Reflections of a 1st year strength coach

It's hard to believe that my first year at Cameron University already behind me and that I'm gearing up for the next year already! Jumping straight from graduate school into a head coach position at a Division II school was something I knew would be challenging, but also a great learning experience! Below are a few things I learned from my first year.

Plan time for yourself

Let me say first that as a young coach, you should embrace the grind. Early in your career, you need the long hours and experience to form a foundation to build the rest of your career upon. That being said, early in your career is also the time that you should work on developing healthy lifestyle habits and time management skills.

Being intentional about setting aside time to take care of yourself and do things you enjoy is a must in a field where hours are long and are not typical work hours. Strength & conditioning is not a nine-to-five job! Throughout my first year - particularly in the first semester - I found myself in a rut of wake up, work, eat, sleep, repeat. I would feel guilty for taking an hour lunch every now and then even though I was at the weight room 5:30am to 7:30pm on my long days. It's easy to let the hours required of the job take over and to find yourself slipping from a normal workout routine, justifying eating out because you didn't schedule the time to meal prep, and not taking the time to do the things that you enjoy. Specifically planning set work, household tasks, and leisure periods into your schedule is a must for maintaining health and well-being. Not every week (or even most weeks) are going to look perfectly like you planned, but if you make space for it in your week, you're much more likely to create space for "me time" even if your schedule shifts.

Be prepared, but don't be married to your plan.

College athletic schedules are always shifting. Weather changes, a decision made by a sport coach, team performance, shifting game schedules, among a host of other factors can all impact athletes' training schedules and readiness to train. Sessions can be added last minute or they may be cancelled or moved with little notice. All of the sudden, the programs that we put so much time and effort into don't fit with the actual schedule and/or readiness of the athlete anymore.

As strength coaches, it's easy to want to marry ourselves to the programs that we create. Especially as a young coach, they take a lot of thought, effort, and time to create. But the fact is that the athletic world doesn't allow us to do that - it demands that we be flexible. While planning and programming is important, we have to allow ourselves the adaptability to lead our teams to the same end goal in a different way.

I like to think of changes to the original plan like detours on a road trip. If you try to force yourself down the originally planned path, it won't end well and you won't end up at your desired destination. When you take the detour, however, you rely on your observation skills and you may even learn something new on the way to your desired destination. Having to adapt on short notice - while it can be frustrating - is also an opportunity for growth and a way to demonstrate how well you know your athletes and learn more about them along the way.

Show that you care!

The saying that "nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care" certainly rings true in strength & conditioning. For the most part, your athletes don't care what periodization models you know, or how many exercises you can remember. They just want to be the best they can be at their sport. It is our responsibility as strength coaches to learn what our athletes truly care about and what their aspirations are. Our athletes are much more likely to do something difficult for a coach that demonstrates that they care about their athletes and can relay information to their athletes in a way that shows they know their audience. If you haven't established that foundation with your athletes - that you do in fact have their best interest in mind and that you care about them - how do you plan on motivating them to get in and grind out a tough lift at 6am? You have to know what makes them tick and be able to relate why what you're asking them to do ties into their goals. You have to know your athletes well enough that the moment they walk into the room, you have an idea of how ready to train they are based on their demeanor and to be able to adjust your approach accordingly. Knowing your athletes doesn't just make your job easier, it makes it more enjoyable as well. I don't love my job because I get to lead teams through workouts each day and write programs for 10 sports. I love my job because I get to learn about who my athletes are and the goals (athletic and personal) they have. I love my job because athletes feel comfortable plopping down in one of my office chairs just to chat. I love my job because I get to celebrate life events with them and not just athletic successes. How well do you know your athletes? Do they know that you care about them and not just the numbers that tell how successful they are in the weight room or the playing field?

Be authentic.

This sounds like common sense, right? However, as strength coaches, our persona and attitude are front and center everyday and we have hundreds of interactions each day. Therefore, when we make a mistake or are just having an off day, it makes it easy to want to put up a front just to get through the day.

We're human. We're going to have off days and, especially if you're the only coach on staff, there's not always someone else there to help you through a tough day. That's ok, but be honest about it! Don't be afraid to admit to when you could have done better or weren't on your "A-game" - there's nothing "weak" about being honest that today is a struggle as long as you take steps to do it better next time and it doesn't become a habit. Athletes know when you're not being authentic and it can tear down trust. Allowing your athletes to see who you are, however, opens doors for trust. It shows them that you're human and lets them know that it's ok to come talk to you when they're having an off day, because you have off days too. It also allows natural conversations to open that provide feedback on what you do well and areas that you can improve as a coach because you've set a precedent of honesty and openness with your athletes.

Data is only as important as what you use it for.

Confession: I'm an excel junkie. I get excited when I can create a new spreadsheet for something - especially if it requires that I have to learn something new to accomplish the task.

I like numbers and data. I think most strength coaches do. It's fun to see data showing that what we're doing is working or to be able use data to guide us to an area that we perhaps need to focus on more. However, looking at the data and being able to use the data are two completely different things. Numbers that are fun to look at but if you don't have the time to analyze or use them adequately, your time is better spent elsewhere. We have to critically evaluate what data we can actually use to better our programs and what data is just being stored away on our computers for the sake of having data.

Be the initiator of communication.

For anyone who works at any level of education, you know that communicating at all levels can be frustrating and takes time. Being an initiator of communication won't prevent that.

However, initiating communication - whether it be with administrators, athletes, or coaches - does show that you are prepared and eager to do your job well. Being an initiator sets you apart as someone who is proactive and not passively waiting for whatever comes your way next. If you do not communicate early and often with others, you cannot expect them to work within your timeline. By reaching out first, you are letting them know that you have an objective that you are trying to reach and that you're willing to take the steps to get it done. And by consistently communicating, you may find that others will communicate better with you as well!

Connect with your athletic training staff!!!

Being dual certified, this is something I wasn't really worried about, but have come to value this year and could easily dedicate an entire post to the topic. The sports medicine and strength & conditioning staff have a unique relationship with athletes that no one else in the athletic department has. Both sides are able to provide valuable insight to the other and I think that often there is a gross under utilization of the other on both sides. More often than not, we have the same goals. Both of us want to care for our athletes to the best of our ability and want to see our athletes/clients stay healthy and reach the goals that they've set. Each side has a different role in helping our athletes reach their goals, but it has to be a team approach. If you're not meeting together on a consistent basis, you're not providing the best care you can for your athletes, plain & simple. That being said, here's a couple of thoughts for both sides.

Strength coaches: Athletic trainers are not just there to limit what you can and cannot do with injured athletes. When you form a healthy, 2-way relationship with your athletic training staff you may find that, among other things, they can offer:

• Valuable insight about athletes' movement that a sport coach cannot

• Creative ways to train injured athletes.

• Valuable perspective on strength coach-sport coach or even coach-athlete interactions.

• Insight on how to connect with athletes better if you're struggling. Whether it's a team thing or specific athlete, chances are, your athletic trainer has an idea of what's going on and may be able to provide some insight on what a better approach may be.

If you're struggling with connecting to your sports medicine staff, evaluate how you've approached them. If you're frustrated with their conservative approach, have you asked them about the thought process behind the limitations they've given? Have you discussed specific ways to work within the limitations of the injury while still adequately training the athlete? Have you demonstrated that you know your scope of practice?

A quick note to ATCs: Strength & conditioning has come a long way in the last decade and even the last 5 years. Recognize that your athletic performance staff can be one of your greatest tools! A sound strength & conditioning program that is coached well helps make the body more resilient to injury - which we know, but fail to use to our advantage as often as we could. Recognize the knowledge base that your athletic performance staff has. Ask questions and encourage them to ask questions as well. Often when there's conflict, it's a jargon issue, not a knowledge or understanding issue; clarify before you criticize. Be open to allowing them to work in partnership WITH you and not just as another coach. Both sides have the goal of providing the best care to your athletes, and by being willing to work together, you can achieve that goal much more effectively.

Thanks for sticking to the end! If you found what I learned from my first year to be helpful, be sure to like, share, &/or comment!