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Coaching Communication
by Rob Wagner
It has been about a year since I have written for this column. I took a hiatus in order to finish up my grad school work. With that completed I have had some time to sit back and reflect about the state of affairs in powerlifting in this country and in the USAPL. Not only did I take a hiatus from writing but also from competition as well. I saw my first Nationals as a fan last summer and it was a unique experience. With all that considered one aspect of the sport has come to my attention during this past year is the effectiveness of communication between coaches and athletes.
For those not familiar with my background I started out initially as a football coach and then moved into the realm of strength coaching, which I have been involved professionally for the last 15 years. During that time I have learned a lot about coaching athletes, dealing with other coaches and the development of strength. Of the three it is the first two that have actually helped me the most. Dealing with athletes is paramount to any coach's success. Understanding their concerns and needs, and using effective techniques to teach them are just two examples of this relationship. The same situation can be said for the sport coaches I deal with as well. It is imperative that I know and meet the coach's needs and inform them of the science or practicality of what I will be asking their athletes to do. It is also important to understand the coach's expectations for how the athletes will perform in the weight room or on the field. In both cases there is one binding theme. It is communication between these respective groups and myself. The better the communication with athletes and coaches the better the outcomes of the S&C program can have.
The reason for effective communication relates to the awareness of a coach's or athlete's expectations and improving their opportunities to meet those expectations. This can be best explained through a personal experience of my own. About seven or eight years ago I was having trouble getting my student employees to carry out there daily work responsibilities in the weight room. I was constantly barking at them to do their tasks. It seemed they had no initiative to do this on their own. It was driving me nuts. I had made lists of what to do and posted them, to no avail. I still had to remind the workers every single day. He asked me a very simple question. He asked, " have you ever told them all the things that you expect them to do?" Of course I had to be honest and said "no." His reply was, "well why not." "Hmmm," and then it came out in a less then confident reply, "I expected them to know what to do." Before this phrase had escaped my lips I knew what was coming next. Luckily this guy was pretty serious so he didn't bust my chops too badly. "So how would they know that?" From that day on I made certain of two things. If I had expectations for anyone, they would only be based on what I had discussed with them. I would no longer expect things to be done without communicating those expectations to the respective audience.
This approach has been used on the athletes, the coaches, and my staff and it has made things a lot more manageable. When it comes to coaching powerlifters the same topic is extremely important. How can anyone as a coach, have real expectations of how the lifter will proceed through the contest if they do not express these expectations to the lifter? Some coaches may have the personality that they will run the show and that is fine as long as the lifter is aware and agrees with this approach. Personally I like someone to take the reins on meet day, as an athlete I want to do well and focus on the lifting not the numbers. Even in the type of coaching situation where the coach runs the show the input from the lifter must be taken into consideration. The better you know the lifter the more important this information. Lifters can provide both subtle and obvious information on how they feel and how the lifting is going through simple conversation. In a situation where you may find yourself helping someone that you are not as familiar this can be a little more difficult. In these situations be direct and ask the lifter straightforward questions. For those coaches that leave the decision making up to the lifter, you can be charted for troubled waters. It is tough to get a number out of someone's head regardless of the situation since they have focused on that goal or number for weeks on end. The reality is that goals should be modified if need be in order to provide success, regardless of how small the success. In my experience a secondary objective individual provides a voice of reason especially when choosing attempts under these circumstances. When a lifter has a goal in mind many feel that it can't be modified and then the goal becomes a do or die situation in the lifter's mind. The problem is that this approach tends to leave you dieing competitively. It is important as a coach that you let the athlete know that it is all right to modify goals and that modifications of goals can help in avoiding disaster and at times even lead to a better than expected outcome.
In the same instance a lifter's expectations of how he or she was planning to approach the meet needs to be expressed and discussed with the coach. This is something that should be planned several weeks in advance of the meet. This will allow the appropriate training strategies to be used in preparation for the contest. Again the communication is the key, have a regular meeting with the lifter either before or after a workout to review the progress of the training. If the lifter you are handling is not training under your tutelage, then call regularly to check on how training is going. You could also have them send videotapes of their training sessions and provide information on technique as well.
So how do you get your expectations in order as a coach or a lifter? The first step I recommend is to have a list of expectations you have for your athletes or yourself. This could be as simple as how to handle the time between attempts or can involve the team members' conduct on international trips with national teams. This can also cover the attempt selection process, warm ups, and gear issues. By planning ahead and getting this information communicated to the athlete early, your coaching situation will be less encumbered and you will be able to focus on the meet itself and not the multiple issues that could have been handled in advance.
There are two suggestions that I have on how to achieve your expression of expectations as a lifter or a coach. The first is to put them in writing. This will give you a source to look back on. It helps keep the idea there, and we all know there are times when our memory serves a little less effectively than we would like. If you are a coach who sees the athlete train regularly your situation will be a bit easier. The expectations can be meted out a little at a time both in writing and verbally. If you coach lifters that are not on site you should send a letter or email with your expectations first. Plan on getting this to them at least a month in advance of the meet. This will allow the athlete ample time to reply back. The coach can then follow up and support the written communication by making contact with the athlete by telephone. If you are an athlete in these situations you can follow the same approaches. Finally at the meet itself a meeting should be held prior to the competition where all of these items are covered and final plans are solidified. By that time there should be no major surprises, if there are you have not effectively communicated with these individuals.
In summary, effective communication between an athlete and a coach can have a positive impact on the lifter's and coach's performance during the meet. Make sure that you communicate and work out all expectation that each individual has. Write these expectations down and submit them to your athletes or your coach. Follow the written aspect up with a verbal discussion of the same expectations either in person or over the phone. The final thing to remember is that for communication to work it must be a two way street, listening is as important as telling and explaining.
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