Talk to me, I want to know how you’re going

Every athlete is different. We all have different abilities to recover. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. Something that won’t mean a thing to one athlete will offend another. The sort of feedback which will motivate one athlete may look like rubbish to another.

The coach’s job is to get to know each athlete as well as possible to learn what buttons to push to get the best outcome from that athlete. A good dog or a good horse is easy to train. That just means that that particular dog or horse is on the same wavelength as that particular trainer.

Dogs, horses and athletes are all different. Some respond to different things to others. It takes time to learn what works. That time can be reduced by regular communication. The more feedback I get from an athlete, the more complete my picture of that person becomes. I’m sure that’s why I get best results from an athlete after a season or two. I have a more complete picture.

I ask lots of questions on my questionaire which seem irrevelant to the new athlete. The answers to each question are important. What job does the athlete do? What are the short term and long term goals? Does the athlete have a supportive partner? All of these questions give me more than the answers.

I want every athlete to give me regular weekly feedback. Those who see me at sessions can give it to me verbally, but if I’m busy, send it to me on an e-mail. I wan’t to know how you’re feeling? How you’re recovering? What new pressure you may be experiencing at home or at work?

Sending me feedback often forces the athlete to self examine. This is important. Looking back on how things went and reporting on it can reveal a lot of things which may have just been put behind you. The same as when I request a three day food diary. People notice more about their diet when they write down everything they put in their mouth.

Sometimes when I don’t hear from an athlete, it’s not good news. Often some people will retreat back into their “cave” when things are not going well. This is probably the best time to talk to your coach. It’s when you need an friend, a partner in your progress, who can see your situation without the emotion attached.

Even if you have nothing going wrong, if everything is going to plan and you couldn’t be happier. Just send me an e-mail with the message — all good, loving life. But if things are not that good, talk to me.