From June 27th to July 3rd, the Pinnacle Speed Skating Program hosted an international summer camp at the Pettit National Ice Center. Led by Hongyang Wang, Ming Gao, Jori Kola, and featuring 55 skaters from multiple regions of the US and Canada, this week-long experience was a great way for many skaters to kickstart the season.
One of the highlights of this camp is that all skaters had the rare opportunity to train under guest coach Steve Gough, the head coach of the US Short Track National Team. During his stay in the camp, speed skaters Aaron Liu and Aidan Liu conducted an in-person interview with Steve, who shared his extensive knowledge and years of coaching experience with all of the campers.
The interview kicked off with the panel asking Steve about his viewpoint on the challenges of short track, to which Steve said "This sport of short track, is a very very hard sport. It’s very challenging, physically demanding, technically demanding, and psychologically demanding dealing with the unpredictableness of short track."
To help athletes embrace these challenges, he emphasized tackling problems head on. "You kind of have to embrace the challenge, and not be worried about the outcomes. I think that is very important." he said.
Steve also shared an inspiring success story of an athlete who overcame repeated injuries and setbacks through rehab and mental coaching, which led to a career high performance at the 2022 Winter Olympics. This highlights the importance of embracing all kinds of challenges, no matter the degree of difficulty.
"I think, for one thing, everyone has to find their own balance.” was Steve's comment when asked about how to find balance in speed skating. He believes that a balanced life contributes to better performance and long-term success in the sport.
Steve also encouraged athletes to not view setbacks too heavily. "Sometimes in competition, you have to go back out twenty minutes later. So there’s no time to feel sorry for yourself." he advised.
When reflecting on his own personal challenges and their impact on his mentality, Steve mentioned the difficulty of balancing coaching responsibilities with personal commitments. This experience shapes his empathetic coaching style, which focuses on development and achieving balance. He aims to apply this approach with the next generation of speed skaters, as he encourages athletes to achieve their full potential while enjoying an outside life.
He also thinks that team culture is crucial to individual excellence while also bolstering team collaboration, with relays being a primary example. "We do relays all the time, every day,” Steve said. His emphasis on the importance of relays was definitely displayed during the camp, as Steve taught the skaters the fundamentals of the relay in a very engaging and hands-on experience.
Steve Gough’s experiences of speed skating coaching underscore the importance of balance and a supportive environment. His approach aims to nurture not only top-performing athletes but also well-rounded individuals, with the ultimate goal of bringing up these athletes to excel at the international stage.