I think Gordo Byrn has about the best guide for approaching an athlete/coach relationship:

http://www.byrn.org/online.htm

My big failing in communications with coaches has been a lack of enthusiasm to share the dips in the road. I was always eager to share accomplishments, but reticent about the lapses in motivation, the grinding fatigue, the poor performances and such. In retrospect I only cheated myself, and if the future I will probably look for a coach I can work with in person so I can't hide behind a remote computer. But that's just me...

Good luck!



-David in Taipei

First, I got a recommendation from someone who had been in the business a long time. Second the level of communication was important, how available are they going to be. I wasn't interested in just being sent a schedule of training, I needed to know the theory/science behind the training. Lastly, how individualized would the coaching be. The guy I decided on did a long detailed history, took every log, race report, I had and based a plan on where I had been and where I wanted to be. His responsiveness to my questions and challenges, and just the general feel "I can work with this guy, I'm not just $$ to him," sealed the deal.

TriBriGuy,

When I began my search, I really did ask for rec's on this site and Trinewbies.com. Once I did that, I found which coach answered my questions in the way I had hoped. Then I looked at the price range. I saw one or two names regularly pop up, and that usually means something very positive.

I looked for:

- e-mail communication, how often, etc. (many coaches only have a once a month option and charge you a fee after that.). Regular communication is VERY important for me, as I have a LOT of questions; it is just in my nature. So this was the BIGGEST factor.

- frequency of giving the workouts, i.e. weekly, monthly, every two weeks, etc. (I looked for weekly)

- Cost. Most coaches charge over $100/month. My coach is $75/month.

- Experience. Does he/she race? Has he/she coached for a while?

- One thing I think MAY be overrated is the certifications. Not that they aren't important, but I could go out and get certified, and...let's just say you don't want me coaching you!! :-)

The results have been VERY positive for me. While he isn't in the names that you listed, he posts here frequently.

If you want to ask me some more questions about specifics (you said you really didn't want specific names posted), feel free to email me, I'd be happy to give you some more honest feedback.

Good luck.

So few people are qualified to dispense responsible coaching advice. This is a tough question. One thought: Athletic results are not necessarily any kind of qualification for coaching others.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom's last post is one to really consider. The coach I'm working with regularly finishes races near the back of the pack. The swim coach I've worked with in the past looks like he should be coaching beer chugging, but he is one of the more highly regarded masters coaches in the country. Your training philosophy and your coaches philosophy don't necessarily need to match up initially if you are willing to try some new techniques. Sometimes this is what it takes to get to the next level. I think most importantly you need to have a good rapport with the coach and the ability to contact him ANYTIME you feel it is necessary. There are a lot of coaches out there, and almost an equally large number of training philosophies. Make sure you have a history of your performances and fitness and a realistic set of goals when you interview prospective coaches.

My .02

Mark

   Lots of good replies so far. Thanks. I'm going to be very difficult to satisfy for any coach I hire. As a Marine Infantry Officer, I have a very strong leadership ethic. Correspondingly, I need strong leaders to lead me. The Corps usually provides those. However, in this instance I'm paying my hard-earned cash for someone to "abuse" me.

I know Tom is right that very few are actually qualified and, more importantly trained and experienced, in coaching and/or advising athletes. The sheer explosion of coaching services leads my pessimistic self to believe that there are a lot of fly-by-nighters out there. If I just wanted Friel's, Evan's, et. al. training plans thrown my way I can do that myself. I've been doing that for years. Frankly I don't have time to track the myriad variables anymore. I know what I want in a coach, I just want to know how to find that person.

I should also say that one ulterior motive I have in hiring a coach is that I want to learn coaching from them. I've got 4 yrs until I retire from military service and plan on moving into the biz after that. I figure I ought to know how to get coached before I try TO coach.

TriBriGuy

I would think the first thing to do is find out if there are any coaches located in your area. Personal contact and having the coach see you (particularly swim) would seem to me to be a huge advantage. Only if there was not an acceptable local coach would I look for one online. This is particularly if you are looking for someone to push you hard. If they have a face to go with your name they are less likely to be conservative and safe (generic) with you plan.

Richard R