World and Olympic coach Doug Leigh briefly discusses the concept of popping jumps and how he prefers to interact with his skaters to create positive changes. He begins, “I talk about something I never like talking about… popping jumps. I really dislike that word, because I want to know what caused it. If I fix that behavior, the popping is gone.” He goes on to explain that he doesn’t like talking about “an error” and prefers instead to focus on positive change with the idea of “upgrading” skills or behaviors. He uses the word “deprogram” as a way to stop one movement pattern or habit and replace it with a better one. Rather than fixing an error, Doug thinks of it as “a series of adjustments” to build confidence. He wants to be a builder that lends a hand rather than a “fault-finder” who points a finger.
In response to a question from Trevor Laak behind the camera, Doug clarifies that he’s not saying that as coaches we shouldn’t find potential errors as coaches. We absolutely should, but it’s how the information that is conveyed that is important. Doug encourages a softer approach that acknowledges the current situation, and explains how to improve it. This keeps the learning process more enjoyable, and builds a positive relationship between the coach and the skater.
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