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Women in Coaching
Yihua Li — Five‐Time Olympic Coach
I am the only female coach on the national team so it’s a man’s world. There is always more than one guy when we travel and they share a room, do male things, have fun. I share a room either with the massage person or team manager and we are never on the same schedule or sharing the same level of stress.
The first time my diver, Émilie Heymans, and I met Penny Werthner (a specialist in psychological preparation), I said: “I hope you understand that we chat first, and then Émilie and I make a decision. We’ll let you know if you’re the one we are going to work together with”. I wanted to make sure Émilie felt comfortable with Penny, and she did.
Sometimes the three of us sat together chatting, but usually it was the two of them. I believe it was important to give Émilie space to talk to Penny. Coach and athlete are not always happy with each other; if she needed to call me names, it was ok with me. At least she would feel better and continue to do what I ask — that’s all I cared about. Penny always asked me about my concerns, what was going well, and what we had to work on. I felt that the three of us worked from the same page.
Training every day at the Olympic pool in Montreal is very difficult. I have to leave Pointe‐Claire at 7:00 a.m. and am constantly stuck in traffic. I had to plan Émilie’s schedule well so I could get back to Pointe‐Claire to coach the younger divers in the afternoon. When traffic is bad, I am so upset because it takes me so long to get back to coach.
I made sure Émilie had her own training time. The morning is no problem because my younger divers were at school. In the afternoon, I made sure she started early so that by the time she was almost finished, the younger divers were ready to start. After a competition, she has two days off and I spend that time with the younger divers because I feel so bad about leaving them for a week. Everybody has time off but never at the same time, so I had to be there all the time. I am always on the pool deck. After work I deal with other things that come up, like phone calls and emails.By the time I get home I am exhausted and can hardly have a conversation with my husband.
I’m lucky I don’t have kids. I can’t imagine how coaches with kids deal with everything.
Émilie’s weight was a challenge. This was a very difficult and sensitive subject to deal with, but a half pound makes the difference with her diving and a half pound is very difficult for her to lose. I was very careful when I talked to her about it and then I backed a little and stopped pushing. But two months before the Games, I said: “I don’t want to hear how difficult it is. It is not that I don’t care about you, but you and I know what we have to do to be in top shape to compete with the Chinese. After the Games, you can eat whatever you want.”
Do not depend on the support of others. We all know it takes a long time to get decisions made. While you are waiting, time flies away. You cannot depend on others to do things; if the support comes, that is a plus. You do what you have to do to help your athlete prepare to be the best they can be. You have to do everything; you have to work extra hard. This was a very important year. No regrets, no tomorrow. Both athlete and coach have to be able to say: “I did everything I could”. If we give everything we have, it doesn’t mean we will win, but at least we have a chance. Of course, beware of injuries and know when you are working too hard.
Fix the things that do not work. Keep doing the things that work. A coach has to be consistent with the plan and the ideas. You have to be in control when you are coaching. If you lose your mind, how can you expect your athlete not to? Remember, nobody is perfect. If you need help, talk to someone.
Before the Olympic trials, Émilie and her partner, Marie‐Ève Marleau, in the synchro event competed internationally many times and had great results. They finished in the top three in every competition so we were quite sure they could get an Olympic medal. For some reason, they did not make the team at trials. I was so upset. I knew it is much easier to get a synchro medal than an individual. Part of our dream was crushed. Émilie asked so many why, why, why questions. I told her to take a few days off and then we would figure out what to do. When she came back, emotionally still down, we talked. I said: “Things happen and I cannot change the situation. We can continue to feel sorry for ourselves and waste our time or do something with the individual event. You can get a medal in your individual competition. It is going to be very tough, but I believe you can do it. If you really want it, I’ll be there for you.”
I watch a lot of diving when I’m not at work, trying to solve technical problems. I compare the best divers in the world. My husband helps me to get all the clips I want. I watch in slow motion so I can take my time to analyze the dive. That helped me a lot.
I had to make sure Émilie’s technique was good and at the same time work on her mental preparation. I had to be careful when dealing with ideas or problems. It is never easy. Luckily, it usually only takes a few days for her to think things over. We are always able to move forward and do what is good for us.
Our team had a training camp in Xian before going to Beijing. The purpose was for the team to train together and try to get along well and support each other. The plan was to go to the village first and the idea is good, but not for everyone. Émilie competed late in the Games and we didn’t want be in Beijing too many days in advance. We decided to go a few days later and go straight to Xian. This was not the team plan, and if you don’t follow the plan, there is always someone who is not happy. But, at my stage of life, I don’t need to worry about that. I did what I had to do, she did what she had to do, and together we made sure things worked out.
Don’t pretend the Olympics are just another competition. We all try to make sure our athletes are not too stressed at the Olympic Games. We often tell them that they have been competing with the same athletes for the past two or three years, they have beaten them or been very close so don’t worry too much — it is just like any other competition. My experience tells me to face reality. The Olympics are absolutely not the same. They are not even close to any other competition. You do have to deal with the problems and the stresses of the Olympics.
Émilie and I needed to be at the pool at 7:00 a.m. so we could have good training time before the swimming started at the other end of the building. One person sat on the bench watching and supporting us — Penny, our psychologist. I felt the strong support from her. She wanted us to do well and that meant a lot to me.
Our goal was to get a medal. To get in the top six in diving is very difficult; the top seven to twelve is much easier. As a coach you are on a different stress level. I tried to avoid heavy conversations with our staff, especially roommates. When people wanted to be nice and ask how I am doing and how I feel, I wanted to punch that person, but answered politely, “I am fine”. But I am stressed and I hate being asked that question. I don’t like to talk much, and even less under stress. I look like everything is under control. We all deal with stress in different ways. It is very important to act and look like it is the everyday routine.
The Olympic pool was so beautiful. We both felt comfortable there. Language was not my problem in Beijing. I could usually take care of the things I needed for training so it was a comfortable environment for me. At the same time, I was aware that I am a Canadian coach competing with Chinese divers in China, so I made sure not to attract attention and did our own things quietly, staying humble.
I don’t think many people believed we could do it. In past competitions, Émilie had up and down results, almost but never there. I knew that the Olympic Games are anybody’s game, especially on women’s 10m. That is what made me believe we could do it. I remember Penny very nicely asking me if our goal is reasonable. Somehow I convinced her and she believed it like I did. My point is that somehow we were so focused and believed in our one goal — to get the damn medal.
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