By the way, I am pretty new to this forum, so Hello to anyone I haven’t insulted yet!
I am in the market for a coach, but my knowledge base is teensy right now. Please help me get smart on this.
Question 1: What is the ideal set up for the coach-student relationship. i.e., do you meet with them often, weekly, monthly, or strictly online? B: If online is feasible, do you need to meet them initially to do an assessment, before you even begin to discuss goals and the reality of those goals, or do you just go by times, distances, and by their self-assessment? 4: How are goals set, and what if those goals do not necessarily translate to a performance in a race? D: I would think that coaches make money based on how much time they spend with/on you, and how successful they have been in the past or with you…so, ballpark, what can an athlete expect to pay for these services?
Thank you all for your time, and I would be happy to discuss specifics over the phone or email. Thanks.
Jeremy F3T
Be happy to help you sort things out.
Rich
www.fit2tri.com
rich@fit2tri.com
Hi Jeremy … welcome! Here are some things to consider:
The ideal set up is different for everybody. The more attention an athlete needs the more i am finding that athletes should have a coach that they can visit with if needed. (you can decide how far away that is) The long distance athletes i work with are experienced and i have worked with them 1v1 previously.
Before your goals are ever discussed and coach/athlete relationshship goals are established you should be able to interview the potential coach and he/she should be doing research with you. Look for a coach that has a variety of experiences (teaching, coaching, racing, etc.) or maybe specializes in the same area that you want to compete. Be thorough in this search with hopes of establishing a long term relationship. I’m finsing the athletes that i have worked with over many years are the ones making consistent progress. On that note … one mark of a “good coach” is someone who can work with an athlete over many seasons and continue to find ways to adapt a program and “squeeze a little more juice from the lemon” (keep helping the athlete improve) I, and alot of other coaches, can work wonders in 16 weeks with someone who has no established routine and and is “green” in the sport. The “proof in the pudding” is when the coach can continue to help an athlete evolve in sport all while understanding their life needs!
The bottom line is…the more attention you want/need and the more experience you want form a coach the more you should expect to pay.
All the best …