Choosing

Made it. Apologies again for the last couple of day, just been a bit out of control. Online now though, so lets get on with it.

A few days ago I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a coach to help with my paddling. At the time I wrote about the benefits that a coach can bring, all good stuff. However, what I don't think I have ever written about is how you go about choosing a coach.

Once you have made the decision to get a coach, it is easy to think that the hard decision has been made, however, it should not be underestimated just how important it is to choose the right coach for you.

So how do you choose the right coach, what is the right coach? I think for me that is a question to which the answer has several parts.

First up a coach needs to be competent. This is pretty darn important. As a coach I find it frustrating the number of coaches I see who I think don't have a clue what they are talking about. It also scares me that I sometimes see coaches advocating practices which I think are plain dangerous. At best these coaches are wasting their athletes' time and money, setting them programs that are not going to help them achieve their goals. At worst these coaches are endangering their athletes. So first up, when choosing a coach, select one that you think knows their stuff. Speak to the coach and see if they appear to know what they are talking about, speak to others in your sporting community, speak to current and former athletes (particularly if they have lots of former athletes), have a search online etc. You don't have to go into full stalker mode, but before you make your choice just assure yourself that it is a coach you are going to have faith in. Don't just rely on results, training and racing is more than results. I have seen plenty of coaches with high performing athletes who get their results through practices I don't agree with.

Second, look for a coach that you feel you can work with. If a coach doesn't communicate in a style that works for you, or sets a program that you can't follow, or sets a program that you don't enjoy, or sets a program that you don't have faith in etc, then you are not going to enjoy your training. If you aren't enjoying what you are doing, or if you are constantly questioning the process then your compliance with the program is going to drop and so will your progress. Training doesn't have to be all sunshine and lollipops all the time, but it should generally be a positive environment and if a coach can't work with you to create that then they may not be the right coach for you. Once again, before you commit have a chat to the coach, see how they come across. If you have friends that train with them, have a chat to them, see if you can get a feel for the coaches style. If possible, see if you can come to a couple of sessions with the coach to really get a feel for how they operate. Hopefully this could be a pretty long term relationship so make sure you are happy with your choice before committing.

Next, look for a coach that operates in a style that fits with you. Some coaches are only online. Some coaches will only coach you if you come to all their sessions. Some coaches are very hands on, some are very hands off. All these styles are absolutely fine, however, they will only work if it is the style you are after. Have a chat to the coach and see how they prefer to work, see if it is a match for your preferred style. If you want a buddy coach and the coach doesn't tend to do much face to face coaching then you may not be compatible. Once again this is an area where there are no right or wrong answers, just different approaches. However, before committing it is worth confirming that their approach is a match for what you are after.

Finally, a word of warning. When selecting a coach don't just copy those around you. Yes athlete X might have had great success with Coach Y, they might even have a reputation as a Super Coach, but it doesn't mean they are the right coach for you. They might be a wonderful coach, but they might have an approach which doesn't mesh with you and if that is the case then you may not see the same success. You might be better off with a coach with an entirely different approach. I have seen athlete success come from the most unlikely places and often it is because the right athlete and the right coach have found each other and made it happen together.

When I was a kid I had numerous coaches forced upon me through the Institute of Sport process, all of those coaches knew their stuff and got results, but some worked for me and others did not. As adults we generally have the luxury of choice when it comes to our coaches, so we would be silly to not make the most of that.