In the endurance world of multisport, cycling and running, it seems like everyone wants to be and is a “coach.” All too often, individuals feel that if they have 1 half-way decent race or they sit through a course, that they are more than qualified to coach & advise others. Let’s be sure that if an athlete chooses to be coached that they are receiving just that (coaching) and not just a cheerleader.
The Art of Coaching
Good coaching, no doubt, requires a ton of time, effort and
energy. Cheerleading, on the other hand, requires just the opposite… zero
effort, zero time and zero energy. Let’s
set the stage; a triathlete hires a coach and has been training intensely for
months. It is the end of a long season and it is time for some active and
passive recovery for the body and mind. During this well needed recovery, the triathlete
tells his/her coach that they are going to do a 100-mile challenging ride. What
is the coach to do?
Often times, coaches are disengaged and far too interested
in their own personal fitness and racing. This leads to the “cheerleader
syndrome” which takes no effort or energy. As a cheerleader, the answer to the
athlete is a simple, “sure, that sounds like fun, yay, you rock! Enjoy the
100-mile ride.” Remember, athletes have plenty of cheerleaders in their corner
and these cheerleaders are free.
Athletes have more cheerleaders than they know what to do with, such as social
media friends, family members, co-workers, etc. The last thing an athlete needs
to do is pay for additional cheerleading.
Athletes are extremely motivated, goal oriented and driven
and this is great. As a coach, the goal
is to corral this energy and make sure it is being utilized appropriately for the
athlete’s goals and needs. And yes, this requires a coach to listen intently,
be engaged and answer multiple questions and advise the athlete via phone, text,
e-mail, etc.… And when this is done, you do it again and again and again. This
is coaching not cheerleading.
Tough Love
As children, we all learn what tough love is. We may not
understand it at the time, but we quickly realize how valuable it truly is. As
a coach, providing tough love is necessary in order for athletes to achieve
goals beyond their wildest dreams. You can be their friend and even their best
friend at that, but you are still their coach and they have retained your services
for a specific reason…so they can achieve their goals and dreams they have set
for themselves.
Athletes are driven and this is what makes it so exciting to
coach them. There will be times when the athlete feels “more training is
better.” On a scheduled rest day, the athlete may override this and choose to
train. Or, each time an athlete has a one-hour run prescribed, he/she may
extend this run an additional 10-20 min. Now, as a cheerleader, you let this
slide because it actually takes work, effort, energy, tough love and coaching
to take the time to explain in great detail the method behind the coaching.
Even if you have explained this to the athlete 100x before, it is time to do it
for the 101st time. It is
this type of coaching that will help to take athletes to the next level.
As with anything successful in life, nothing comes easy, and
coaching is no different. If you want to be a successful coach and grow a
successful coaching business, get ready to work, get ready to listen, get ready
to be engaged with each and every athlete…and repeat these steps daily. When an
athlete hires you to coach them, always remember, they own a piece of you. It
is your obligation to your athlete to listen intently, be energetic, be empathetic
and be on your A-game 24/7; this will allow you to to coach them…not cheerlead.
Dr. Rick Kattouf
2x Best-Selling author
Named One of the World Fitness Elite® Trainers of the Year
Named one of America's PremierExperts® in Fitness & Nutrition
CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf Inc
CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf Nutrition LLC
CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC
