After 30 years in elite sport, I've watched coaches worship spreadsheets more than athletes. The periodization obsession has created program deliverers instead of human developers—coaches who can't adapt when their beautiful plan meets messy reality.
Three Key Points:
* Periodization creates inflexible coaches who can't adapt to real athletes
* The best athletes succeed despite their training programs, not because of them
* Human beings aren't machines that respond predictably to predetermined inputs
Your athletes aren't lab rats—they're complex humans with emotions, stress, and biology that changes daily.
Self-reflection question: When did you last throw out your training plan because your athlete needed something different?
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