As coaches we are expected to be leaders. We often have different ideas of what a good leader is. Years ago I used to think being the best athlete in the gym meant I knew the most and was more qualified than most coaches. I think we’ve proven this not to be the case and some of us still have these athletes hanging around. This is not a blog about what makes a good coach, but rather how a coach (Head Coach or even part-time) can help boost your community.
We’ve all seen it before. You have an athlete come in using open gym wanting to perform the latest and greatest online programming that does not coincide with yours. You may or may not be able to get through to this athlete, but what if your coaches are those athletes? How can you try and drive a product in your gym such as the programming when not all of your team is on board?
Quick story about me…for the past two years I’ve competed on a Regional Level Team performing another gym’s workouts while running my own. Although I had my own aspirations in the fitness world everyday I felt like I was cheating on my girlfriend. I would sneak out during the down time of the day and train with my team at another location. It wasn’t until after I reached my goal of Regionals that I settled down and began performing my own gym’s programming with my own athletes. When this happened…we thrived.
I used to think, “I need more” or “I need something different,” but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Jumping into classes and following what my athletes do helped me connect with them on a level that I had been depriving myself of for the past 2 years.
I saw two changes immediately. The first change was that my fitness did not drop off at all (mainly because I am uber-competitive and would not let anyone beat me). Secondly, my knowledge base of our programming as well as the conviction with which I spoke of it increased. How do you build trust? Be passionate about what you do. And walk the walk.
I think it’s fair to say having coaches jump in with classes is a no-brainer, but having coaches that live and breathe the training template will only help to answer questions that your athletes may already have. Giving advice comes from your own experiences and it’s hard to do that when you are doing something completely different or performing completely separate workouts.
Having said that, every athlete and coach needs to work on his or her weaknesses. If you feel you need something extra, that is perfectly fine. But, it’s hardly the case you need to follow a separate programming track all together. Who knows…maybe some of your athletes have the same weaknesses as you and you can help each other work on those things.
Looking back I can only imagine what my athletes thought when I wouldn’t train with them…that I had to leave our location to train with others. One way to boost your community: fall in love with your programming. Being the best athlete isn’t just about walking the walk. It’s about being in the trenches right along with your coaches and athletes.
