during a match, only that they should allow the student to compete and express their own game. If the student doesn't see something or there is a clear opportunity that the student may be too distracted to notice, the coach can and should say something. The same is true if the student is showing signs of exhaustion or a psychological freezeup.

But beyond that, the role of the coach in this situation is primarily to maintain the student's situational awareness. The student should never wonder what the score is or how much time is left, as the coach has easy access to that information and should communicate it at regular intervals. Matches have been lost because students pause to look at the scoreboard, so it is of the utmost importance that coaches ensure they never feel like they need to.

Between Matches

Inexperienced competitors are often caught off guard by how exhausting a single match can be, no matter how in shape they are. Even if they win, it's possible that they'll start to crash physically and psychologically. One of the ways coaches are capable of having an impact on the day of is to keep them as fresh as possible between matches.

If they win, the student needs to be reminded that the day is not over (unless it's a two person bracket). Get them to take deep breaths, drink water, and get their minds in order for the next match. In tournament formats in particular, when you win the matches get harder. Your brain wants things to get easier after a victory, but by definition the hardest match will usually be the final one. That person has won just as much as you have, so they've proven themselves to be of a high skill level relative to the rest of the bracket.

There's also that devil on the student's shoulder, telling them that they've already come this far and it's fine to lose. The acai bowl stand is right there, wouldn't it be nice to just take it easy and relax? A good coach keeps the student out of this mental trap, with a focus on a dominant victory over the entire bracket.

When they lose, it's up to the coach to make sure it isn't too devastating (as much as possible, sometimes the student just isn't prepared to lose). If it's the end of the day for them, remind them that it's not the end of the world. In situations where there's a loser's bracket, the coach needs to prepare them for winning the bronze medal instead.

Overall, the fact that multiple matches are possible is a metagame in and of itself that is often overlooked. Coaches within the FCS should recognize this and ensure their athletes are prepared for the challenges involved.