What makes a coach. 15 Essential Qualities of an Exceptional Workplace Coach: Unlocking Team Potential

What defines a great coach in the workplace. How can managers effectively guide their team’s development. Which qualities are crucial for successful coaching in a professional setting.

The Art of Workplace Coaching: Transforming Managers into Mentors

Effective coaching in the workplace goes beyond traditional management styles. It’s about nurturing potential, fostering growth, and creating an environment where employees can thrive. A skilled coach doesn’t just direct; they inspire, challenge, and empower their team members to reach new heights of performance and personal development.

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to coach effectively has become a critical skill for managers and leaders. It’s not just about achieving short-term goals, but about building a resilient, adaptable, and highly skilled workforce that can navigate the challenges of tomorrow.

The 15 Core Qualities of an Exceptional Workplace Coach

What sets apart a good coach from a great one? Here are 15 essential qualities that define exceptional workplace coaches:

1. Self-awareness
2. Clear communication
3. Preparedness
4. Empathy
5. Active listening
6. Adaptability
7. Patience
8. Positivity
9. Goal-oriented mindset
10. Curiosity
11. Accountability
12. Authenticity
13. Emotional intelligence
14. Continuous learning
15. Visionary thinking

Each of these qualities plays a crucial role in shaping a coach’s ability to inspire, guide, and develop their team members effectively. Let’s explore these qualities in more depth.

Self-Awareness: The Foundation of Effective Coaching

Why is self-awareness crucial for coaches? Self-awareness forms the bedrock of effective coaching. It allows coaches to understand their own strengths, weaknesses, biases, and coaching style. This understanding is essential for tailoring their approach to each individual team member and continuously improving their coaching skills.

To develop self-awareness, coaches can:

• Regularly seek feedback from team members and peers
• Engage in reflective practices such as journaling
• Participate in professional development activities focused on self-awareness
• Use personality assessments to gain insights into their behavioral tendencies

By cultivating self-awareness, coaches can create more authentic and impactful relationships with their team members, leading to better outcomes and personal growth for all involved.

Clear Communication: Articulating Goals and Expectations

How does clear communication enhance coaching effectiveness? Clear communication is the linchpin of successful coaching. It ensures that goals, expectations, and feedback are understood and acted upon. Coaches who excel in this area can articulate complex ideas simply, provide constructive feedback, and foster open dialogue within their teams.

Strategies for improving communication in coaching include:

• Using specific, actionable language when providing feedback
• Checking for understanding by asking team members to paraphrase key points
• Adapting communication style to suit different learning preferences
• Encouraging two-way communication and active participation from team members

By mastering clear communication, coaches can create a transparent and supportive environment where team members feel valued and understood.

Preparedness: The Key to Productive Coaching Sessions

Why is preparation essential for effective coaching? Preparation demonstrates respect for team members’ time and commitment to their growth. It allows coaches to structure sessions for maximum impact, anticipate potential challenges, and tailor their approach to individual needs.

To ensure thorough preparation, coaches should:

• Review previous session notes and action items
• Gather relevant data or examples to support discussion points
• Develop a flexible agenda that allows for exploration of emerging topics
• Prepare thought-provoking questions to stimulate reflection and insight

By investing time in preparation, coaches can create more meaningful and productive coaching experiences that drive tangible results for their team members.

Empathy: Building Trust and Understanding

How does empathy contribute to effective coaching? Empathy allows coaches to connect with their team members on a deeper level, understanding their perspectives, challenges, and motivations. This understanding fosters trust and creates a safe space for open communication and vulnerability.

Coaches can cultivate empathy by:

• Practicing active listening without judgment
• Acknowledging and validating team members’ emotions
• Seeking to understand the context behind behaviors or performance issues
• Sharing personal experiences to demonstrate understanding and build rapport

By approaching coaching with empathy, leaders can create stronger, more resilient teams that feel supported and valued in their professional growth.

Active Listening: The Cornerstone of Effective Coaching

Why is active listening crucial in coaching relationships? Active listening goes beyond hearing words; it involves fully engaging with the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully. This skill allows coaches to uncover underlying issues, identify areas for growth, and provide more targeted support.

To improve active listening skills, coaches can:

• Minimize distractions during coaching sessions
• Use non-verbal cues to show engagement, such as maintaining eye contact and nodding
• Paraphrase and summarize to confirm understanding
• Ask clarifying questions to delve deeper into topics

By honing their active listening skills, coaches can create more meaningful interactions and gain valuable insights that inform their coaching approach.

Adaptability: Tailoring Coaching Approaches to Individual Needs

How does adaptability enhance coaching effectiveness? Every team member is unique, with different learning styles, motivations, and challenges. Adaptable coaches can flex their approach to meet these individual needs, ensuring that each person receives the most beneficial coaching experience.

To become more adaptable, coaches should:

• Assess each team member’s learning style and preferences
• Be willing to try new coaching techniques and methodologies
• Remain open to feedback and adjust their approach accordingly
• Stay informed about industry trends and evolving best practices in coaching

By embracing adaptability, coaches can create personalized development plans that resonate with each team member, leading to more significant growth and improved performance.

The Power of Patience in Coaching

Why is patience a vital quality for coaches? Growth and development take time, and progress is rarely linear. Patient coaches understand this and provide consistent support and encouragement, even when faced with setbacks or slow progress.

To cultivate patience in coaching:

• Set realistic expectations for growth and development
• Celebrate small wins and incremental progress
• Practice mindfulness to stay present and calm during challenging moments
• Remember that each person’s journey is unique and unfolds at its own pace

By exercising patience, coaches create a supportive environment where team members feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from their experiences.

Fostering a Positive Coaching Environment

How does positivity impact the coaching process? A positive outlook can be contagious, inspiring team members to push beyond their perceived limitations and approach challenges with optimism. Positive coaches focus on strengths, opportunities, and solutions rather than dwelling on weaknesses or problems.

To create a positive coaching environment:

• Use affirmative language and focus on possibilities
• Encourage a growth mindset among team members
• Celebrate successes, both big and small
• Frame setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures

By maintaining a positive attitude, coaches can inspire confidence and resilience in their team members, leading to improved performance and job satisfaction.

Goal-Oriented Coaching: Driving Results Through Clear Objectives

Why is a goal-oriented mindset essential for effective coaching? Setting clear, measurable goals provides direction and purpose to the coaching process. It allows both coach and team member to track progress, celebrate achievements, and adjust strategies as needed.

To implement goal-oriented coaching:

• Work with team members to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals
• Break long-term goals into smaller, manageable milestones
• Regularly review and adjust goals based on progress and changing circumstances
• Align individual goals with team and organizational objectives

By focusing on goal achievement, coaches can create a sense of purpose and motivation that drives continuous improvement and success.

Curiosity: The Driving Force Behind Continuous Learning

How does curiosity enhance coaching relationships? Curious coaches approach each interaction with a desire to learn and understand. This quality allows them to ask thought-provoking questions, uncover hidden potential, and explore new perspectives with their team members.

To cultivate curiosity in coaching:

• Ask open-ended questions that encourage reflection and exploration
• Approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset
• Stay informed about industry trends and emerging best practices
• Encourage team members to share their unique insights and experiences

By embracing curiosity, coaches can create a dynamic learning environment that fosters innovation, creativity, and continuous growth.

Accountability: Ensuring Follow-Through and Results

Why is accountability crucial in the coaching process? Accountability ensures that commitments are honored and goals are pursued with dedication. Coaches who emphasize accountability help team members take ownership of their development and follow through on action plans.

To promote accountability in coaching:

• Clearly define expectations and responsibilities
• Establish regular check-ins to review progress
• Provide constructive feedback on both successes and areas for improvement
• Lead by example, demonstrating accountability in your own actions

By fostering a culture of accountability, coaches can help team members develop self-discipline and achieve consistent, measurable results.

Authenticity: Building Trust Through Genuine Interactions

How does authenticity contribute to effective coaching? Authentic coaches are true to themselves and their values, creating genuine connections with their team members. This authenticity builds trust, encourages open communication, and inspires others to be their best selves.

To cultivate authenticity in coaching:

• Share personal experiences and lessons learned
• Admit when you don’t have all the answers
• Align your actions with your words and values
• Encourage team members to express their true selves in the workplace

By embracing authenticity, coaches can create a work environment where individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

Emotional Intelligence: Navigating the Human Side of Coaching

Why is emotional intelligence important for coaches? Emotional intelligence allows coaches to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions while also empathizing with and influencing the emotions of others. This skill is crucial for building strong relationships, navigating conflicts, and creating a positive team dynamic.

To develop emotional intelligence in coaching:

• Practice self-awareness and self-regulation of emotions
• Develop empathy by seeking to understand others’ perspectives
• Use emotional cues to guide decision-making and communication
• Help team members develop their own emotional intelligence skills

By honing emotional intelligence, coaches can create a more supportive, harmonious work environment that fosters collaboration and personal growth.

Continuous Learning: Staying Relevant in a Changing World

How does a commitment to continuous learning benefit coaches? The business world is constantly evolving, and effective coaches must stay ahead of the curve. By embracing continuous learning, coaches can bring fresh insights, innovative techniques, and relevant knowledge to their team members.

To foster a culture of continuous learning:

• Attend professional development workshops and conferences
• Read widely across various disciplines
• Seek feedback and learn from coaching experiences
• Encourage knowledge sharing within the team

By modeling a love for learning, coaches inspire their team members to pursue their own growth and development, creating a dynamic and adaptable workforce.

Visionary Thinking: Inspiring Growth and Innovation

Why is visionary thinking essential for effective coaching? Visionary coaches can see beyond the present, helping team members connect their daily work to larger goals and aspirations. This ability to paint a compelling picture of the future inspires motivation, creativity, and a sense of purpose.

To cultivate visionary thinking in coaching:

• Stay informed about industry trends and future predictions
• Encourage creative problem-solving and innovative thinking
• Help team members see how their work contributes to long-term goals
• Create opportunities for team members to share their own visions and ideas

By embracing visionary thinking, coaches can inspire their teams to reach for ambitious goals and drive meaningful change within the organization.

How to be a great coach

Mind & Meaning

Posted by:

Team Tony

What makes for a great coach? It’s the ability to lead — to make things happen, maximize resources and inspire. It’s the extraordinary quality that solves problems and helps the individual come to a new level understanding of what is possible. And it’s the skill and talent to influence and guide others to make real breakthroughs and create lasting change.

Great coaches see things as they are, not worse than they are. They have a firm grasp on reality, and are honest with themselves about where they stand. Unlike most people, however, they do not dwell on problems; they tackle them head on. They have the proper skills and knowledge to assess the situation and find the best path to move forward. Fear and doubt do not play a role in their mission, even though they must take necessary risks to help others break through to the next level.

Great coaches also have vision. They can see things better than they are and help others to share in that idea. They can create movement that inspires others, so that they roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to get the job done. It goes well beyond directing activity, as a great coach will define the future and make it real and attainable for others.

Great coaches also understand strategy. They realize that transforming a vision into reality requires incremental changes that amount to radical results. It’s not always about the resources available, it’s knowing how to maximize resources — someone’s will, energy, creativity, courage, faith and determination — to achieve goals.

In this video, we can see how Tony Robbins helps world-renowned coach Pat Riley take his game to the next level. He explains why it is so essential to make a goal palatable, understandable, and attainable:

Header image © shutterstock/Brocreative

Team Tony

Team Tony cultivates, curates and shares Tony Robbins’ stories and core principles, to help others achieve an extraordinary life.

15 Qualities of a Good Coach in the Workplace

Think back to the people in your life who have recognized your potential and used their talents to help you discover and shape your own. When a coach like this is present in the workplace, his or her influence can have a profound impact on the professional development of the entire team as well as the individuals within it. Most people would rather work under a manager who behaves as a coach than one who dictates and directs from above.

Coaching your employees is an important step in developing an internal culture that supports the customer experience. Sometimes coaching can happen “on the fly” when learning opportunities present themselves, but formal coaching sessions provide a great benefit to employees, who get the chance to ask questions, practice skills, and set goals against which they can measure their progress over time.

CSP believes strongly in the power of a good coach, so we’re here to offer you a little coaching ourselves on how to effectively guide the development of your team.

The Measurements of a Good Coach

There is no exact blueprint for a good coach, as each coach will have their own strengths and weaknesses. However, there are some distinct qualities that good coaches have in common.

As you read this list, ask yourself how you measure up against each of these qualities and identify which areas could use more of your attention. If you have been receiving coaching yourself and feel like it could be more effective, this list might give you a window to a constructive conversation with your mentor to improve the relationship.

1. A good coach is self-aware.
To understand oneself, one’s coaching style, and how it is perceived and received by employees, is a critical first step to becoming a valuable and effective coach. Self-awareness is a journey unto itself, so we’ll be writing more about that in the coming weeks.

2. A good coach brings specific and well-defined issues to the attention of others.
Being unspecific about problem areas, or failing to bring them up with the appropriate parties, suggests a reluctance to affect positive change and a lack of leadership.

3. A good coach prepares for each session with information, examples, ideas, etc., and is ready for discussion.
Coaching sessions should be scheduled in advance, and the coach should have a solid agenda for each session that lays out the mission for the day. Without structure, the coaching session can devolve into a casual conversation with no real substance or direction.

4. A good coach treats individuals as partners in the organization, encouraging their input and trusting them to carry out assignments.
Some coaches are fans of “tough love,” while others are more lenient, but what all good coaches have in common is respect for their mentees. Contempt and resentment have no place in an effective coaching relationship, and only breed further conflict.

5. A good coach knows the strengths and weaknesses of his or her employees.
Much like the coach of a sports team, he or she knows how to tap into the individual strengths of employees to get the most out of them and to get the greatest amount of productivity from the team, collectively and individually.

6. A good coach makes expectations clear at the beginning of the coaching session.
Both the coach and the employee must have a sense that this meeting has a distinct purpose, and must agree on what that purpose is, for the session to proceed smoothly.

7. A good coach allows enough time to adequately discuss issues and concerns.
Blocking out enough time for a solid session, rather than squeezing it in and rushing through, shows respect for the employee’s time and allows them to participate more thoughtfully.

8. A good coach seeks out ideas and makes those ideas part of the solution.
Take it as a red flag if a coach is not willing to hear ideas, suggestions, or thoughts from other members of the team. A coach is there to serve the employees, not for the employees to serve his or her ego.

9. A good coach listens to others and tries to understand their points of view.
Rather than assigning blame or delivering unhelpful criticism, he or she allows the employee to explain things from the other side, which can often uncover the root of a misunderstanding or miscommunication.

10. A good coach expresses encouragement and optimism when both easy and difficult issues are discussed.
Sometimes an issue can be the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about. It’s the coach’s job to make this issue less intimidating by modeling a constructive attitude that brings the team together to address it.

11. A good coach directly asks for a commitment to solutions that have been agreed upon.
Coaches can’t be wishy-washy about their expectations. If the employee isn’t held accountable for improving, it becomes a waste of everyone’s time to continue coaching.

12. A good coach provides the resources, authority, training and support necessary for others to carry out solutions.
Coaching doesn’t end when the session ends. It is up to the coach to follow through with any additional guidance the employee might need to move forward.

13. A good coach offers support and assistance to those he or she is coaching to help them implement change and achieve desired goals.
Professional development is a team effort. It’s usually not wise to simply cut the employee free after a session and expect him or her to achieve everything on their own.

14. A good coach follows up on coaching sessions in a timely manner.
It’s all too easy for coaching to fall down the priority ladder among all the other demands of a manager’s day-to-day job duties. At the end of each coaching session, it’s a good idea to go ahead and schedule the next one, and to hold to that commitment when the time comes around.

15. When solutions do not turn out as expected, a good coach proactively helps to define alternative actions.
If at first the employee does not succeed, it could be that there was a misunderstanding, or it could be that the original solution was a mismatch for that particular employee. A good coach is open to having a backup plan (or two).

The theme running beneath many of these qualities is this: When coaching is done in the spirit of mutual respect, the rewards and benefits for your employees and your customers are endless. What is important is to establish a positive coaching relationship between the coach and the employees that incorporates all parties’ strengths.

Read more: What are the differences between training and coaching?

More articles like this one can be found in our STARS library, available to current CSP clients as part of our full-service delivery. Contact us to find out how we support effective coaching and training in pursuit of the optimal customer experience.

Special: What makes a Good Coach?

SPECIAL ISSUE: “What makes a GOOD COACH?” –

Before we discuss what qualities and skill sets that make for a good coach, we need to first acknowledge how very difficult this profession of coaching really is. Coaching is sometimes a thankless, frustrating “no-win” kind of job. It’s an occupation that is most often done in a public fishbowl. In other words, if you coach, then you are in a highly visible position that continually exposes you to the public’s scrutiny and evaluation. It’s one of those professions where the general public regularly weighs in on what kind of a job they think you’re doing whether you want their evaluation or not.

When it comes to judging your job performance, everyone seems to be an expert and have the “qualifications” to criticize you. Fans, parents, students, alumni, the media, and the team’s organization or administration all seem at the ready to offer you either the thumbs up or thumbs down signal. What’s even more frustrating for a coach is that so much of this external judgment comes from individuals who don’t seem to have a clue about you, your players, or what you’re trying to accomplish with the team.

Coaching is also one of those jobs where your professional effectiveness is almost always narrowly measured by something that is very often totally out of your control: winning and losing.

In many ways you can be a bad or ineffective coach, yet because you are lucky enough to have great players on your squad, you win all the time. Because of this external record you are considered in your profession to be a “great” coach. Similarly, you can be a wonderful coach and teacher but because of a lack of player talent, luck, or other circumstances beyond your control such as player injuries, your won-loss record is just mediocre and, as a consequence of this, you’re seen as an ineffective coach.

So now let’s take a look at what makes a really good coach.

If you’re an athlete then what follows will help you figure out how your own coach measures up. It will give you some valuable information that will allow you to more intelligently evaluate how your coach conducts him/herself in relation to you and your teammates. In this way it will give you the ability to better “reality test” the coach-athlete situation that you currently find yourself in. It’s very often quite difficult for an athlete to really know if there’s something wrong with him or the coach. Most often in emotional coach-athlete interactions, the athlete typically comes away feeling badly about him/herself. Hopefully the information that follows will help you better understand what is really going on and help you not blame yourself for things that you shouldn’t.

If you’re a parent of an athlete, our discussion will help you get a good idea of what to look for when you shop around for a coach for your child. How do the better coaches conduct themselves? How do they treat their athletes? How do they interact with you as the parent? How do they deal with winning and losing? How do the better coaches deal with mistakes and failures? Parents need to be educated as much as possible about their child’s sport and coaches in order to help their son or daughter have the best and happiest experience possible.

If you’re a coach, then our discussion will help you get a better sense of how the finest in this profession conduct themselves. You will learn which behaviors and characteristics will best motivate and inspire your players. How do the really great teachers conduct themselves? What it is about these individuals that make them so successful? What are some specific things that you can learn from them that will help elevate you in the coaching ranks? If you so choose, then you can use this list to begin to work on making yourself that much better as a professional.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD COACH?

1. 1. The very best coaches GET THEIR ATHLETES TO BELIEVE in themselves – good coaches inspire their players to do more than they think they can. In fact, all good teachers do this. They get their students to entertain possibilities that stretch the limits of their beliefs. Part of this involves building the athlete up rather than knocking him down. Good coaches always build self-esteem rather than undermine it. This self-esteem building is not a gimmick nor is it done artificially. In other words the coach doesn’t praise a mediocre effort. He/she simply makes it a practice to catch his/her athletes doing things RIGHT. The good coach doesn’t get caught up in playing head games that leave the athlete questioning his/her abilities.

   2. The really effective coaches DO NOT USE EMBARRASSMENT & HUMILIATION AS “TEACHING TOOLS” – they understand that embarrassing or humiliating a young athlete for a mistake, failure or short-coming is an aggressive assault on that athlete that doesn’t build mental toughness or enhance performance! There is NOTHING educational or constructive about it. It tears down that athlete and grossly undermines his/her self-esteem and creates performance problems.

   3. Great coaches are GREAT LIFE TEACHERS – a good coach understands that what he/she is teaching goes far beyond the X’s & O’s. This kind of coach does not just teach the skills, technique and strategy within the narrow confines of the sport. Instead he/she looks for opportunities where the more important life lessons can be taught such as mastering hardship, handling and rebounding from failures and setbacks, trusting your teammates, sacrificing individual needs for the benefit of the group, emotionally dealing with winning and losing, good sportsmanship, fair play, honesty, integrity, etc.

   4. The best coaches KEEP THE GAME IN PERSPECTIVE – they do not get distracted by how big any one game is in relation to their job as a teacher. Similarly, they understand that sports are just games and are merely a vehicle to teach their charges other, more important life lessons. They understand that what they teach and how they teach it will have an impact on the student that goes far beyond the sport.

   5. Great coaches DO NOT LET THEIR EGOS AND SELF-WORTH GET TIED UP IN THE OUTCOME – the best coaches are mentally healthy enough to know that they are NOT their performances, regardless of what others around them may say. They do not feel diminished as an individual when their teams fail nor do they feel that much better about themselves when their squads succeed. These individuals understand that coaching is only one thing of many that they do and therefore they do not let this one thing solely define themselves as a person. Coaches who get into trouble with their athletes do so because they are emotionally more vulnerable and tend to feel threatened by a loss or failure. Their egos are on the line whenever these individuals compete and therefore they feel like they have much more to lose. Many blatant coaching mistakes come directly from the coach’s overemphasis on the game’s outcome because that individual self-esteem is too caught up with this outcome.

   6. Great coaches UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THEIR ATHLETES – the best coaches have a basic understanding that each athlete on their team is different in attitude, personality, response-ability, sensitivity and how they handle criticism and adversity. These coaches take the time to get to know each athlete’s individual differences and styles. They then hand-tailor what they say to, and how they treat this athlete to achieve maximum coaching effectiveness. They know that while one athlete may respond well to a hard edge and raised voice, this approach may totally shut another one down.

   7. The best coaches COACH THE PERSON, NOT JUST THE ATHLETE – really effective coaches take the time to get to know the athlete as a person. They take an interest in the athlete’s life off the field, court or track. They don’t see personal, academic or social problems as a distraction to the job of coaching. They view “outside problems” as an opportunity to further build a relationship with the athlete. This kind of caring is never lost on the athlete. Coaches who take an interest in the athlete’s total life are more trusted and respected than those who don’t. As a result, coaches who really care about the athlete as a person find that their athletes are more motivated and work harder. You can’t ever separate the athlete as a performer from who he/she is as a person.

   8. The best coaches are FLEXIBLE –they approach their teaching by continuously looking for a beter way to reach each athlete. When an athlete struggles to learn something the better coaches do not look at this as a “learning disability” and blame the athlete for their incompetence. Instead they approach it as a “teaching opportunity” and therefore change how they are presenting the material to that athlete. If one approach doesn’t work, then they try another until they figure out the best way to reach that particular athlete. Just because that athlete may not be responding to your coaching does not mean that he/she has an attitude or commitment problem. Coaches who are rigid, who continually adopt the attitude that “it’s my way or the highway” are far less effective than those coaches who have mastered the fine art of being flexible. Understand here that flexibility does NOT mean being wishy-washy. You can be flexible and strong at the same time.

   9. The great coaches are GREAT COMMUNICATORS – they understand that communication is a two-way street and involves a back and forth between coach and athlete. Bad coaches think that communication is a one-way street. You talk and the athletes listen. Instead, effective communication entails that you as a coach carefully listen to what your athletes are saying. When your athletes talk you must BE QUIET INSIDE SO THAT YOU CAN LISTEN. Unless you carefully listen to them when they talk then you won’t have a clue as to what your athletes are really saying or how to best help them. Far too many coaches are too busy countering in their head what their athletes are saying to actually hear them. If you can’t learn how to listen then you will never truly be effective in reaching your players.

   10. Good coaches TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO AND EDUCATE THEIR ATHLETES’ PARENTS – they make it a regular practice to communicate with the parents and educate them about the sport and the role that they need to play on the team. Your success as a coach often depends upon getting parents to work with you, not against you. The only way to make this happen is if you take the time to talk to and train your parents. This means that you must learn to listen to their concerns and questions. Take a proactive role with them. Do NOT wait for a problem or crisis before you decide that it’s time to actually approach your parents. Do so right from the beginning of the season and do it often. Let them know about their support role on the team. Help them understand that their job is NOT to motivate or coach their child. Teach them what are appropriate and inappropriate behaviors at games and on the sidelines. Educate them about the sport and what it takes to excel. Explain your philosophy about competition and playing time. Be open to feedback in a non-defensive manner.

   11. GOOD COACHES “WALK THE TALK” WITH THEIR ATHLETES AND PARENTS – good coaches know that what you say and how you act are congruent. YOUR MOST POWERFUL TEACHING TOOL IS MODELING. They operate on the principle that their actions and how they conduct themselves will always speak much louder than your words therefore they actively model the behaviors and attitude that they want their players to adopt.

1. Good coaches KEEP THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT EMOTIONALLY SAFE – they understand that the emotional climate on the team dramatically affects how players practice and perform. They make it their job to directly and immediately deal with scapegoating, bullying, ostracism and petty jealousies that sometimes arise between players. They give a very clear message that cruelty and mistreatment of others will not be tolerated and are counter to the mission of the team. As a consequence this kind of coach creates an atmosphere of safety on the team that is absolutely crucial for optimal learning and peak performance.

2. Great coaches CONTINUALLY CHALLENGE THEIR ATHLETES TO DO BETTER AND PUSH THEIR LIMITS – they inspire their athletes to believe in themselves is by continually putting them in situations which challenge their limiting beliefs. They don’t allow their players to just get by with the status quo. They do this by pushing their athletes outside of their comfort zone, physically, mentally and emotionally, and then helping them discover that, in fact, they can do better than they first believed they could. They teach the “GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE principle,” which states that the only way to grow physically and emotionally is to constantly challenge yourself to do things that aren’t easy. In this way they refuse to tolerate mediocrity in effort, attitude, technique, training or performance.

3. The best coaches CONTINUALLY CHALLENGE THEMSELVES – they continually model the attitudes and behaviors that they want their players to adopt. They maintain a “beginner’s mind” when it comes to their professional development. They understand that regardless of how much success they may have had in the past doing things their own way, they can always learn new and better ways. In this way these coaches continually step out of their comfort zone as “experts” and put themselves in the more uncomfortable position as “beginner and learner.” Because these coaches “walk the talk” and demand from their athletes exactly what they demand from themselves, their athletes are far more motivated to meet the coach’s higher expectations.

4. The very best coaches are PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO – these coaches know that passion (love) is a high test fuel that will power you over obstacles, beyond setbacks and through frustration until you achieve success. Their passion is infectious, motivational and inspiring.

5. Good coaches are EMPATHIC AND TUNED INTO THE FEELINGS OF THEIR PLAYERS – they have the ability to communicate to their athletes that they truly understand them. When you are empathic you leave your athlete feeling that you as his/her coach deeply understands. This goes a long way in building athlete loyalty, self-esteem and motivation. Keep in mind that being empathic doesn’t necessarily mean that you are an emotional pushover. You can have the ability to understand where your players are coming from and still make the coaching decisions that you feel are necessary. Coaches who lack the ability or don’t take the time to tune into the emotions of their athletes because they mistakenly believe that “all this emotional crap” is a total waste, end up inadvertently undermining their best coaching efforts.

6. Good coaches are HONEST AND CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH INTEGRITY – they know that their most powerful teaching tool as a coach is modeling. They also know that how they conduct themselves in relation to their athletes, the parents, opponents, the referees, the fans and the media is never lost on their players. They are honest and demonstrate charachter and class in everything they do.

7. The best coaches MAKE THE SPORT FUN FOR THEIR ATHLETES – they realize that sports are just games, and games are meant to be fun. They find creative ways to integrate this fun into what they do over the course of the season, on a daily basis in practice and during competitions. When an athlete is enjoying him/herself, that athlete is loose and relaxed. Since loose and relaxed are two of the most crucial ingredients to peak performance, it is in your best interests as a coach to find innovative ways to keep your athletes smiling.

8. Good coaches are NOT DEFENSIVE IN THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR PLAYERS OR PARENTS – they understand that part of being a good communicator is that you have to be open to negative feedback and criticism because within this feedback are the seeds to becoming a better, more successful coach.

9. Great coaches USE THEIR ATHLETES’ MISTAKES AND FAILURES AS VALUABLE TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES – they know that their athletes need to be relaxed and loose in order to play to their potential and that a fear of making mistakes will always undermine this relaxed state. To this end, the good coaches give their athletes permission to fail and make mistakes. They instill in their players the understanding that mistakes and failures are nothing more than feedback, feedback about what you did wrong and specifically about what you need to do differently next time. One of the bigger teaching mistakes that coaches make is to get angry and impatient with their athletes when they mess-up or fail. This response to your athletes’ mistakes will insure that they will make plenty more of them. Knowing that your coach gets impatient and angry when you make mistakes will cause you to worry about this while your performing. The best coaches teach that failure is feedback, and feedback is the BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS!

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What Makes a Great Coach?

What Makes a Great Coach?

The differences between a good coach and a great one may be subtle, but they can make a world of difference to players. While knowledge of the game, ability to demonstrate drills and organizational skills are important, here are five traits that separate the best from the rest.

Humility – Every coach wants to win games, but not at the expense of skill development. Great coaches realize it’s about the team, not the man behind the bench. The best coaches don’t measure their success by their trophy case, but by the smiles on their players’ faces, their improvement on the ice and their passion for the game.
   
Compassion – Great coaches take the time to get to know their players, on and off the ice. If the coach makes the effort to listen, understand and treat players with respect, they will return the favor. Great coaches know that their team is only as strong as its weakest player and works hard to give every player the chance to improve his or her skills.

Communication – A coach can have all the technical knowledge
in the world but if he can’t communicate and teach effectively, the knowledge is useless. Clear communication stems from realizing how each player learns and tailoring the information to reach its intended target. The best coaches are able to deliver criticism and praise in a way that players will take to heart.

Passion – When a coach has a passion for the game and the team, it makes the experience a positive one for everyone involved. Excitement for the game and improvement is contagious, and if the coach has it the whole team will catch it.  However, the same goes for negativity. If a coach acts up on the bench, there’s a good chance his players will do likewise on the ice. The apple, as they say, never falls far from the tree.

Leadership – Great coaches give their teams direction and motivation to help them to reach their goals. They have a plan, are organized and find a way to encourage their teams to believe and work together. The best coaches are those that will lead an enthusiastic, excelling, growing team by personal example.

Coach of the Month

Greg Hutcheson has his sons, Evan, 11, Ryan, 7, and Lukas, 5, to thank for getting  him bit by the coaching bug.

Hutcheson, a major in the U.S. Army, never played youth hockey growing up, but learned the game by helping out at one of his sons’ practices. When Evan’s Peewee AA team, the Junior Hurricanes, expanded last winter and needed an assistant coach, Hutcheson jumped at the chance to put what he learned to the test.

This past spring Hutcheson coached Raleigh Youth Hockey’s Mite team, and will serve as assistant coach for the Ft. Bragg mini-Mites and head coach for the Fayetteville Fire Antz Mites for the 2009-10 season.

“I just enjoy being involved and watching the kids get better,” he says. “I feel like I’ve been blessed with a unique ability to get the best out of kids through sports.”

Hutcheson says his biggest challenge this season will be to help grow youth hockey at the Mite level in Fayetteville, N. C.

He has found time to play as well, weaving lunchtime hockey into his day job as an optometrist at Fort Bragg’s Robinson Health Clinic.

The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program supports volunteer coaches and parents. A proud sponsor of USA Hockey.

You Make The Call

Question: A goalkeeper is assessed a major penalty in addition to a game misconduct. Can the goalkeeper’s team wait to place a substitute player in the penalty box to serve the penalty?

Answer: No. The 2009 rule change now allows a team to wait before putting a substitute player in the penalty box when a player receives a major and a game misconduct. However, this rule does not apply to goalkeeper penalties. All goalkeeper penalties must be immediately substituted for.

12 Coaching Skills That Make You A Good Coach

There’s a set of coaching skills that every good coach possesses. What makes a good coach? What are the qualities? There are a number of essential coaching skills you need to become a great coach.

In general, a coach supports her client in achieving specific goals or solutions, change processes and personal development. But what distinguishes an average coach from a great coach?

Some skills such as empathy, curiosity and intuiting are natural abilities or will increase with your experience and practice as a coach others can be learnt.

12 Essential Coaching Skills that make you a great coach

The First Basic Coaching Skill – Goal Setting

The first important coaching skill to possess is the ability to elicit clear, achievable, well-defined and motivating goals from your clients. The right goals and milestones guide the actions and focus the clients’ energies on a clear objective.

To help the client to explore and evaluate their goals some proven goal setting techniques like SMART are a good choice. This means the goal should always be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Another important skill of a great coach is to be able to reframe problems as solutions. So whenever your clients tell you about a problem, ask what needs to happen to solve this problem.

Another Key Coaching Skill – Actively Listen

A great coaching skill is to actively listen to the client, gathering information and afterward filtering and clarifying it for the client. An active listener is neutral, non-judgemental and engaged. So try to be as objective as possible, give each client your full attention and show genuine interest. Active listening contains:
Repeating: By repeating meaningful words or sentences you show your clients that you really understand what’s important to them and that you truly understand them.

Paraphrasing: Is rendering the message using similar words has the same effect as repeating.

Summarizing: Summarize the main message of your client in your own words (use short sentences). This makes sure you understand your client’s message and helps to keep the focus on what’s important.
You can also actively listen to your clients between the sessions. Use a software tool like CleverMemo where they can share their thoughts and experiences and give them the feeling there’s always someone listening to them.

Looking and Observing:

Besides actively listening to the words of your client you shouldn’t forget to read the gestures, take in the emotions and thoughts and read between the lines. Does the client get really angry while she is telling you about her colleague or sad while talking about her partner? Is she excited or anxious while she is talking about that job interview?

A good coaching relationship: Build rapport and demonstrate empathy

Another very important coaching skill is to show your client that you truly understand her. By actively listening and observing empathy develops naturally. It’s about connecting with your client without judging and being self-focused. Empathy builds trust and is an important element of a great coaching relationship.

Don’t just follow a framework of a coaching process. Every client and process is individual and so is the need for support. Try to find out what could help your client to achieve her goal faster or to find a sustainable solution for her problem.

The difference between knowing (or assumptions) and discovering is curiosity. Another basic skill good coaches possess. Try not to judge and to stay as objective as possible while you find out what truly matters to your client.

Show a genuine interest in her goals or problems and stay in the moment instead of being focused on the next question or technique on your agenda. A valuable skill is to keep interruptions to a minimum but at the same time keeping the conversation focused and on-target.

Provide a Structure (Guideline) throughout the process

A coach supports her clients in achieving a specific goal or to find solutions to a situation they are in. Usually, this is not a one-time event but a process that takes time. The session is used to find new solutions, inspiration, impulses and to think about the action steps our client has to take before they achieve their goals.

The real work starts after the session where our client has to implement the learnings from a session into her daily life. In theory, this is often easy, but there will always be (unforeseeable) hurdles, roadblocks, reactions, distractions or unhelpful patterns which make taking these steps harder than it seems.

As a great coach, you know about this fact and prepare your clients for it. Don’t leave your clients alone after the session and provide a guideline or framework throughout the coaching.

Every client and every process is individual and so should be the level of support you provide. Regular check-ins, worksheets, a journal or questionnaires are great tools to keep the process going between sessions and to make sure our clients stay on track. CleverMemo is a great software tool that helps you to provide this individual support to each client and to save time with your daily tasks like session prep.

Effective Coaching Skills – Give Feedback:

Giving Feedback the right way is another essential coaching skill. Feedback should never be arrogant or used as a vehicle to show your client „you know better“ or you’re the expert. It should be clear, relevant, constructive, solution-focused, positive and motivating.

The goal is not to make the client feel bad about what she’s doing but more to help her find solutions and new ways to improve and do better. Providing feedback the right way is a great vehicle to build trust with a client.

Get Feedback:

Assign your clients a short questionnaire after each session where they can share their key insights of each session and provide feedback on what was the most valuable in this session. Encourage them to write a success journal to share their thoughts and experiences right at the moment when they occur and emotions are fresh.

Use regular check-ins to see how things are going and if further support is needed. We have several ready-to-use tools and templates integrated into CleverMemo. You can assign them to your clients’ coaching stream with just a few clicks and get invaluable feedback.

Key Coaching Skill: Ask (the right) questions at the right time

Asking powerful questions is one of the most important coaching skills. The right questions help your clients to get clear on their goals, as well as to find answers and solutions to their problems.

Knowing the right types of questions and ask them at the right time is the key to a successful coaching process. This article with 6 different types of questions and over 70 example coaching questions will let you dig deeper.

Good Coaching Skill #10: Constantly Evaluate

Coaching Evaluation is a systematic way to determine the outcome and merit of effective coaching. Coaching is a dynamic and individual process. Our clients’ plans and goals are never static because development and change are never linear. Goals will and should change and evolve during a coaching relationship.

To manage the upcoming deviations it’s important to monitor and evaluate the ongoing process continuously. This helps to easily determine whether adaptive action and additional guidance are required. How to implement this effective coaching skill in two steps is described in this article.

The right use of Techniques, Methods and Tools

To know when and how to use the right coaching technique is one of the key coaching skills.
Coaching techniques and tools, if used the right way, can change the direction of client’s lives and help them achieve continuous growth, prosperity, and sustainable success. Effective coaching goes beyond the ability to ask the right questions in the right order.

Great coaches are experts in guiding their clients through the process of change. They enhance and enable their clients to reach their full potential, overcome roadblocks and help them to accomplish sustainable success. Find 14 effective coaching techniques here.

Coaching Skill #12: Regular Check-ins

This is more a habit instead of a coaching skill, but it ensures that you always provide high quality and powerful coaching to each of your clients.

Let your clients complete a short questionnaire before and after each coaching session. This helps both you and your clients to recognize their progress and success since the last session and ensures the understanding of each other. It’s also a perfect way to check if the client is happy with the coaching or if there’s something she wishes to be different in the next session.

Use tools to check in whether the client has taken and to find out if there were roadblocks and what they’ve been struggling with. It shows you what bothers them most at the moment and what they want to focus on during their next session. At the same time, you’ll find out what has been working and what hasn’t so you can adjust your coaching to your clients’ needs.

Regularly check whether milestones and goals have been reached. It sounds pretty obvious but sometimes we don’t realize our progress until we take a step back to see what has already been done and achieved. This provides motivation to take the next steps and keep going.

Find many proven and ready-to-use tools in CleverMemo. It allows you to assign the check-ins in your shared coaching stream with just two clicks. Start your free trial here

What Makes A Good Coach?

Posted By:
Jamiyah Bethune

Posted On:
November 24th, 2016

Attending:

Institute of Technology Carlow

This question has crossed my mind all too often throughout my basketball career. After much thought and experience I still don’t think there’s a definitive answer. I’ve often found myself afraid of pursuing a full-time coaching career because of the level of difficulty and delicacy that comes with the position. As a coach, whether you ask for it or not, you are ultimately a parental figure to your players. If you’re athletes are anything like I was, they’ll hang onto your every word and try their hardest to make you proud. It’s your job to inspire them, to nurture them, to protect them, and to help them grow. Unfortunately, most of the time your salary won’t reflect all these things. There isn’t anyone counting all the hours you spend off the court/field trying to mold your players into not only better athletes but better people. It almost isn’t fair. But it’s your job.

            If you asked me what my definition of a ‘good coach’ was… I’d say it’s the one who first shows up and second makes the biggest positive impact on athletes. Showing up is half the job. As a coach, you’re on the clock 24/7. You don’t stop being a mentor to your athletes because it’s 11pm and you had a long day. If a player reaches out to you for help at an untimely hour, ideally you should be there to answer the call. However, just because you’re there at every game and practice does not make you the best coach. How are you impacting your players? What kind of values are you instilling in them? With every decision, you are molding your players to eventually follow in your footsteps. That means making decisions that may not win you the game but will teach your athletes responsibility and accountability. That means treating everyone different but equal. That means preparing your athletes for life outside of sport. These decisions do not go unnoticed. Athletes are the first to notice when a coach is unsportsmanlike, shows favoritism, or has little to no interest in the players beyond their physical capabilities.

            All too often coaches get caught up in making the game about themselves. They want to win. They want to be acknowledged. They want to make money. The moment the game becomes more about the coaches than the players is so detrimental. Which takes me back to my fears of full-time coaching. I would never want to be responsible for an athlete’s loss of confidence or their love for the game. And I fully believe coaches possess that power. I think my time here and actually being on the other side of the game has opened my eyes up to how hard it is to be a good coach. As a player, you just expect your coach to get it right. You don’t think about the pressures that come with. While I can admit it’s not always easy to make the right decisions, I will say as a coach you can never lose sight of right and wrong. I’ve lost a lot of games as a coach because it was more important for me to see my players feel included and worthy.

            My favorite coach to this day is a man who changed my life from the time I was 13 years old. He wasn’t always nice and soft spoken but he was real. He opened my eyes to how much potential I had. He made me challenge myself. He was always honest and I never once doubted how much he cared for me. We don’t always get to keep in touch at this point but he’s always in the back of my mind. To this day, I still owe a lot of my success on the court and off to him. I hope that if I do pursue coaching (of any kind) that I can have that kind of impact on my athletes.

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10 Signs of a Good Coach

A talented coach brings more to the table than sports experience.  A strong leader can be a real game changer for any kid — and not just on the field. Whether you’re planning to coach or trying to find a good fit for your young athlete, here are the top 10 qualities of an effective coach.

1. Demonstrates a true love of the game. This one may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s a biggie. If a coach is enjoying what he’s doing, everyone around him can see it—on his face, in his body language, through his energy level. (And we can also see it when he’s not.) A true love of the game is contagious, and it breeds players who will love the game as well.
2. Communicates well. From the practice schedule to games, make-ups, rainout venues and more, a good coach keeps it all together. She ensures every member of the team (including players’ chauffeurs, of course) is on the same page.
3. Asks for help. Coaching is not a one-man (or woman) job. Successful coaches get essential backup support from assistant coaches and parents. Genius tip: Use SignUpGenius to help coordinate team snacks, extra training clinics, carpool schedules and more.
4. Knows the audience. A soccer team of 4-year-olds is quite a bit different than a soccer team of 14-year-olds. Good coaches know their audience and manage their own expectations accordingly. Attention spans are lapsing? No problem! A rousing game of Duck, Duck, Goose will get the sillies out — then it’s back to those skill sets.
5. Keeps learning. Exceptional coaches and teachers are often exceptional learners as well. They understand that their way isn’t the only way — nor is it always the best way. The most successful coaches leave their egos at the door. They’re always trying to improve, and you can’t do that without learning.

Try a team fundraiser to raise money and increase team spirit! SAMPLE

6. Sets a good example. Great coaches walk the walk. They expect their team to be prepared and on time. They expect can-do attitudes out of their players and constructive support (no heckling the refs!) from the parents. Leading by example shows the team what’s acceptable — and is so much more effective than just telling them.  

7. Remains open-minded. Things don’t always go the way we plan. And the kid everyone thought would be the star pitcher doesn’t always turn out to be. But that’s the fun of coaching — it’s often like figuring out a puzzle. So James threw it right down the middle every time? No sweat. He could be the third baseman of dreams.
8. Notices the details. A good coach is perceptive and sees things that others may miss. Whether it’s the flick of the wrist that’s sending Sarah’s drives to the rough or the bright smile that’s been missing from Adam’s face, a coach knows his players and is there when they need him most — on and off the field.
9. Relishes the lesson as much as the win. No one likes to lose. But there is always a lesson in a loss. What could the team have done differently? What can they do better next time? Effective coaches see losses as opportunities, and they get their players excited about implementing the newfound wisdom at the next game.
10. Sees the best in each player (and helps them see it, too). Coaching is teaching confidence as much as it is teaching the game. Great coaches don’t compare players; instead, they look at each one separately, and they see the good qualities first. So when Haley gets upset because her jump-shot keeps bricking while her teammates are nothing but net, a great coach points out that she’s the first one down the court every time. (And being fast is nothing to scoff at!)

Having fun is half the battle — sports shouldn’t be a chore. Coaches who remember that will be successful, whether the team is heading to the playoffs or heading home. (And ice cream parties never hurt.)

Brooke Neal is a freelance writer, brand strategist & mom to three little boys.

90,000 where to study, salary, pros and cons

From the English. trainer, from train – to educate, train, cook. By the way, in 2021, the ProfGid career guidance center developed an accurate career guidance test. He himself will tell you which professions suit you, give an opinion about your personality type and intelligence.

Sports coach – a specialist in educating athletes and preparing them for competitions.

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Features of the profession

In sports, training takes place in the process of training.The coach trains his students and helps in improving their skills.

Even talented and experienced athletes owe much of their success to their coaches.

Some coaches work in the so-called mass sports. Others are preparing future stars for and in an ordinary children’s sports section, you can discover a talented athlete. But this also requires a special coaching talent.

The main task of a coach is to reveal the abilities of an athlete, to teach him to use the resources of his body to the maximum for victory.To do this, you need to competently build a training regimen, distribute loads, and select effective exercises.

But sport is not only physical strength and agility. The athlete must understand the peculiarities of his physiology, be able to control his body and emotions. The coach is engaged in theoretical and psychological training of his pupils. He instills discipline in them, inspires them to win, and if necessary, knows how to find medicinal words for star fever.

All this is possible only in one case: pupils must trust their mentor unconditionally – both as a professional and simply as a human being.

Pavel Birman, coach of the USSR national pentathlon team, currently working in Israel.

With the help of a doctor, the coach monitors the health of his wards, selects a suitable diet, helps to cope with minor injuries that occur in sports.

Preparing for a competition always requires dedication and time and effort. The larger the competition, the more intense the training schedule. In addition, the coach has to travel on business trips to competitions and sports camps.

Workplace

Sports complexes, sports and fitness clubs, sports clubs at educational institutions, children’s and youth sports schools, medical institutions, professional sports organizations, etc.

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Important qualities

Love for sports, dedication, methodology, ambition and patience, fairness, objectivity in assessing their own results and the achievements of their students, readiness for self-improvement.

Knowledge and Skills

The coach must have a command of training methods, know the basics of physiology, medicine, psychology.Know what’s going on in the world of sports.

Labor compensation

Training to be a sports coach

• Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism (GTsOLIFK) (Moscow)
• National State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Health (SPbSUEFK) named after P.F. Lesgaft (St. Petersburg)
• Siberian State University of Physical Culture and Sports (SibSUPC) (Omsk)
• Kuban State University of Physical Education

, etc.specialized universities.

As well as physical education faculties of other universities.

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Who is a fitness trainer | crusfit.com

Who is a fitness trainer? Who is he really? What should he know, be able to and what skills should he possess? What are the responsibilities of a fitness trainer? I will try to analyze these and many other questions in this article. The given topic is so extensive that it would be impossible to present it within the framework of one article, therefore, this one will be the first in a series of four articles in which I will try to make out and describe the profession of a fitness trainer as much as possible.

Who is a fitness trainer

A fitness trainer is nothing less than an educator and teacher and mentor in one person. This is a specialist who has highly specialized experience, as well as knowledge and skills in building and supervising the training process, to which both ordinary, untrained people and professional athletes can be involved. A fitness trainer sets global goals, forms intermediate tasks and organizes on this basis the entire training process for his wards.

The format of this article, like the format of the site as a whole, is aimed specifically at the fitness industry, thus, the topic of coaching will be considered from the point of view of this particular industry. Hence the name of the profession: fitness trainer. Here I will try to acquaint you with all aspects of the activity of a representative of this craft. How people become trainers of a fitness club, how they enter the industry and how they grow and develop in it. Also, we will not ignore the reverse side of the medal – or rather, the pitfalls of the profession, what problems fitness trainers face in their work and for what reason they quit, change the club or leave the industry altogether.

Fitness Trainer Outlook

Before you make the final decision for yourself whether to go into the profession of a fitness trainer or not, you should find out from what position (position) you will have to start your career. And it begins at first precisely from the position of a gym instructor. After her comes the position of a personal trainer, the position of a master trainer is even higher, and then you will have a choice – to develop a career vertically or horizontally. What does it mean?

• Vertical growth of presupposes striving for managerial positions.On this path, from the position of a master trainer, you can apply for the position of a department manager, after – a fitness director and, ultimately, a director of a fitness club. Behind her, in some cases, is the position of a regional manager (if this is a network and if it is represented in several regions), and behind her is the position of manager of the network (all its clubs in all regions). Only the business owner can stand above the network manager. You cannot grow to the position of the owner, but in rare cases, you can become his partner.But that’s a completely different story.
• Horizontal growth assumes continuous progression exclusively in the field of coaching. On this path, from the position of a master trainer, specialists grow to the head of fitness courses, which implies training beginners in the coaching craft and conducting courses for a specific target audience of existing trainers. Even higher in this hierarchy is the position of a lecturer or speaker at industry conferences. This is the level of experienced trainers with experience, whose goal is to share and exchange experiences with other professionals in the fitness industry.The highest step in a career can be considered a lecturer at international events.

A similar development path lies ahead for coaches of group directions (yoga, Pilates, callanetics, zumba, etc.), martial arts (boxing, karate, aikido, capoeira, etc.), aqua zones (swimming, aquafitness) and not only. They all grow according to the same scenario described above. Growing up to the level of a master trainer, they choose one of two directions and continue their development either in the chosen specialization or in managerial terms.

Fitness Trainer Career

The instructor deeply masters his direction, actively sells and conducts personal training, often works for several clubs and ultimately gains experience, knowledge and authority. But this is all over time, and to begin with, whichever path you choose, you in any case have to go through three stages of the career ladder: instructor, personal trainer and master trainer. Let’s talk about them.

• Instructor. The initial threshold for entering the specialty. Private. An employee of the club, whose level of initiative and responsibility is completely low. At this stage, the duties of a gym trainer are to perform the simplest actions, such as conducting introductory briefings for clients, on duty in the gym, conducting trainings according to the simplest programs for clients without any health problems. The instructor rarely makes up a diet, is not burdened with other types of training (eg functional), advises clients on the level of basic concepts and definitions.
• Personal trainer. Experience, knowledge and skills at this level are already deeper. The duties of a fitness club trainer involve, as a rule, work with any category of clients, including those who have musculoskeletal disorders and not only. The coach independently determines the degree of the client’s physical development and his readiness for stress. Changes workouts depending on the body’s response to them. Draws up an individual training program.Gives advice on proper nutrition, as well as on the use of sports nutrition.
• Master Trainer. A specialist who has undergone narrowly focused training and is able to work with various health conditions in clients. The responsibilities of a fitness trainer are much broader here. Such a specialist is fluent in the concepts of building training programs, as well as the diet. Has knowledge in the field of application of both sports supplements and all kinds of pharmacological preparations and can safely prepare athletes for competitions.As a rule, at this stage of development, the trainer already has his own methodological developments.

Conclusion

So, our goal in this article was to figure out who is a fitness trainer? Summing up the material covered, let’s try to summarize it and squeeze it down to several main points. First of all, a fitness trainer is a teacher and mentor who leads his ward by the hand from the very first steps to the final desired result. The prospects of a fitness trainer allow him to grow both to a manager or director of a fitness club, and to a world-renowned lecturer.Both the first and the second path will depend on his personal initiative. Finally, a career as a fitness trainer in the vast majority of cases requires going through positions such as gym instructor, personal trainer, and master trainer. In fact, the expression “fitness trainer” is generic and applies to all three of these positions. Now you know who a fitness trainer is, and if you are determined to master this profession, I recommend reading other articles on this topic that reveal it from other, no less interesting angles.

Davidenko Felix – author of the blog crusfit.com

90,000 How to Find a Good Fitness Trainer?

They are popular, they know how to get things done, but they are not easy to find.
It was once believed that a personal instructor can only be afforded by the powers that be, whom we, ordinary people, see only in pictures of paparazzi in their stellar entourage.Since fitness centers have spread across the country, the number of personal trainers has increased. It has become possible for any person to train with an instructor.

The services of personal instructors are used not only by pumped-up, athletic guys. The field of activity of trainers has expanded. Now personal training is not just the performance of strength or aerobic exercises under the supervision of a trainer, now it is more like help and support in leading a healthy and athletic lifestyle for every visitor of the fitness club.

Some trainees who have no experience with a personal trainer do not know how to find a good trainer for themselves.

So who needs a personal trainer?

You may be asking yourself how you will benefit from working with a personal trainer? After all, why should you pay someone to tell you how to do the exercises when you can do them yourself for free.

For some practitioners, having someone to report to is really good motivation. After all, if teachers and parents never scolded us for not doing our homework as a child, some of us would still be in second grade. Knowing that you have someone to get you to do the exercise means a lot in the training process.

There is a simple but surprisingly accurate statement that people see the world as they are.Then what awaits a person who decides to do it personally and what is his benefit?

You should study personally if:

– You want to save your time. Many people are not ready to spend tens of hours on their own learning the correct technique for performing exercises, the rules for building effective and safe workouts;

– you are afraid of getting injured during training;

– You need someone to help you understand what exercises you need and how the simulators work;

– You think that you have insufficient sports training.A “quality” coach will never make you feel that you do not know or do not know how to do something. He will always support you through positive, not negative motivations.

– If you are shy, do not feel well in the team, prefer a narrow circle of contacts and “protection” of the coach;

– If you are applying for a professional level: you want to compete or achieve a serious result;

– If you have had negative experience of independent training in the past.

There are other things to think about. One of the qualities that many of us look for in a personal trainer is objectively superficial: does the trainer look one hundred percent? But is this the right way to evaluate someone? I have the courage to assume that the trainer should be in good physical shape, but this does not mean that the male instructor should be big and pumped up, and the woman should wear size zero. Good trainers are different, don’t be seduced by the looks of an instructor who dresses in tight jerseys and leggings. They just have to practice what they profess and they really have to dress like a professional.

A good personal trainer should offer more than just guidelines for how many repetitions you should do on the machines or how to push buttons on the treadmill. However, it is important to resist the temptation to view an instructor session as the answer to all your questions about exercise, nutrition, psychology, and medical issues.People often rely entirely on personal trainers, and the instructor must establish the correct framework for the relationship with the client and switch you on time to a more competent specialist in the field of medicine, for example, or recovery and spa. You need to be careful if you feel that a personal instructor is offering you assistance in an area in which they are not qualified.

Clients with health problems should always have a check-up with their physician before starting a session, and your personal trainer should follow the physician’s advice when developing an exercise program.

An experienced instructor is needed not only for people with disabilities. Recently, teenagers can be found in the gym. Usually they are brought to the fitness club by parents concerned about the health of the child. Fitness classes are indeed a great way to keep fit and recover from stress at school.

The gym is increasingly being visited by elderly people who have been bought tickets for their children. They, in turn, also require training under the supervision of a personal trainer to avoid injury and complications.

The price of a personal trainer can be a good motivation in itself. For the same reason that some people eat huge portions from plates in a restaurant, even after they are full, in order to get the most out of what they paid for. Other people become athletic simply because they don’t want to see the money they paid to a personal trainer go down the drain. If the price seems high, remember that you are investing in the most precious thing you have – your health.

But money is not the most important thing when it comes to choosing a personal trainer. Don’t buy into prices. Dear trainers are not necessarily right for you, and, conversely, instructors whose working hours are below average can be good specialists who simply have not yet had time to get a higher category.

To evaluate the instructor, you can ask for feedback from other clients about his coaching skills and human qualities.People use personal training for many reasons, including weight loss, cardiovascular health, recovery from injury or illness, and more. It is important to find someone who has the knowledge and experience of the training you need. By asking for feedback from other clients, you help yourself assess whether the coach has the knowledge and experience to properly meet your needs.

One of the most important things is to decide if you and your coach are right for each other.The word “personal” implies personal relationships, therefore an important element of personal training is the emotional connection (I mean the professional sphere) between the instructor and the trainee. The relationship between a personal trainer and a client doesn’t have to be friendly, but since you spend a few hours a week with that person, make sure you like them. You must be sure that you are comfortable with this person, and you are not afraid to ask him questions. Because if you don’t have a good relationship, you just don’t want to go back to the gym.And this will ruin everything for you.

Know that while personal trainers are business people, most of them are in the profession because they care about the well-being of their clients and want them to succeed in achieving their goals and working on themselves.

Good luck and stay active!

Personal Trainer – Safe Training

It is impossible to get in shape alone.In any case, the optimal one, the one that you can be proud of. You can’t get your best shape on your own. Because it is contrary to human nature to force yourself, test the limits of your body. It’s not okay to do what your personal trainer will make you do. Your whole being is screaming that you already trained well – you cut a couple of laps in the park, played a full five sets, drove into a football five-on-five. It is quite possible that you are: you did enough to tighten the fat belt, so that your biceps continue to bubble nicely, so that you look like your son’s older brother and certainly better than other men at work.And yet you are capable of more. We always have this choice – to achieve more. But we almost never use it.

Want serious fitness – pay for a personal trainer. You need someone who will push you to the last frontiers of your capabilities – two or three times a week, year after year. Fitness should be an irrevocable item on your schedule; you will spend more time in the gym than in restaurants, bars and movies without worrying about it at all.Simply because in your diary it is written in black and white: “classes with a trainer.” With your personal well-meaning tyrant, who will make sure that you will gain the best shape your body is capable of over and over again. This guy looks a little like a sergeant from the Full Metal Jacket, but he will bring you back to life after injury – because he will be perfectly aware of the limits and capabilities of your body. He will help you solve the tasks: lose weight, gain muscle mass, get rid of pain.How did you decide that you could succeed in fitness without the help of a trainer? You pay the hairdresser, auto mechanic and dentist. So why not trust a professional with your fitness?

How did you decide that you can succeed in fitness without the help of a trainer? You pay the hairdresser, auto mechanic and dentist.

A personal trainer costs money. But this is not the main thing, is it? The main thing is that it costs time, and this currency is not enough even for the most prosperous.When it comes to an extra minute to spare, we all turn into starving third-world poor. Work, family, Champions League group stage. Am I missing something? However, the urgency of having a personal fitness trainer in your life requires you to take the time. In fact, this is not difficult: regular classes with a coach should always be in your diary, and when you happen to miss a class, you will have to explain to yourself how it happened.

I work with Fred, my personal trainer, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.In theory, these are one-hour classes, but, as a rule, I come earlier and leave later. Plus a warm-up on a stationary bike, a punching bag in the prologue, stretching, additional work on the injury – in the end, it turns out two hours. This is quite a lot of time for fitness. Between the two sessions with Fred, I give myself an hour and a half yoga session because my battered skeleton requires it. I’ve been going to the same gym for ten years now – and this consistency organizes my brains perfectly. I don’t waste a single extra minute.

I’ve been going to the same gym for ten years now and this consistency organizes my brains perfectly.

When I sit down to work in the morning, I don’t do Twitter masturbation and I don’t go to Thai porn sites. I just start to work, because I know that I have to spend a certain number of hours on fitness. Sometimes you have to skip class, and each time the decision is not easy. I am serious about working with a coach, because it is thanks to her that I will be able to watch my daughter grow up.

When you study alone, it never occurs to you to arrange unnecessary tests for yourself.Why, you ask? But when you train with a coach, overwork is not uncommon. Sometimes you feel like you’re about to drop your skates. Because, I repeat, the coach will train you in a way that you yourself will never dare. From time to time I am tormented by the question, and not too much. At times like these, I think of the writer Douglas Adams, who died in a California gym at the age of forty-nine, or the journalist Andrew Murr, who suffered a stroke after a particularly intense round on the machine.A fitness overdose can be grave. “I, like a fool, believed what they wrote in the newspapers: that the path to health is short intense exercise,” Marr admitted. – I sat down on the simulator and began to torture myself until I felt strange – a blinding headache, flashes of light. Andrew Marr woke up the next morning immobilized. He tore the carotid artery, the one that pumps blood to the brain, and suffered a stroke.

When you train with a coach, overwork is not uncommon.Sometimes you feel like you’re about to drop your skates.

Sports cardiologist James Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute told The Daily Telegraph, “There is a tendency to increase load and exercise duration as we age. But with age, the body stops recovering at the same rate. Such exercises can kill the heart. Exercise is the best path to health, but if you go too far with it, the harm done can outweigh the positive effect and even lead to fatal consequences. “That’s right – intense training is like a flame. It can warm or burn alive. That’s what a coach is for. Did Adams and Marr have it? Not.

The coach will select a mode for you according to your level of training. When I get back from vacation, Fred and I never do pre-vacation work. The coach’s job is to push you to the limit and bring you back alive and well from there. It is always visible when a person is engaged in fitness, and I am more and more affirmed in the opinion that working with a personal trainer is equally noticeable.Sometimes I remember what happened to Adams and Marr. But even more often I think about how many men died from a heart attack or stroke, because they did not take care of their health at all.

The youths and men of the twentieth century did not take their health seriously. We smoked on board, ate carbohydrates, let salt and sugar through our arteries; they dumped acid in Woodstock, swallowed amphetamines, ate ecstasy in Ibiza, sniffed coke in London pubs. Don Draper didn’t have a personal trainer.Those born in the second half of the 20th century treated fitness with the recklessness of a lucky man who won a million in the lottery and immediately lost it. We were wasting the fountain of our youth: today we have, tomorrow we will not. Fitness – the natural store of health in the blood – evaporated the moment we hung our soccer shoes on a nail. Fitness as a lifelong occupation is a new phenomenon, a trend of the XXI century. More precisely, the desire to always stay in shape. We are the first generation of heterosexual men to get turned on by the sight of another man’s abdominal muscles.This is not just a cultural shift, it is a revolution. But fitness is tricky. All these idiotic articles “Rock the abs while chewing pizza”, “Five minutes from the new body” – complete nonsense. Fitness is a few hours of plowing every week, year after year. There is no shortcut, you only get what you give. The gym is neutral, but the coach is always on your side. But I happened to know the futility of solo pursuits. My house was decorated with a whole arsenal: an exercise bike, a ski simulator, an ellipse trainer, kettlebells with dumbbells. And I used it all, was a member of glamorous clubs with saunas and pools, and even attended them regularly.Maybe they even helped in some way. But the reason I’m in better physical shape than ten years ago is because of Fred and the endless hours we spent throwing the medicine ball, doing push-ups, punching the punching bag and each other. The only reason my peers look like old people tired of life is because I have a personal trainer and they don’t. You can’t turn back the clock, but if you get yourself a coach and work with him for many years, you can freeze the arrows.I don’t train at home anymore. A maximum of a couple of yoga sessions when the muscles are sore, or stretching when they are too hard. Two coaching sessions a week and I’m fine. To keep the weight at around seventy-five kilograms – exactly how much I weighed at seventeen – I don’t need anything else. I’ve read about bad trainers – daffodil jocks, vicious tyrants, grabbers – but I’ve never met one myself. Several trainers work in my gym, and they are all true professionals in their field.I chose Fred because we have common interests with him – boxing, The Clash – and we can spar in full contact without anger and hatred. If you have made friends with someone who regularly tries to pile on you properly, then you have found the right coach.

The coach must be one hundred percent aware of your strengths and weaknesses. And most importantly, he needs to know everything about your injuries, because if you take fitness seriously, injuries are inevitable. Over the past twenty years, I have broken ribs, pulled my back, suffered from sores on my feet, damaged the cartilage in my knee, tore my interosseous muscles (those that lift the rib cage when breathing).Now I have a sprain in my left knee. My coach knows all this, and now we are working on a knee injury, strengthening the quadriceps.

First published on the website March 2014.

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Should you pay for one-to-one fitness classes? / Expert blogs on the website Roskontrol.rf

1. How do you choose the trainer that’s right for you?

When a person comes to work out in a new fitness club, it is difficult for him to evaluate the coaching staff and choose an attentive and professional instructor for personal training.But there are tricks you can use to find your ideal coach to help you achieve impressive results.

The most important thing to remember for beginners in a fitness club is that it is not recommended for beginners to work out on their own in the gym!

In any case, even if you do not plan to use the services of a personal trainer all the time, you need to draw up a training program, learn how to perform exercises correctly, and get nutritional recommendations.All this is possible only within the framework of personal training, so it is very important, at least at the beginning of classes, to train under the supervision of a specialist.

Every third pair of sneakers in Russia is fake

But it is difficult for beginners to objectively assess the qualifications and professionalism of this or that coach. Therefore, if you are not yet familiar with the specifics of fitness, but are determined to work with a personal trainer – during your own training, observe how the trainers work in the gym.

Everything matters:

• How a coach does his job
• The coach’s attitude towards his client and other visitors
• Whom does the coach pay more attention to: his client or his phone?

Chat with other members of the club, ask: what results did anyone have, clarify their opinion about this or that coach.

Sometimes a little thing matters: will the on-duty coach come up to you during your independent training.For example, suggest, help to perform the exercise correctly. For many, attention is the main thing that is needed from a coach.

Also in any fitness club there is a mandatory instruction for beginners. This procedure, which many perceive as a formality, actually carries a lot of information. Indeed, it is during the initial briefing that a competent and professional instructor can not just tell about where which simulator is located and with what key to open the locker in the locker room.

2. Do not bring your “personal” trainer to the fitness club! And that’s why

Most clubs do not approve of training with their own “personal” trainer who is not a full-time employee of the club, even if he has his own card.

Such a categorical prohibition is justified, and I do not consider it correct to make any exceptions in this matter! Any fitness club is a commercial organization that has its own qualified personnel, whose responsibilities include working with the current clients of the club.

3. The “duty” coach: what does he owe you

4. Client training is also the responsibility of the personal trainer

Sometimes it seems to clients that they have already learned all the secrets of fitness and can train on their own. But, in fact, this is a philosophical question.

As my practice shows, 90% of clients who have worked personally and have received good results want to continue this cooperation.Most often, people are forced to refuse the services of a personal trainer, not because they are ready to train on their own, but only because of material considerations.

Do you do fitness with the help of a trainer or on your own? Tell us about your successes in the comments!

5. No results! Who is to blame?

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90,000 Why do you need a personal trainer? – L’officiel

“I don’t understand why pay a rather large sum to a personal trainer, if in the gym you can already figure out how to run on a treadmill and work out on other simulators. Besides, there is so much information on the Internet now, why else would you pay someone? ” To dispel this opinion from the sports forums, we turned to the Kiev fitness club BodyArt fitness to the main heroes of the dispute – personal trainers – and asked them to name 5 main reasons why you need to entrust your body to professionals.

Valeria Ivaschenko , fitness director BodyArt fitness , trainer of the highest category, presenter of the annual fitness convention Pro Fit, author of the “Body Revolution” project:

“A personal trainer is the person who will help you achieve the figure of your dreams in the shortest possible time. Because only a professional knows which loads are correct and effective for your body. From my experience, I can say that a coach is a friend, mentor, psychologist and nutritionist all rolled into one. This is the one who controls you (and almost every one of us lacks self-control!) And does not allow you to shirk on the last approaches! ”

Vladimir Oleinik , master of sports in powerlifting (WPC, UPC), certified specialist in physical rehabilitation and exercise therapy, personal trainer:

“Throughout the entire lesson, the trainer monitors the technique of performing the exercises: he corrects how you perform them so that they bring maximum results, and most importantly, do not cause injuries! Indeed, often those who begin to exercise on their own in the gym are in a hurry to start working with as much weight as possible and can get serious spinal injuries, bruises, dislocations of joints, sprains of muscles, ligaments, and so on.Therefore, the coach’s first function is to make your workouts safe. ”

Anastasia Galayko , gym trainer, trainer and consultant of the “Body Revolution” fitness program, former choreographer and professional ballerina:

“A personal trainer makes your training program varied. There is nothing more demotivating than boring and repetitive workouts! Our brains love to switch, we love to change the environment – therefore, training should not be boring and match your mood today: one day – intense to let off steam or recharge before the work week, another day – more relaxed and smooth, for example aimed at stretching “.

Maxim Rusavsky , specialist in the field of physical education and sports, certified nutritionist, CCM in athletics, regular participant of the Race of the Nation project and crossfit competitions, personal trainer:

“The personal trainer itself motivates you to practice. After all, the fitness of a professional coach is a great reminder of what results you can achieve. If he has achieved such results for himself, it means that he can help others achieve them. In addition, the coach always communicates in a friendly manner with the client, knows his mood, can make him laugh with a joke, cheer him up, and infect him with his energy. Emotional support during training is very important! ”

Irina Kravchuk, international master of sports in fencing, world champion, winner of the European championship, coach of strength and functional programs:

“A competent trainer helps you create the right eating and drinking regimen that reinforces and improves your exercise performance.With our clients, we keep food diaries and prescribe a diet depending on the goals set – to lose weight, “dry out”, build up muscles or make them more prominent, correct certain zones. To achieve this, it is important to know what to eat before, during and after exercise. Eating the right food and getting enough fluids is no less than half the success! ”

To train with or without a coach is, of course, only a personal decision of everyone. However, if you truly value your health, precious time and the desired result, it is worth contacting a professional. You can try a workout with a trainer and make your own conclusion in the BodyArt fitness fitness club on the street. Mechnikova, 3, by calling 097 233 37 47.

See also: What is bodyflex and how you can lose weight with breathing exercises

fitness trainer – useful articles and tips on the media “Just Work”, Work. RU.

Of course, these machines have great marketing built on human laziness.And if they come up with something, there is a need for it. For a certain category of people, these devices are a real find. But such machines do not give an individual approach, as when working with a coach. The initial goal, for example, to lose weight, can be achieved rather quickly, and then addiction sets in. The trainer is able to select the load depending on the client’s well-being here and now. Redesign your workout if habituation occurs and the exercise is no longer effective. The coach will set new goals.Have you lost weight? Now we need to train endurance. There is a constant evolution of the body. Finally, a fitness instructor is a live communication with a client, motivation, support. No car will do that.

Empty dances

Many guys who are just thinking about working as a coach are faced with comments from their parents – “what kind of profession is this?”, “Empty dances and not work at all”.

It is difficult to prove that working as a coach is in the categories that parents understand, to be a teacher and a doctor at the same time.Only the salary is higher than that of both specialists combined.

At the same time, the work is really important, because a person who is engaged in fitness with a competent trainer consults a doctor much less often. That is, fitness is health promotion. If there is no health, then it remains only to throw pills. You are being treated for a cold – you plant the liver. Breaking out of such a vicious circle is very difficult. And if you think about health while you have it, you can start exercising. And in a year you will already have an increased metabolism, the lungs and glands will work more efficiently.The body will become more resilient, you will be less tired, immunity and resistance to viruses will appear. Even the predisposition to depression will decrease.

“You jump in”, or “middle-aged pensioner”

Another parental fear and myth about the profession that they do not work for a long time. “Well, you jump to 40 years old, and then what?” My answer is that there are great prospects further, because the work of a coach presupposes constant development. Firstly, there are types of workouts that can be done even at 80 years old – for example, yoga.Secondly, there remains personal training, for which it is not necessary to actively engage in it. It is more important to study fitness deeper. In the West, fitness has long been a complex of knowledge, a separate science.