What Makes A Good Coach?

What does make a good coach exactly? This is a question I actually ask myself frequently.  I believe that in order to be on top of your game, you can’t be afraid to ask the questions that are so fear inducing to some because you are asking the one question that essentially defines you and your career as a coach.

So I came up with 3 key points that I believe make a good coach, and the reasons why.

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Number 1 - Stick To What You Know

I believe a good coach or trainer will only preach what they practise (and vice versa).  You have to have anecdotal experience and inside knowledge of the sport or training style that you deliver.  I also believe having a niche is somewhat of a necessity as a good coach because you will only grow and develop and eventually master, what you focus on, and because of the intricacies of many sports it is incredibly hard to master more than one or two in its entirety and then on top of that have the coaching abilities to deliver that knowledge to your students.

Any trainer that does ‘a bit of everything’ is in my books, one to avoid when you are looking to learn.


Number 2 - Have A Genuine Passion

You need to have a genuine passion for your job as a coach in order to make the long days, the working on the weekends, the late night programming - all worth it.  You need to have a passion for teaching and for people too!  You’d be surprised by how many ‘coaches’ I’ve met who are just in it for the so called ‘easy money’ only to find out that they’re not cut out for the job.

A good way of finding out whether or not a coach or trainer is passionate is to look at how they train.  Are they passionate about their own progress and training?  How much time do they spend on their own continual development? (Researching new techniques, Following the sport, Attend workshops, etc.)

Number 3 - It’s Not All About You

Coaches all over the world, if you resonate with this then please give me a thumbs up in the comments section.  Too many coaches make it all about THEM.  You need to remember, as a professional, that people are paying you in order to focus on THEM and THEIR progress, and it shouldn’t be any other way!  I always try and abide by the 70/30 rule, where I speak and ask questions 30% of the time, and have the client talk 70% or the majority of the session.  Why?  Because I am looking to help them in every which way I can, and in order to do that I need to find out every detail about their training and food habits, their stress levels, their rest and recovery, etc!  

I wholeheartedly believe that when someone is booked in with me, the hour is theirs.  It’s all about THEM.  Sure I will mention certain situations that I feel are applicable and may provide an example to my clients, or I may speak about stuff in order to create a more personal relationship and for us to relate to each other more, but never will I ever make the session about me.

So guys and girls that will be it for today, hope you enjoyed this one!

Lots of love and all the gains,

-Coach Kim 

Kimberley WilsonComment