Be Your Own CoachIt’s true that to be your own coach you are slightly disadvantaged in some ways compared to athletes that have a coach. Here’s why… Research shows that when a person is coached, trained or even trains with a training partner, he/she will perform about 10 percent better than they would alone. The coach is also there to provide the tasks, ask the right questions and calibrate based on performance. There is continuous correction and support throughout the training. An athlete that has no coach can often let form slide, intensity suffers, which leads to inferior results. So it is highly advisable to have a coach whenever possible. A coach will always correct mistakes, encourage more effort and reward great results. Be you own coach; You’re not totally doomedNot having a coach does not completely doom you to failure. There have been many elite athletes that, at some point, had no coach. All it means is that you have to be psychologically prepared, well disciplined, organised and willing to be strict on yourself. The following are a few steps to self-coaching… STEP ONE: Get organised! You need to have a plan and some objectives in place. Your coach would do the same if you had one. So think like a coach and an athlete, not just an athlete. Some measurable goals and an action plan is required. STEP TWO: Get specific on what needs to be done. This means constructing a highly specific training plan right down to the finest detail. Leave nothing to chance. STEP THREE: Once you are coaching yourself you need to be strict. It’s easy to let your mind get the better of you. It’s not casual health and fitness training, it’s high-stakes, competitive sports. Continuously check and correct form and ensure intensity is optimal. Discipline yourself to do what you are really capable of, this is more than you would lead yourself to believe under normal circumstances. You need to have a perfectionist/elitist mind-set. STEP FOUR: Reassess regularly. Keep yourself in check by continuously monitoring progress and charting a new course. Be your own coach if the circumstances call for it. This is different than simply training on your own. You have to actually become a coach and get in the right frame of mind to do so. You’re not just an athlete anymore. If you can do that it will work to your advantage. Being your own coach will lead to mental toughness and self-reliance. Keep in mind though that to be your own coach you will need to think differently. You’re not just going through the motions and putting in the physical hard-yards anymore. You are strategising and planning too. You’re the brains and the brawn now. Keep on top of things and strive forward with the right mind-set and you may even come out on top. Return to our home page from be your own coach
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