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Can bald men cut hair?
What I mean is...
Is it necessary to be an elite athlete to be a good coach? Or is it even necessary to be an athlete (or has been) to be a good coach?
Swimming? Biking? Running?
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I was, now I will tri again!
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Any time is a good time.
God Bless you my friend.
I can offer my opinion, take it for what it is worth...
No it is not necessary to have been, or be, a good athlete to be a good coach. However, frequently these two occur together. If they can coach you effectively they can probably coach themselves as effectively.
Richard-a (somewhat) bald man who cuts (his own) hair.
hell no you don't have to be a good athlete to be a good coach. i'm a pretty dang good running coach but you would laugh me off the track if i raced you. the best coaches are also the best teachers. anyone can run a fast time and know thw science behind it but it takes a teacher to really take the time to explain and customize an approach.
i shave my head by the way.
customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.
I heard that there was a really good national level swim coach who couldn't swim himself. Apparently he had a knack for analyzing swimmer's technique and was a great motivator.
Sometimes great athletes make lousy coaches. You see that often in pro team sports.
Lou Holtz never played a down of football. Being an athlete of the sport doesn't hurt, but, it is more important to be a student of the sport.
Take this with a grain of salt. My dad never to much of an athlete (except for tennis) coached me and my paddling team to 6 national championships and countless state championships. I never played soccer in my life but coached some pretty competitive teams. A friend of mine who often placed very well in Mountain bike races said he would help me, I never stood on the podium until I quit listing to him. I recently convinced a past elite runner to help me with my running, so far my running has improved tremendously. My moral of the story is I think its the person and not necessarliy the past atheltic achievements that makes a good coach.
Last edited by:
Stewart: Mar 25, 03 8:59
I actually had a conversation with Wes Hobson about this last summer -but it went more like this...
...can you be an effective coach of mid-pack age group triathletes when you have been an elete pro?
He obviously felt that he could... I am still not sure what the answer is to that question (not specific to Wes).
Often, a "naturally gifted" athlete can survive and succeed despite mistakes in training or technique. Thus, those of us who have had to work at a sport, often have a lot of knowledge and understanding. Of course this must be coupled with the ability to communicate. I had a former co-worker who ran sub six minute miles in the 10k. "I dunno, I just run." was his training plan.
Brett
I believe that being an elite athlete, and a good coach are two distinct skills sets which may not overalp at all.
Both have a lot to do with genetics and hard work, but someone who is genetically gifted as an athlete may not be a gifted analyst and teacher (communicator), which is what a good coach is.
While some elite athletes also posses the skill set for coaching, many others do not.
The thing about being a good athlete is that it gives you a great entree into coaching in the form of credentials. First place in this race or that race goes a long way as a marketing tool, however it doesn't give any indication of ability to coach.
In my opinion, I want the person that is skilled in analysis and teaching rather than a past world champion (or whatever).
just my $.02
Can Bald men cut hair? Can a walking man coach a handcyclist? Personally I think that you don't have to be a great athlete to be a great coach, but it certainly doesn't hurt your image. The problem with getting coached by a great athlete is that they know exactly what their limit is, but they may not know what yours is. If you get a coach that isn't obsessed with his own training he will probably watch out for you on a more personal level. To bring this back to triathlons though you can have a swim coach, or a run coach, but you should take triathlon coaching from a triathlon coach. It won't do you any good if you can swim a 1-minute hundred but can't finish the run.
I think Steve Larsen put it well,
"Do as I say, not as I do. I can be a great coach for someone else but a lousy one for myself."
Coaching thoughts from a gopher that needs a hair cut.
I don't work here, I just live here
My wife can't skate but her girl's high school hockey team she coaches has won four straight regional championships. (She is not bald though)