We know that Canoe Slalom is a sport where artists in peak physical condition reign. Accepting this reality from the start would prevent many disappointments for those who fall victim to the Pygmalion effect, dazzled by young athletes who only exhibit extraordinary physical qualities.
That said, I want to confess a fundamental mistake I perpetuated for far too long while coaching the Spanish Canoe Slalom team. I call it “the bricks and mortar mistake.”
The Revelation
More than a revelation, it was the confirmation of something I had always known but never gave the priority it deserved. It happened unexpectedly while watching a world record in football juggling on television. At that moment, a question hit me:
“What if all I am doing with my athletes is teaching them to perform tricks with the ball?”
“What if I am not emphasizing enough that a slalom run is not just a sequence of individual technical moves, but a fully interconnected execution?”
That’s when I saw the similarity between the bricks of a wall and an athlete’s isolated skills. These skills may be impressive on their own, but what transforms an athlete with abilities into a true champion in Canoe Slalom, a sport where uncertainty and tension dictate everything?
The answer is mortar.
Mortar is what provides solidity, cohesion, and a global vision to those individual bricks. It is what keeps the wall from collapsing at the first impact, what prevents a series of well-executed moves from becoming a run without structure or purpose.
Knowing how to craft and apply this mortar is the greatest treasure of a good coach. “Anyone” can teach a solid upstream gate or correct a race line, but few truly know the recipe for the mortar. And, if I’m honest, I often wonder if I ever managed to complete it myself.
What exactly is this mortar? How is it prepared? What are its ingredients?
To answer these questions, we have this blog. And with it, a future ahead to continue exploring what truly builds a great athlete — not just the bricks, but the way we bind them together.
