Picking A Coach - Part 2

This is part 2 of my “How to Pick a Personal Trainer” blog. In the first part I talked about making sure that you’ve picked a trainer for your son or daughter who really knows what they are talking about. In summary, watch them work with others, check references and don’t be afraid to try different trainers to see which ones are the most knowledgeable. In this part, I want to talk about how to pick someone who really can communicate with the kids.

Rule #2: Pick someone who can communicate with kids.

My kids have worked with several coaches and trainers over the past 15 years. And I will say right now that the difference between those that can actually communicate with kids and those that can not is HUGE!! No amount of intimate knowledge about the sport or subject can overcome the inability to effectively communicate. If the coach / trainer can not effectively communicate with your son or daughter, cut your losses and walk. There is just no way to overcome this difficulty. Here are some questions to ask to see if their message and training are getting through to your child:

• Is your child having fun? No amount of knowledge or communication will be effective if your child is not having fun. The minute that this becomes a “job” for them, then it’s time to re-evaluate the situation.

• Is your child engaged when the coach / trainer talks? Are their eyes tracking the coach the whole time or are they distracted by the activities around them? A good coach / trainer not only can cut through all the other distractions, but also should be smart enough to pick an environment where the child won’t get easily distracted.

• Is the Drills-to-Talking ratio 90% or higher? Some talking is necessary to explain the benefits and to communicate how to do a particular drill, but kids should be doing, not listening. There is nothing more boring to a child and their parent than a coach who doesn’t understand when to shut up.

• Does the coach have several different drills to teach a skill? Doing the same drill over and over can make the sport drudgery for the child. Ask the coach for examples of the different drills that they use to teach and reinforce a particular skill.

• Do they know when to push? Good coaches understand when they can push a child without causing too much discomfort. They are able to read the body language to understand when the child is ready to be pushed.

• Do they know when to be gentle? As important as pushing (and maybe even more so with young kids) is knowing when to call it a day. On some days, nothing seems to work. The child had a bad day at school or a fight with a parent or is just plain tired. On days like that, the coach should be able to read the situation and adjust accordingly – lots of easy drills where success is easy to attain and lots of fun drill

Best of luck as parents coaching youth!!