Former British worldwide thrower is now guiding athletes on the Aspire Academy in Qatar and right here explains his method, 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 finest 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 “improvement” throws coach at Qatar’s prestigious Aspire Academy with the intention of progressing athletes aged 12-18 years from grassroots stage by way of 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 document 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 after 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simply to permit us to coach, however I’d assist out the opposite throwers within the group from about 15 years outdated and I loved it. I assume I obtained fairly a very good style of teaching early on in my profession due to that.
My teaching took a again seat as soon as I went to college [St Mary’s University, London]. I centered extra by myself coaching and I didn’t coach anybody apart from my sister.
After I graduated I moved to Loughborough. At that time I used to be nonetheless absolutely centered 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). A couple of folks on the monitor prompt 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 venture till I may discover one other job, however I quickly realised I loved it – and I used to be fairly good at it.
On the time I feel I used to be in all probability 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 may 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 in a position to develop a very good 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 all the way down to the monitor and take a few classes. 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 ultimately I went to college in London simply in order that I may very well be coached by him.
John has been my greatest affect and biggest mentor by far. I feel, as an athlete, while you spend a lot time round somebody, you choose up lots of their traits. John has a really distinctive manner of getting folks to work laborious and he was in a position to squeeze performances out of athletes who ought to by no means have been anyplace close to that stage. He did it on a constant foundation, and he nonetheless does.
There are lots of issues that John did that I nonetheless apply right now, particularly once I’m working with the event athletes, for instance realizing when to go laborious 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 feel that studying methods to cope with athletes and methods to push their buttons in the precise manner 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 unique method to John, however Shaun was a very completely different affect. There was a small teaching aspect, however it was extra a way of methods to be really skilled and he questioned all the pieces 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 effectively. If he didn’t suppose somebody was doing what was finest for them he didn’t maintain again, he’d simply inform them. Not everybody appreciates that however, for me, that was one thing I at all times actually preferred about him. If he didn’t suppose I used to be making good choices he’d pull me up on it instantly. He would at all times ask: ‘Why?’. Even when the purpose was irrelevant, the actual 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 vary somebody’s approach I’ve to actually perceive why I’m doing one thing, slightly than simply going with the stream and hoping it really works out.
Most 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 type?
It’s vital to teach the particular person and never the occasion, and that’s the way in which we try to do it right here. Everybody’s programme is completely different primarily based on who they’re and what their physique responds effectively to. You’ll be able to’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. Now we have a strong expertise ID programme, we’ve a quite simple philosophy of how we develop athletes from age 12-18 and we follow it. Now we have fundamental ideas – throwing, lifting, athleticism, gymnastics – and we let the programme run its course.
Should you take an athlete from level A to level B there’s a reasonably good likelihood they’ll be at a excessive stage so long as you’re recruiting accurately.
How would you describe the present state of throws within the UK?
Very like British Athletics as a complete, it’s a little bit of a multitude.
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 stage. We should always in all probability have been supported at that stage to plug a niche by way of to the older technology. I used to be provided a really small package deal with British Athletics as a guide, however once I advised them I used to be seeking to transfer to Qatar they wished me luck; they didn’t even attempt to hold me, and that mentioned all the pieces to me.
On the hammer facet, the hammer circle organisation within the UK does a fantastic job of bringing folks collectively, however with the opposite occasions, each time one thing begins to achieve momentum it appears to cease. Till you may 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’ll be able to’t even start to speak concerning the athletics construction and the athletes themselves. The very fact is, the nice athletes who come by way of within the UK simply now, they may have supportive households and a coach who’s a very good match on the time, however typically it comes collectively by way of luck versus a pathway or a system.
There are many gifted 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 principle challenges you’ve confronted?
Distant teaching is just not the identical, it doesn’t matter what anybody says.
Should you see somebody in particular person earlier than coaching you’ll be able to inform in the event that they’re having a nasty day. You’ll be able to have a dialog with them and so they may nonetheless have a very good likelihood of a good coaching session. Should you’ve obtained a 30-minute window on Zoom and so they’re speeding round in a nasty 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 laborious to take care of 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 may have athletes who’re a bit extra emotional; that may be very tough.
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