This week, our education session, conducted by Sarah Cahill, focused on the intricacies of being a strength coach. Though it may be the perception amongst the general public, strength coaches are no longer the stopwatch-toting, iron-pumping, sweatsuit-sporting jocks that we have been perceived to be in the past. There are a vast amount of skills and specialties that the best strength coaches have, and they include, but are not limited to, the following: being proficient in the art of coaching, having the knowledge of the scientific data supporting what is and is not true about the human body and the way it responds to exercise, and having a grasp on the overall psyche of athletes. Of these three skills, our focus was on the art of coaching, and the athlete’s psychological uniqueness.
Coaching, whether it be a sports team or a particular lift in the weight room, is something that saying “too much of a good thing” can be applied to. Though the role of the coach is important and effective for many obvious reasons, i.e. correcting form, motivation, etc., it can also be detrimental when over done. Giving an athlete, or anyone for that matter, a “laundry list” of things to pay attention to when they perform a movement for the first time can be a stressful and frustrating experience for them. Cue them on one part of a movement, let them master is, then give them another. Or, let the athlete learn the movement themselves. Demonstrating an exercise with the correct form can be very helpful for an athlete that is a visual learner. And, if they attempt the exercise on their own, fail, and correct it them self, they will be more apt to remember the corrections they made than if you told them along with four other things to pay attention to while completing the movement.
Similar to rest and fuel impacting a productive training bout, the athlete’s mental state at the time of training does, too. This is where it is important to know the personality of your athletes and how they respond to specific demands placed on them. Some people like the “drill sergeant”, in-your-face, screaming kind of encouragement to motivate them. Others do not respond to this type of attention, and some actually shut down as a response to this. This is why knowing the athlete and when you should coach them up or leave them alone can be valuable knowledge.
It is important, as strength coaches, to not forget that all athletes are different. The member of the women’s rowing team may not respond to the same motivating style as the linebacker on the football team. We are not in the weight room room with the athletes to only hound them about their form, but we are there to ensure they remain focused and motivated. It is our responsibility as the professionals we are to find what makes each and every one of them “tick”.