Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who proves my theory that great coaches are made from people who are just barely talented enough to make it to the big leagues…if they work extremely hard at learning and training in every aspect of the game.

The Bobby Orrs and Michael Jordans of the world have access to an athletic repertoire that can’t be taught, but the Joel Quennevilles and Marc Crawfords of the world have the physical building blocks to make it to the bigs, provided that they work harder than almost anyone else at the game.

This statement applies particularly to Don Cherry, who became one of the best coaches in NHL history several years after he reached his potential as an athlete and made it to the NHL for one single game as a player.

In the 1954-55 season, the career minor league defenseman was called up to the Boston Bruins for one appearance. He had toiled in the minors for years (he played 1,180 games in the minor and junior leagues) and made his name as a reliable and solid player who was positionally sound and fundamentally strong.

He had worked at the game and brought it to the maximum level his physical gifts allowed.

Years later, his study of the game would serve him well as he would achieve the highest honor available to a coach and win the Jack Adams Award as the NHL coach of the year. He accomplished the rare feat of taking home this trophy in back-to-back seasons, 1977 and 1978, as the bench boss of the Boston Bruins. He also coached the Bruins to two Stanley Cup Finals appearances.

TODAY: REHAB and REST

Total Sets: None

TRAINING NOTES

The beginning of this training period is called the Tree of Woe after a point in Conan the Barbarian where Arnold Schwarzenegger gets tied to a giant oak and must remain immobile as he is trapped in a mental prison.

I am in a period of inactivity as I let my back and other nagging injuries heal, so in my case, the challenge for the moment is to not be a physical entity…

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