Chapter 156: The Selection Examination
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
For a coach, this advanced detector really is a great secret weapon! Dai Li exclaimed to himself.
Dai Li had been with the national team for some time, so he had realized that the training of first class athletes focused more on well-targeted small detail improvements. The physical qualities of the athletes who were on the national team were definitely impeccable. As a result, there were never any major shortcomings in their techniques. Therefore, besides the difference in ability, details were the dominant factor in the gaps between the athletes.
However, it was extremely difficult to pinpoint these small, specific problems. The techniques of the athletes had been developed over a long period of time. They had stuck with the same training methods for years—some even for over a decade—so it was very difficult for athletes to find these small problems themselves. Usually, only top athletes were able to recognize the small problems in their training.
Top athletes had already received high level training and accumulated plenty of training experience. In addition, their talents were better. Feixiang Lin was a good example of this. He could see the small problems in his own training and fix them accordingly. That was why he was a world record holder. However, athletes like Feixiang Lin were rare. Mediocre athletes did not have this ability.
Because most athletes could not diagnose their own problems, it was the coach's job. This was what the examination paper would be on to check the true ability of a coach.
The job of a coach was nothing more than to help train their athletes and help them during their match. The coaches of physical events, like basketball, soccer, and volleyball had to make a game plan during the games, which was also a test of the coach's skills.
As for non-physical sports, like racing, shooting, gymnastics, diving, etc., there was no game plan during the matches at all. The one who had better strength and performance would win. Because of this, training was the main criteria in these events to test a coach's skills.
As things were now, Dai Li had no chance of participating in the training of physical sports. It was impossible for a young man who was only twenty-five to be the head coach of a professional basketball or soccer team. Even a deputy head coach job was out of his reach. Even if someone as young as Dai Li managed to join a professional sports team, he or she might act as an assistant coach at best.
Because of this, Dai Li's main task was still training. He needed to find the things the athletes were bad at, then help the athletes correct them. The advanced detector truly was a miraculous cheating device that went against the laws of nature.
...
During the next learning and observation period, Dai Li began to understand the benefits of the advanced detector.
The detector indicated that this sprinter's main problem is his insufficient hip movement during running. The coach of the national team asked him to practice leg swinging, which should make the ligament in his hip joint more flexible.
This high-jump athlete's main problem is that his center of gravity fluctuates too much after he takes off. Because of this, his leg recovery makes his hip's center of gravity unstable. He was told to keep practicing on the low bar so that he can master adjusting his center of gravity.
The sprinter's insufficient hip movement and the high-jump athlete's unstable center of gravity could only be regarded as insignificant details that could not decide the final result. On the provincial sports team, these details would definitely be neglected; however, on the national team, they were picked out by coaches, and became the focal point of improvement.
Dai Li had also began finding deficiencies in athletes that had not yet been discovered by the coaches of the national team.
The detector indicates that the breathing capacity of this long-distance runner will be chaotic when he reaches his limit. The coach seems to have overlooked this problem, so there was no specific training arranged for him. Although the coaches of the national team are skilled and have a lot of experience, they are human after all. You cannot compare them to a detector.
With the advanced detector, the advantages and disadvantages of an athlete were easily accessible to a coach. Dai Li had more of an in-depth understanding on the training program of the national team, and suddenly became clear on a lot of issues he had only somewhat understood previously.
The last day of the two-month learning and observation period had arrived. The selection examination that had been mentioned by Li Xue was unveiled.
...
Early in the morning, 30 young coaches arrived at the meeting room. With paper and pens in hand, everyone was waiting for the examination to begin.
Just after 8 o'clock, Li Xue entered the meeting room.
"We will have the selection examination today. The person who passes the examination can stay and join our Youth Training Program. What I want to emphasize is that there is no 'passing' score for this examination. You do not have to get a certain score to earn the right to stay. In addition, there is no limit on the number of people who can pass the exam. It is possible that all of you will be able to stay, or that none of you will be able to"
Li Xue's stern expression and his grisly look immediately made several coaches lower their heads in an effort to avoid eye contact with him.
"Now, let's hand out the 'examination paper' and prepare for the examination!" As soon as Li Xue finished speaking, his assistant came up beside him with notepads in hand.
Coaches were also regarded as outdoor workers. During training, they always needed to record something, like data, key points to focus on, etc. Therefore, a notepad and pen was the standard equipment for a coach. All the coaches in the meeting room were very familiar with the notepads.
Dai Li thought the examination paper would be clipped to the notepad. However, when the notepad was handed to him, he found just over ten pieces of blank paper attached to the notepad. Dai Li checked each piece of paper, but he could not find a single word.
Just blank paper? Where is the examination paper? Dai Li looked around and saw that the rest of the coaches had also only gotten blank paper with their notepads.
Could it be that the questions will be given on the spot? Dai Li said to himself.
As he had guessed, upon seeing that everyone had been handed a notepad, Li Xue said, "During this examination, I will give you the questions on the spot. When you hear my question, just write down your answer on the paper. Now everybody go outside. Let's go to the training ground."
"To the training ground? That's quite an examination!"
"I thought the examination would be held in the meeting room."
"Is it possible that Coach Xue didn't prepare any questions? Maybe he will give questions about whatever he sees on the training ground. "
Although everyone was whispering, they still went to the training ground in a single-file line.
"I used to be a sprinter, so let's start with the sprinting group!" Li Xue led the coaches to the No. 1 Sprinting Team. The sprinters were training determinedly.
After a minute of observation, Li Xue pointed at a sprinter who was performing push-off exercises using weights and asked, "Why is this sprinter performing push-off exercises using weights? If you know the answer, just write it down on your paper."
Some coaches were deep in thought, while other coaches were writing vigorously.
Instead of starting writing immediately, Dai Li thought hard about what he was seeing.
Push-off exercises using weights aims to enhance the explosive force of a sprinter's legs. This is so obvious that even the most mediocre coaches could not neglect it. The questions given by Coach Li Xue should not be so easy!
As he thought this, Dai Li checked the sprinter with the detector. The advantages and disadvantages of the sprinter were shown to Dai Li immediately.
So that's it! The weakness of this athlete is unbalanced leg swinging during his running start. The push-off exercise using weights should help improve the balance of his leg swinging during his running start.
As Dai Li thought of this, he began writing down the answer on his notepad.