Being Yourself As A Coach

Ever since participating in sports at a young age, I can remember sport coaches that had an impact on my life and for good reason.  They may have just been one of the player’s fathers (rec league) or even one with professional league experience, but they all expressed certain coaching qualities.  One of the notable qualities is being true to who you are as a coach and  “sticking to your guns.”  More specifically, one’s personality in coaching.  Anyone who has played sports has noticed the coaches personality whether very energetic or calm and collected.  In the strength and conditioning field both sides of the spectrum can be positive.  I can remember coaching high school sports where I would get out of line and not act myself.  There are certain issues that can happen with this…

1.  Athlete’s know when you are b.s.’ing because that is not your personality

2. It shows that you are inconsistent

A perfect example would be a coach who is consistently a high motor guy–energized, barking orders, maybe even yelling at athletes…one day he comes in, barely says anything, and is acting quite dull by his standards.  Common sense would tell us something is either wrong or that the previous “Ra-Ra” attitude might be a show.  Either way, I love amping up the motivation during lifting but also appreciate that people need guidance to understand how to do things effectively.  Especially when working with female athletes, you have to be approachable to explain things and to keep encouraging them.  Heck, that goes for shy athletes in general, guy or girl.

if this was my coach, I would not want to work hard nor have respect for that person as a player

Take home message?

Be true to your personality as a coach.  No need in trying to flip out on every set of deadlift to athlete’s for the sake of getting to PR on every set.  Be steady and consistent with your attitude and personality around athletes.  But, if you feel the need to go ape shit, make sure it’s in a positive way!

Cheers,

Matt

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