Whose program is it?
Take home message
GIVE A PERSON A FISH, YOU FEED THEM FOR A DAY.
TEACH THEM TO FISH AND YOU FEED THEM FOR A LIFETIME.
For Coaches
Coaching can be like parenting where as the “child” (athlete) ages, we encourage their decision making. We may not be around forever.
For Athletes
Learn to become the architect of your own program.
I used to be a control freak. No really, I did. After all, a lot of time and thought can go into some complex program situations for someone to just come along and chip in a few bits and pieces. However, I’m not sure if it is my experience, the experienced athletes I’m lucky to work with, or a sign of my programming, but more of my athletes are taking ownership of their resistance training and constructing their own programs. I’ve become more of a consultant. It is not to all my athletes, but probably one-third. The idea of athletes constructing their own programs I learnt from Ashley Jones, former All Blacks S&C coach.
I am in a fortunate position where many of my athletes have a decade or more experience at international level. To put that in training context, they have perhaps been in a structured training program for maybe 15 years. That’s a lot of experience (I’ve only 23 years). You think of working with one athlete only for 15 years straight - you would get to know them pretty well. So combine that unique 15 year experience one athlete has working with a few S&C coaches in that time, and they have seen a lot and know what works for them and what they do and do not like. Add to that mix some possible injuries, and they likely have a very good understanding of their particular S&C needs.
So it has provided an interesting question for me to work from: “Whose program is it?”.
Athletes: become the architect of your program.
Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash
I find myself asking that question quite a lot these days and it influences many areas of athletic preparation. From exercise choices in the gym, to conditioning options on the field and even rehabilitation progressions. With senior athletes I ask them what they think they need and how I can help. I will offer suggestions, bring the science they may not have to training practices, but allow them the choice where there are choices. With intermediate athletes, I will encourage diversity and experimentation on their path to self-determination, keeping the guard rails so the ball stays out of the gutter, but letting them bounce around a bit. For novice athletes, it’s my responsibility to set the boundaries and teach them.
Even with new athletes to the squad with a reasonable training age, I first acknowledge that clearly they are capable otherwise they would not be here. However, there are reasons why we do what we do and they need to learn those and over time take in what they want to add whilst keeping the skills and routines they brought with them.
Rehab is a particularly murky area, but a great one for athlete engagement, particularly with experienced athletes who have been around the block a few times. Despite the plethora of templates and protocols, no two injuries are the same, for the injury and athlete is always different (“No man [person] ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he is not the same man [person].” Heraclitus). At some stage in the rehab setting we enter the grey area between controlled rehab and sport transition. Again, perhaps in the fortunate situation of well-trained and educated athletes, a lot of this becomes a discussion around what they think they are capable of. Still, I feel that even with less experienced athletes, they still have ideas of what they are and are not capable of and our job is to guide and shape their activity accordingly. In my situation, I help shape boundaries, detailing constraints and offering options.
I have found that as an athlete’s understanding of S&C concepts grow, the discussions and training reach a higher level. However, when they have the confidence, and willingness, to take over, then it is a new level altogether. I suppose program ownership is a situation that requires a lot of trust between athlete and coach. What a great place to aim for.
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Thanks again. BA.