I’ve always wondered why every tri coach I’ve looked at has some form of elite experience either in the sport, or one of the disciplines.
Being a lifetime mediocre jock being coached by state champions and ex pros it seems most of these guys pay no attention to form or technique and just want you to put in the hours (working on that same bad form) and assume you will figure it out on your own. However, many of us never seem to get it. I know my best improvements have been through form and it just seems hard for naturals to teach this to uncoordinated people like myself.
Personally, if I were to build the perfect tri coach, it would be a guy who started early, started poorly, and qualified for kona after years of trial and error. However, it seems if that guy existed he wouldn’t get much business because his track record isn’t as great.
I know its the natural evolution of many pros is to go on and coach but really the difference between an average age grouper and a pro is so different its almost not relevant.
I’m curious as to what peoples opinions are of this.
a lot of the poeple you see coaching that were/are elites are doing so because they know how to coach this and it fits with their lifestyle well.
how do you know the elite guys you see coaching didnt start out this way? most of the ones i know took years of hard work to get there, very few started off fast “just getting it”
i know tons of coaches that never were fast that dont coach this stuff anymore than others do.
4)if you want a coach that can do these things for you, why are you looking at the oens that cant?
For me, I want education, years of experience and personal results. They don’t need to be a pro, top 3 of AG is great. My opinion is that if they can’t apply their own coaching theories to themselves how would they know what to do with me? And, being a pro or #1 in their AG doesn’t mean they are a good coach. Demonstrated improvement of their athletes is critical. It takes more than a nice race resume and winning personality to coach.
My previous coach and the one I’m working with now both fit that profile. Can be a bit of a tough combination to find but those are my personal requirements.
(the winning personality part unfortunately had to be sacrificed this year. I keeed I keeed)
Personally, if I were to build the perfect tri coach, it would be a guy who started early, started poorly, and qualified for kona after years of trial and error. However, it seems if that guy existed he wouldn’t get much business because his track record isn’t as great.
The world’s best coach, no argument, is Sutto. Never did a triathlon. Period.
Elite or “fast” athletes usually let the “It worked for me this way, so you do it to” philosophy get in the way.
A good coach is a great observer and communicator… and the right “mix” comes from that…
how do you know the elite guys you see coaching didnt start out this way? most of the ones i know took years of hard work to get there, very few started off fast “just getting it”
I don’t think any of the guys took an easy road to be pro and I’m not diminishing what they’ve done, but they more than likely started young, and caught on quickly to the sports they didn’t know as well. Some people are just naturals when it comes to certain sports.
I don’t want to paint a broad stroke with all coaches, I’m sure some rock. However its alot like MLB, NBA, or NFL coaches; most of the great ones barely scratched the pro ranks. Still, guys like Larry Bird, Pete Rose, and Frank Robinson prove that there’s always an exception.
It really helps to have lived and played major league sports to coach in them in the context of the schedule and pressures of a majory league regular season and playoff schedule accompanies with press and media distractions, fans, big salaries, fast cars and hot women in every city :-). The NHL coaching ranks is filled with ex NHLers. There are some who never played the game as a pro, but they are decreasing in number.
Using that analogy (putting the money, media and hot women in every city aside…) , many pro triathletes have not neccessarily lived the life of an age grouper (job, family, other non triathlon pressures…although many have), so that might be somewhere that an ex pro or current pro might not be able to relate as effectively, above and beyond our lack of coordination, or starting sport later in life, or lack of engine.
many pro triathletes have not neccessarily lived the life of an age grouper (job, family, other non triathlon pressures…although many have)
Many haven’t although many have? Clear as mud you are…
MOST have lived the life of an AG’er, few haven’t… that would be more accurate.
Personally, if I were to build the perfect tri coach, it would be a guy who started early, started poorly, and qualified for kona after years of trial and error. However, it seems if that guy existed he wouldn’t get much business because his track record isn’t as great.
Just because someone is a successful athlete (define “successful” as you will, could be pro or could be improvement like that) does not mean that person will be a good coach.
I’ve always wondered why every tri coach I’ve looked at has some form of elite experience either in the sport, or one of the disciplines.
Being a lifetime mediocre jock being coached by state champions and ex pros it seems most of these guys pay no attention to form or technique and just want you to put in the hours (working on that same bad form) and assume you will figure it out on your own. However, many of us never seem to get it. I know my best improvements have been through form and it just seems hard for naturals to teach this to uncoordinated people like myself.
Personally, if I were to build the perfect tri coach, it would be a guy who started early, started poorly, and qualified for kona after years of trial and error. However, it seems if that guy existed he wouldn’t get much business because his track record isn’t as great.
I know its the natural evolution of many pros is to go on and coach but really the difference between an average age grouper and a pro is so different its almost not relevant.
I’m curious as to what peoples opinions are of this.
I’m personally biased, as this is one of the reasons I became (once) and am becoming (again) a coach.
I think one of the best people to potentially become a coach is the guy that is hovering near the coattails of the varsity squad. They’re good enough to be there, not good enough to be a team star, and definitely never going to make a living from being an athlete (competition wise). But, they love the sport, want to stay in it. So, they pay attention to what works for them, what they struggle with and what fixes it, what troubles their teammates have, what the coach does, etc etc etc.
If you’ve never struggled to learn something, it can be hard to relate how to fix it to someone else.
To make it clearer, “chose the one who has lived a life similar to yours if that is what you value in the relationship”…easy enough? If you want an ex pro who can’t relate to your life, but can relate to all aspects triathlon, you can pick that guy, but the OP wanted someone with a similar background to him or at least that is what I read into it.
I keeed I keeed)