Teenage Athletes Back Then and Now: An Interview with a Former Fencing Star and Current Coach
Udo Wagner is one of the most successful German fencers of all time and the only ever fencing Olympian medal winner of the former German Democratic Republic. He won a silver medal in the individual foil event at the 1988 Summer Olympics for East Germany. Four years later, he won a gold medal in the team foil event for the reunified Germany at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Today, Udo Wagner is a fencing coach for German pentathletes. He is also the father of one of my fencing buddies and team members. I have long wanted to ask Udo a few questions about his views on the differences between being a teenage athlete in his time and now. Here is what he had to say:
1. Do you think that athlete-coach relationships have changed over time? If so, how?
Udo: “A few decades ago, when I was a teenage athlete, it was normal and intended that coaches had a distant relationship with their young athletes. Coaches were people of authority, and their instructions were to be strictly followed without question. From today’s point of view, one could almost describe the athlete-coach relationship as military - very hierarchical with clear-cut roles. Further, the relationship was only or at least primarily about the sport and nothing else. Non-sport-related aspects of an athlete’s life were left out as they were irrelevant to keep the relationship purely ‘professional.’
Nowadays, this is very different. Today, good coaches are often also mentors for their athletes. In addition to giving their athletes technical and tactical advice, good coaches have an emotional connection with their athletes, and there is mutual trust and care. This makes sense since coaches and their athletes spend so much time together. A coach will often try to understand his athlete as a person and see the world through the athlete’s eyes to develop and implement the best possible coaching method for this particular athlete.
As a coach, I try to get to know my young athlete as a person, also off the fencing strip. Sometimes I also rely on parents telling me about issues, such as school-related, personal matters, or family problems that may affect the young athlete. I am always grateful to receive information about what is going on to relate to and understand my young athlete better.”
2. Do you think training methods have changed much over the years, and if so, how have they changed?
Udo: “In the old days, my training schedule almost exclusively consisted of fencing and conditioning training, plus some weight lifting to build up strength now and then. It was all about physical practice and about becoming stronger physically. Of course, bouts are still the most critical aspect of fencing practice. But today, coaches and athletes generally have a much more holistic approach, which is valid for all sports. Mental aspects have become much more relevant, and mental training is an integral part of every athlete’s training routine, especially for professionals or aspiring professionals. This focus on building up mental and physical strength is pretty new, but it is important and often makes the difference between winning and losing.
Likewise, what you eat is, of course, very relevant as well. Food was part of my life outside the sport as a young athlete. Today, every good coach will try to ensure that his young athletes eat all the balanced food they need to become stronger and better and leave out stuff that is not good for them. Of course, scientific evidence and knowledge have developed over the years, and we now know things about nutrition and its impact on sports performance that were not known some decades ago. Apart from better knowledge and understanding, it is also a question of having all the right food readily available. For example, you often see athletes eating bananas during competitions or breaks when they practice. This may be hard to believe, but bananas were rare in the GDR and were considered a real luxury.”
3. Are there any differences in dealing with injuries between the old days and today?
Udo: “When I was a young athlete, ‘minor’ injuries were not a reason to stop training. On the contrary, one of our mottoes was ‘Clench your teeth and work through the pain.’ It meant we tried to ignore the injury as much and for as long as possible. In hindsight, this was probably not the best and most responsible course of action and not what I would advise my athletes as their coach today.
This has changed a lot. Nowadays, coaches and their athletes have a much more cautious attitude. Athletes are encouraged to take a step back and take a break sooner rather than later so as not to cause more damage, especially long-term harm to their health. This is particularly true for young athletes whose bodies are still growing and developing. Sometimes making such a decision can be callous because it may mean missing many practice periods or even important tournaments the athlete and his or her coach have worked towards for a long time. Generally speaking, precautionary measures and injury prevention have become more relevant and more advanced. Again, we have seen some big sport science developments in this area over the last decades. For example, athletes now regularly use cold pools after practice for muscle recovery or infrared cabins. This is something we did not have in my days.”
4. Do you have any general piece of advice for young athletes?
Udo: “Being an athlete is not always fun, but the positive aspects should prevail. If things do not go well and you are frustrated, remember what you enjoy about your sport and concentrate on those aspects. You do not have to become a professional to learn many useful things through your sport that will help you in your future life: good time management, coping with pressure, and team spirit, to mention a few. However, no matter how important your sport is for you, never neglect your academics:).”