The Taitoc Story – How did it all begin?

Taitoc Skills Training System was born in 2008 at Santasport Lappi Sport Institute in Finland. The birth of the Taitoc Skill Training System was inspired by the growing need of developing fundamental motor skills in youth.

 

The work started by building the structure and the content for the motor skill coaching and it was soon integrated into the daily programming of youth athletes. Motivated by the great results in a short amount of time, the fundamental motor skill and movement training quickly became an importnat part of every training group and session at Lappi Sport Institute. At this point, over 500 young athletes were involved in the Taitoc programs and utilized extensively by the elite athletes training at the insitute as well. Subsequently, the Lappi Sport Institute is the home and main training center where the Taitoc know-how is being developed as well as distributed to many parts of the world. 

By 2014 the interest in skill coaching programs had increased so much that there was a great demand for educating coaches, teams and athletes around the country. At this point, the motor skill coaching program  needed a name and a system for educating and delivering the program to others as well. The program was named Taitoc Skill Coaching System and it was ready for launch through in-person and online courses.

Today the development of Taitoc Skill Training System continues with the same passion and energy as it was originated through. A brand new Taitoc webserver was launched in 2021 at the same time with the Taitoc Instructor -courses. 

Taitoc educational courses take place in several cities and regions in Finland. The content is constantly growing and motor and movement skills are now being taught, in addition to children and youth, to adults and elderly as well. Furthermore, the content is also being designed for specific sports with the goal of supporting the health and development of an athlete with a diversified and well-rounded movement program all the way to elite level. 

Greetings from the creator of Taitoc

Hello, 

Creating and developing new concepts is a demanding task. Most of all, it requires effort and energy to pursue the goal or the dream; and sometimes we succeed and other times we might fail. Both succeeding and failing are parts of the process that lead to learning and closer to our goals. Taitoc -system is based on doing, learning, failing, experimenting and above all authentically desiring to create something new and inspiring. 

Here is an excerpt of my own journey and experiences, that ultimately led to creation of Taitoc. 

I started coaching youth soccer and boys gymnastics at age 18. I didn’t fully grasp at that time the significance of being a youth coach. I was probably more focused on my own experience as a coach. I enjoyed speding time of the soccer field and the gym with energetic kids. I still find great enjoyment in coaching children and youth, but now I have a greater sense of responsibility and I understand the impact i can have with all the people I get to coach.

In 2010 I was employed as a skill coach at Lappi Sport Institute. I began developing skill training courses and selling the idea of movement skill coaching to the local sport clubs. It wasn’t a hard sell. Soon I was coaching 15 skill groups of young athletes aged 6-18 from various sports. Additionally, I designed and supervised motor skill workshops for the elderly with some of the participants in their 90’s. I had a unique position to observe and experience the entire skill learning process from a 6-year old child to a 90-year old senior. 

During those years I learned so much. I realized what it is that makes a successful training session and how to create a learning environment that is rewarding and enjoyable. I recognized how to inspire and encourage as well as how to build and organize a great training program. One of the most important things that I learned to appreciate is how unique every participant and how to individualize their path to movement skills. By meeting each athlete exactly where they are in their process can truly have a positive influence on a person and their growth. The only way to do this is to be present in the moment and to be yourself. In summary, I learned that coaching is not making people do things, but it is creating an inspiring enviroment where learning can take place organically and supporting each individual and their development becomes a natural process.

Soon the program expanded to coaching elite athletes in movement and motor skills. I was coaching a group of national athletes from various sports. I started building skill coaching content with elite performance in mind for the downhill and and freestyle skiing national teams. In 2012 I became the Head Coach for ski slopestyle and ski half pipe national teams. I had a great opportunity to see through a project of coaching skill-driven sports with the goal of Sochi Olympics in 2014. From 2015 to 2019 I was the Lappi Sport Institute Training Center Head Coach responsible for the downhill and freestyle skiing national team training. During these years I developed and managed the skill training, the strength and conditioning as well as the performance testing procedures for the elite teams and athletes.

During the course of my career I have instructed many Taitoc professional education -courses around Finland. I have had a pleasure to meet excellent coaches, instructors, teachers and physical therapists. The encounters with other professionals have been instrumental in developing and evolving Taitoc Skill Coaching System. I’m truly thankful to all the feedback, ideas and the encouragement. 

Taitoc is ultimately an outcome of a career-long process of research and development. Every training session from a motor skill program for 6-year olds to ski slopstyle training in Sochi Olympic Park has been an important landmark on the journey of creating Taitoc. Learning and improving are consequences of practice and experiences. Lots of practice and experience; that’s what Taitoc is founded on. 

Finally we have come to place where we can effectively share Taitoc with others for the benefit of every sport or fitness professional and their clients and athletes. Taitoc System consists of the comprehensive learning paths and the content that guides the practical coaching, teaching and assessing the movement and motor skills. Wide variety of course material ensures the development of skill coaching knowledge and high quality instruction of the fundamental motor and movement content.

I hope that many of you will find Taitoc a beneficial, rewarding and inspirational. Let’s go together and share the important message of movement and motor skills with the rest of the world!

I am looking forward to seeing you, 

Thank you,
Olli Cajan
The Founder of Taitoc Skill Training System