Foundational Beliefs #2 – It Is Always About The Athlete
It is so easy to get caught up in the intricacies of technique and training and lose focus on the athlete. It is the athlete we are guiding to be better. A wise old American football coach put it quite succinctly – “It is not the X’s and O’s it is the Jimmies and the Joes.” Never lose sight of the human element. We must appreciate that they train two to four hours a day and then have a life for the other twenty to twenty two hours. What they do in those hours in many ways has a more profound effect on their success or failure as an athlete that the hours of training. As coach’s we need to stress the “24 Hour Athlete” concept – the need to be excellent in all aspects of life not just in sport. We are coaches because of and for the athlete.
shanecastane
As a coach or trainer of youth athletes, you play a vital role in their development. When they are training or competing, they will look to you for advice and guidance so standing on the sidelines eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda will not send the right message. Practice what you preach; if you expect youth athletes to eat well, you must also do the same.