Friday, August 14, 2009

Let's Go to the Videotape

Many athletes and sports teams use videotape to review as part of an effort to improve their performance in the future. Many little league parents use videotape so they can relive their son or daughter's moment of glory.

This points to differing but not necessarily contradictory reasons for using videotape. One is to preserve the moment of glory for future enjoyment. While this is certainly nice - or it would be if we ever get a worthwhile moment of glory to preserve - this is not my primary reason for videotape.

I like having the videotape because it lets me go back and see - without the rush of the moment - what is actually happening. What is good. What is bad. What is handler error. What is the dog not doing what it should. What is sheep being uncooperative.

I also like having video of some better handler's runs so I can see what they are doing differently. It is really amazing what can be learned by watching and comparing.

The videotape does not lie and it can shine a bright light on both flaws and also what is going right. It is especially interesting to go back to some old tapes to compare and see the progress that has been made.

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