Are you coaching them or training them?
There is a
clear cut difference between coaching someone and training someone. I have been
to training sessions all over the world in the past few years and this
distinction is clear in any language and in any culture. Those who are training
the athletes are counting reps, looking at the stopwatch and shouting out
times. Those who are coaching are closely observing the athlete, commenting on
technique, encouraging and correcting. You can teach a anyone to yell out times
or to spot to someone, it is much harder to coach, you have to be fully
involved have a plan, see the big picture, understand the context of the
exercise or the drill and the training sessions. It takes experience and is
very mindful. When you are coaching there are not any quick fixes or magic
exercises or training toys that go bing. Coaching is a high touch total
involvement process. Training is showing up and posting or reading the athlete the workout and turning
them lose to go for it. Those that are trainers, not coaches are looking for
the magic bullet, the secret workout, the short cut to the championship.
Coaches understand that there are not any shortcuts and secrets. Coaching is just
hard, planned and directed work that accumulates over time to produce the
desired performance. Building athletes and teams is an incredible long term
commitment that demands total focus and concentration. You need to ask yourself
are you coaching them or training them. Are you in it for the long haul? Many
are called and few are chosen, because when it comes down to it many people are
unwilling or unable to make the sacrifice or commitment necessary to truly coach.
Vern, I have been reading your blog for quite awhile and look forward to daily gathering some sliver of professional wisdom from it. This might be the best.
Posted by: Rick Huegli | July 28, 2008 at 02:54 PM
That is a good mission statement for coaching.
Posted by: St patrick | February 11, 2009 at 02:14 PM