Coach Mode

The start of a couple of coaching days today. An appointment with a potential athlete today and a couple more tomorrow.

I will admit I am still getting the hang of these appointments, listening and hearing what a person is after and then being able propose a solution, all in a clear and concise way. It is harder than it sounds.

I suspect I may be a bit too chatty in these sessions, however, I find it hard not to be. What can I say, I like talking to people. I have been around myself for long enough now to know that is my way. I am not too bothered about trying to change that, so I don't think I will. Sitting and having a friendly chat may not be what everybody is looking for in a coach, but in my experience it tends to resonate well with most people. I have always preferred a coach that I can talk to than one that stands to one side and yells at me, so that is a model that I have tried to emulate. As with lots of things in life, I have always been told to treat people as you would like to be treated. That is just what I plan to do.

I actually think that the appointments that I have had so far have gone alright. I feel I have heard where people are at and have been able to put together a coherent way forward. However, in the end it is not really my opinion that matters. It is hard to know whether what you are saying is really hitting the mark.

Still, as with all things, practice makes perfect. If what I am doing at the moment isn't quite right, then it is just a matter of time and patience until it falls into place.

The session I had today was quite an interesting one. The athlete in question has done some triathlons, but is more interested in adventure racing at the moment. While it isn't something I talk about much, I have quite a soft spot for adventure racing, since it was what I was doing when I got into triathlon. I don't think it would be something that I would go back to myself (although I have thought of it) but I still love the idea of it and so it would be great to be involved in that world again. I think the appointment went well and so hopefully the athlete in question comes on board, however, in the end the decision is his. Fingers crossed though. He seems like a very nice guy too, which is always a bonus.

More sessions tomorrow, which means more chances to potentially help some athletes out. If nothing else it is more opportunities to practice and improve at being a coach. Never a bad thing.