I sat with two people in my house today that I had never met before. Someone close to me had brought some friends over that had just eaten at your local spot; chips, salsa, carne, beer. They were feeling a bit conversational, so during my NFL game, decided to start asking me questions. It started with 'how long have you been doing what you are doing?' I stated that I have been doing what I was doing since 2008. What came from that question is pretty common, however rarely do I ever want to get into it too much because the conversation is too vast, there is too much depth to it, yet it is very simple and I find it odd when people don't understand. I have been a coach since 2008, I have been coaching people since 2008, but personally only have been a coach or 'coach' for maybe 2-3 years. "So what do you like work out with them and do you get pumped up when you see someone giving it their all so do you give it your all?"…
'What?'
"Well you know, when people are laying it on the line, do you wanna work harder?"
'No I do not workout with them, I coach them'
"Ya, so you are there leading them, going faster than them and encouraging them"
'Absolutely not.'
I shortened the conversation for reading purposes. But what goes through my head, what only 5% of the coaching population understand, is that what I do is not about me. Coaching someone is an art, just like being an artist. I do not care how many art classes one takes, or how many art lessons one has, if ART is not in their blood they will never create something artistic. In sports, you can't teach speed. You can't teach throwing 100mph, and you most certainly cannot teach hard work. Being great takes some DNA and some positive acceptance of pain (hard work)
Coaching is an art. Someone who coaches, regardless of sport, never ceases learning. They never stop wanting to improve, and their improvement will not show in them rather it will show in their athletes. A real 'Coach' does not do it for themselves they do it for the team, the community.
In the Crossfit community, apparently paying $1,000 and spending 14-16 hours at that cert makes you a coach. The story goes like this:
"I wod the best at my box, I work at a restaurant part time, I want to be apart of the 'cool kids' crowd, therefore I'll pay a grand so people can respect me"
This, personally, is insulting. FYI, I was once similar to this. I looked at my job as a glorified babysitter, which is probably 95% of the crossfit 'coaching' community currently, so again I can understand it but have no sympathy for those who abuse the power and think that Crossfit is an elite strength and conditioning program. News flash; It's not. Crossfit will never make an actual athlete better, find me someone who does Crossfit and eats Paleo/Zone and I will show you an average athlete. Just because someone exercises well and looks good, doesn't mean they can actually play a sport. On that same not, just because you wear a shirt on your back has 'coach' across it, means jack shit; to me and to every real coach out there. For those of us that know, we know who is fake and who has real abilities to help and not be a cheerleader/coach
I have watched thousands of hours of people attempting to snatch, clean, jerk, jump, row, and swing a KB. I can watch a large group of people and functionally see what is wrong with each person. What muscles don't activate? Where is the majority of their weight sitting…too forward, too far back…why? What is their deficiency? How do you fix it? Do you have the line from the C.S.C.S book memorized? Did you say it to the class but no one understands? How do you translate it for common people and convey it to them? How do you as the person in charge of programming or how do you change the mindset of the person that is in charge of programming, that simply 'wodding' doesn't cut it anymore. Not all are created the same, and the goal of you as the coach is to make people feel better and healthier. Part of that solution is a solid program built around prehab/rehab work and fixing what does work. Every gym squats, every gym presses, every gym pulls! But not many have coaches that can watch the membership, know it's programming and intent, and convey it to the members. Again, why does a particular member's knee dive in on a squat, and why do their heels come off the ground? How do I fix it, what sub do I give them and for how long? Most do not have this ability, but again this is only PART of the equation for being a 'coach'.
I for various reasons have been given to the title of 'coach'. It was humorous at first, but I take a certain level of responsibility with this now. I watch people as if I would want to be watched. Their foot placement, their grip, and their back angle. We already went over this, and I am by no means an expert in any one field but I can see the major deficiencies that most gyms have, but can you fix it? I most likely can and take great pride in it. But again, it's only the piece of the puzzle.
Going back to my conversation with 'friends' today at my house that I did not know prior to tonight; I look at my job entirely different than I did in 2008. from 2008-2010 I feel like I took advantage of my 'position', I thought because I had a certification that I knew how to coach. Boy was I wrong. I started to watch people, I watched how they moved, I watched how they coached. I read books, watched videos, my thoughts were consumed by 'coaching'.
One of the girls tonight to me said 'Well what do you do then'
'Besides rule #1, don't hurt anyone, I attempt to facilitate growth above all...mentally'
The conversation ended shortly thereafter. When I coach, I am not after big biceps, I am not after ripped abs. All of those are secondary to actual change which results in a faster mile time, a heavier squat, and a bigger jerk. For those things to happen in an athlete, things change insider their mind. No one EVER benefited from doing one thing with their mind and one thing with their body. Change is a thing of beauty and I get huge kicks out of someone doing something they never thought they could…why? Because they had a fear, an insecurity and I ever so lightly, walked them through it and overcome a fear. Being a top level coach is being a psychiatrist. It is being able to peel the layers of the onion over time and find out the core of each individual athlete or member in your gym. It is our job as coaches to find out in each and every individual what makes them tick, why they have dark spots and how to peel them correctly, while building them back up. Everyone has insecurities, if they didn't, they wouldn't be at our gym. What are you doing to help them improve their mental game?
Because in the end, working out, all it is..picking things up, moving them, putting them down. The real beauty comes from the change in their mind
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