Words: André Bekker. Article from the DO IT NOW Online Magazine.
Posted: May 13, 2014
Multi Sports
Why spend your hard-earned money on a coach? Well, a coach is an expert in the sport he coaches and loves what he does. So if you are looking for a short cut to efficiency, which also takes you on an enjoyable journey of self-discovery, then a coach is the way to go.
Experience and knowledge
A good coach is someone who has an intrinsic knowledge of the sport he coaches, which is gained though experience from many years of being involved in the sport. ‘Experience’ being the key word here. A coach uses this experience to transfer his knowledge to you. Why do something on a trial-and-error basis when someone else has already done that?
Exploring the boundaries of endurance sport is almost always punished and this punishment comes mainly in two forms; injuries and illness, which will almost certainly slow down progress towards your goals. So by using someone else’s experience, you fast track your own learning curve and this will lead to faster improvement and good results much quicker. An in-depth understanding of the sport being coached comes from studying, as well as personal experience in that particular discipline. It’s not only an understanding of the big picture but also based on the finer details, such as heart-rate zones, block training, efficiency exercises, power metres, and the correct percentage of maximum power training.
More benefits
So what can a coach do for you besides share his experience? Here are a few other benefits you would enjoy:
- A coach can build confidence. Many athletes lack confidence and need to work on that. Training correctly, resting and injury management is key to confidence. Athletes become more confident when they can see their improvement. I make sure there is a fixed measurable in place. Do this weekly and eventually ‘the abnormal become the normal’.
- A coach can clearly identify limiters, such as time spent at work, family commitments and other commitments that will impact on time available to train. This is important because expectations need to be in line with reality.
- A coach can help you set goals, taking into account your limiters and time available to train, thus keeping expectations real. It is very important to understand what it takes to train for a Comrades or an IRONMAN. Goals must be a stretch goal, otherwise it’s not a goal, and it must be performance based, not outcome based. I will discuss this in depth in another article.
- A coach can bring out the best in your performance. He is on the outside looking in and can see the big picture, such as what needs to improve, what needs more work and how to go about it. If you have to do this assessment yourself, would you truly be able to see the forest for the trees?
- A coach will never motivate you as that comes from your own desire to achieve a certain set goal. However, when you pay for someone’s advise, you immediately feel contracted to deliver and that adds to your motivation.
- Lastly, consider being in a position where you can ask questions, feel motivated, and have realistic goals to strive towards and someone to help you achieve this. Just imagine having an expert in running, cycling, swimming or your chosen sport at your disposal, now wouldn’t that be great?
If you have any questions or need advice on coaching, please email Andre Bekker on a.bekker@mweb.co.za or visit http://5thdimensioncoaching.co.za
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