I love this time of year.\u00a0 Fall is when I am honored to be a part of amazing conversations with prospective coaching clients!\u00a0 I thoroughly enjoy hearing about all the cool races & events that folks have decided to do.\u00a0 As we chat about their goals, past training, strengths & areas of most potential (what some may call “weaknesses”) & schedules, I begin to parse out whether or not coaching is really a good fit for them.<\/p>\n

Truthfully, being a coached athlete not for everyone.\u00a0 Yes, these folks represent potential “new business”.\u00a0 But the more important issue – the key to success for both an athlete & a coach – is whether or not being coached is the right choice for them at this particular point in time.<\/p>\n

Ten Things to Consider<\/h4>\n

It might surprise you to hear that, as a coach, I don’t always think that coaching is the best answer for every athlete!\u00a0 There are many factors to take into consideration.\u00a0 Here are just a few of the many things to consider:<\/p>\n

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1. What type of personality are you?<\/li>\n
2. What are your goals?<\/li>\n
3. What brings you joy?<\/li>\n
4. How important is improvement?<\/li>\n
5. Do you like structure or does it feel limiting?<\/li>\n
6. How do you view tradeoffs (i.e., How do I feel about not doing X in order to gain Y?)?<\/li>\n
7. Are you able to trust what your coach prescribes?<\/li>\n
8. How willing are you to try things that are different, perhaps even contrary to how you’ve “always done it”?<\/li>\n
9. Do you have available finances to support a longer-term commitment? *<\/li>\n
10. Are you able to reprioritize your time to support a longer-term commitment? *<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    * Truthfully…coaching won’t really work in the short term.\u00a0 You need to commit to at least 6 months to 1 year in order to adequately assess whether or not the structure works.<\/em><\/p>\n

    #1 Thing to Think About<\/h4>\n

    While these 10 things are VERY important to think through & identify answers to, there is one Talking Point that I routinely emphasize when consulting with potential clients.<\/p>\n

    How important is freedom versus improvement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This concept is basically, a combo of #4 & #6.\u00a0 Here’s how it works.<\/p>\n

    Freedom = Less Improvement<\/strong><\/em> – Many athletes like to take a laissez-faire or buffet approach to training.\u00a0 Heck…I’ve done that many times over the years.\u00a0 When you take the buffet approach you often have an end goal…but to get there you do a little of this, a little of that, you go on your friend’s group ride simply for the social aspect, you may or may not take rest days.\u00a0 Instead of being tied down to a training schedule, you enjoy the full freedom<\/em> of being able to do whatever you want whenever you want & however you want.\u00a0 And while buffets are certainly fun & exciting, you have to understand that you may be too full to fully enjoy the AMAZING dessert that comes out at the end!\u00a0 Maybe not a great analogy…but suffice to say that your end goal performance may not be as significant as you had hoped for.<\/p>\n

    Structure = More Improvement<\/strong><\/em> – Contrary to the buffet approach is the structured training plan that makes the end goal the #1 priority.\u00a0 When the end goal is #1 then all aspects of training are focused on making that end goal better.\u00a0 I’ve also taken this approach many times over the years!\u00a0 With the structured approach you often have to say “no” to your friend’s group ride because the distance and\/or the intensity are not in-line with your current training plan.\u00a0 To go back to our buffet analogy…you know BEFORE you walk into the buffet that you’ll eat just enough of 3 (and only 3) things in order to fully enjoy the amazing dessert!\u00a0 In other words, you’ll say “no” to lots of things in order to stick to your plan & potentially be quite surprised by the improvement in your end goal performance.<\/p>\n

    Is one way better than the other?\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00a0 The path you choose all depends on what’s most important to you at this point in time.\u00a0 And…you may decide to take a different path next year!\u00a0 That’s the beauty of all of this – you have choices!<\/p>\n

    Now that I’ve presented my “coach-y” side of things, let’s hear how a few athletes feel about coaching!<\/p>\n

    Bret Moffett – Runner, Triathlete<\/h5>\n

    “I have been in sports since I was 5 yrs old.\u00a0 I started in basketball at the Boy\u2019s Club & played until I was almost 30.\u00a0 Coaching is necessary for skill acquisition<\/em> & for getting feedback<\/em>.\u00a0 After I quit playing organized sports, I picked up running & triathlons.\u00a0 I self-coached most of this primarily by reading books, watching video & observing other athletes.\u00a0 But with swimming, I just could not get better on my own.\u00a0 I signed up for swim lessons…and I got a lot better with new skill sets<\/em> & feedback on those skills<\/em>.\u00a0 There is a saying you need to spend 10,000 hrs at something in order to become an expert.\u00a0 But what people don\u2019t remember is that this is 10,000 hrs WITH coaching\/instruction.\u00a0 Great musicians or athletes don\u2019t become experts merely by spending time doing.\u00a0 They become expert by spending productive time with people who instruct<\/em> them in their craft.”<\/p>\n

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    Shelley Turner – Triathlete<\/h5>\n

    “I’ve had the same coach for 6 years…and I love it!\u00a0 Here are some Pros for being coached:<\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n

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    • My training schedule is prioritized around my races & abilities<\/em>.<\/li>\n
    • I don’t have to think about changing training intensities or knowing when to take a recovery day\/week (it’s all in my schedule<\/em>!).<\/li>\n
    • My fitness has improved from year to year…and my training plans have changed to match<\/em> my new fitness levels.<\/li>\n
    • Because I have open communication<\/em> with my coach, my training schedules are adjusted to accommodate life schedule changes and\/or injuries.\u00a0 I’ll admit that I was not always great at this…especially in the beginning.\u00a0 I’m now much better at telling my coach how things are truly going because things are not always great.\u00a0 I<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      I highly recommend that new athletes get a coach to help guide them through their new sport.\u00a0 The in-person coaching options are quite helpful because athletes can work on technique with a coach giving honest feedback.<\/p>\n

      To be truthful, there are also some Cons to having a coach.<\/p>\n

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      • It can be expensive (you are paying for a service & expertise).\u00a0 Different coaches have different price points so try to find a coach that meets your needs & budget.<\/li>\n
      • Communication can be challenging.\u00a0 As I mentioned above, I was not always great at this.\u00a0 It can be difficult to tell a coach that things are not working or that an adjustment is needed.\u00a0 And coaches need to make sure to listen to their athletes & be willing to adjust accordingly.\u00a0 As with most things, good communication goes both ways!”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Russ Shaner – Swimmer<\/h5>\n

        “The things I most appreciate about the coaching experience are:<\/p>\n

        \n
        • One-on-one focus<\/em> which is evidenced by daily (almost) check-ins with encouragement & suggestions.<\/li>\n
        • A coach that ‘walks the talk’<\/em> meaning that they speak from personal & professional experience.<\/li>\n
        • Use of a system<\/em> that provides performance metrics so I can see my improvements over time.<\/li>\n
        • I really must like my coach<\/em>.\u00a0 A coach should be able to relate to me & be interested in all aspects of my life (family, work, etc.).<\/li>\n
        • Accessibility<\/em> is key – a coach should respond same day & sometimes same hour.”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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          <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          I love this time of year.\u00a0 Fall is when I am honored to be a part of amazing conversations with prospective coaching clients!\u00a0 I thoroughly enjoy hearing about all the cool races & events that folks have decided to do.\u00a0 As we chat about their goals, past training, strengths & areas of most potential (what<\/p>\n

          Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coach-michelle","category-training-tip"],"yoast_head":"\n