“Track and field is not a sport of miracles, you see talent and potential from a mile away, and by the end of the season, eight of you line up and see what you can muster out.” - Evan Gregory
Meet Evan Gregory, Assistant Coach at Pure Athletics Inc., who trains everybody from youths to Olympic gold medalists like Noah Lyles… and even walked in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games. That’s hecka impressive but there’s even more by the end of this.
When we discussed the strategies for getting to the elite levels of sports, no doubt that you must draw on all the experience that’s gotten us to this point. For example, “Noah Lyles will be coming into this Olympics with a lot of experience. He didn’t come out of the Tokyo games with the gold. He kinda slowed down intentionally. They all play this game of trying to get through to the next round without putting that much out there. In this case, Joseph Fahnbulleh snuck right past him and got the preference lane draw. Lane draw plays a huge role in an event like the 200 and how you can take advantage of a straight line effectively off of a turn.”
As Evan explains, what surrounds the strategy are the people you surround yourself with. That’s why so many Olympic athletes train with others at high-level camps because it’s that constant, daily push that elevates all of their games. And that’s why it’s so critical as we go about our lives that we pay attention to the people we hang out with. I would further suggest that you actively craft who those people are, whether family, friends, or colleagues.
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” - Evan Gregory
When it comes to Evan’s coaching philosophy and tactics, his approach is one grounded in love. Rather than subscribe to other methods that require moving the end goals further each time your player gets close, like moving a piece of cheese when the mouse gets too close, Evan bases his on growing together and changing together. He describes it as the art of the spin, by choosing to see a perspective that enables everybody versus being challenged by conflict.
It wasn’t always this way. When Evan started coaching over a decade ago, he was learning on the go, throwing the proverbial pizza on the wall to see what sticks perhaps. Over time, with experience and learning from others, he realized that there’s also a strategy in all the decisions that lead up to the big race. Coaching choices like where to race, when to race, and who to line up against, because building a great race calendar builds a positive feedback loop that builds confidence. I would say that’s not dissimilar to how we build confidence in kids and ourselves, one win at a time and taking stock in them.
One of my favorite questions to dig deeper into with my guests is any unique morning routines. With Evan, he either hops in a (car) racing simulator and if he’s sharp in there, then he knows he’ll stay sharp all day. On other days, he’ll play some chess to get the brain rolling and to start thinking a few moves ahead. With coaching, staying a few moves ahead of your players is key.
“I feel like these games kind of bring focus back, as you always have to be switched on with your mind. In a weekend, I always want to be mentally ready for every challenge that comes.” - Mick Schumacher, Mercedes AMG Formula One Team and McLaren race driver, Motorsport.com
But Evan doesn’t get that much downtime. When he’s not coaching in person, well, he’s coaching virtually. His side venture is developing something he calls asynchronous coaching.
“Help all the athletes who don’t have the opportunity they need in their local areas, whether it’s India or the lowest common denominator, athletes with the least opportunity who can’t afford a premium for coaching, making sure that anybody and everybody who wants to succeed in this sport has the potential to succeed in a very relevant way.” - Evan Gregory
What he’s noticed is that without support from other athletes in similar situations, people are left to train by themselves and that’s hard. When no one is there to encourage, support, compare results, and get that immediate feedback. Whether it’s in any niche sport or life in general, how can any of us become the best versions of ourselves in isolation?
TAKEAWAY
At the core, coaching is about helping others. Listen to the episode to hear Evan explain his latest success story, which is bound to bring a smile to your face as it demonstrates the power of success breeding success. Then look around and see if you need to be thankful for someone or if you see someone who could use a hand.
(Evan’s world)
➩ Evan was recently at the New Balance Grand Prix race in Boston and delivered tremendous results. Check out the amazing results here.
➩ I first found Evan while watching Noah Lyles's YouTube videos, trying to improve my sprinting abilities. Check out Grassroots Ep1 and How to Get Faster Drills (~10 min each). Dang those A-skips are harder than they look!
➩ Evan’s an Adidas kind of guy whereas as most of you know, I’ve been on the Nike bandwagon for a while now. But, in honor of our guest, I can say I know people who have the Adidas Terrex hiking shoes, waterproof and stylish.
(Evan’s practical tips)
➩ Stimulate your brain in the morning by thinking a few moves ahead, like playing chess.
➩ Build confidence by building upon success. What can you do today that is achievable and challenging? Plan for more.
➩ Whatever you’re trying to get better, find others or ask your friends to partake. “Iron sharpens iron.”
➩ Persistence and consistency. “Unspoken rule, you start a season, you see it through.”
Interview with Olympic Training Strategist and Coach Evan Gregory