|
Happy FriYAY Team!
Quite often I get sent emails from random athletes asking me can I write them a "perfect" training program. They want to know how many sessions, how many repetitions, what watts they should be pushing, how much volume will transform them from age groupers into champions.
What they're really asking is: "What's the formula for success?"
My answer to them is along the lines of: There is no formula !!! Its all about connection. And that connection coming from the relationship between the coach and the athlete which develops over time.
The most sophisticated training program means nothing if the athlete doesn't connect with it – or more importantly, with the Coach.
This isn't feel-good philosophy; it's practical reality.
As a coach, I coach the person first and the athlete second. That enables me to tap into something more powerful than any training model or techniques. Access their motivation – the engine that drives performance.
As you take a sip of your cuppa, think about this: the athletes who continue in sport throughout their adulthood aren't necessarily the ones who are the fastest, do the most training hours or have the most advanced programs. They're the ones who fall in love with the experience.
This simple truth changes everything about how I coach. When athletes are passionate about their sport, they willingly embrace challenges, seek improvement, and develop resilience. They don't need external motivation because the drive comes from within. They will attend training through the cold winter months, they will get out of bed when they don’t want to, they will show up and be present not just go through the motions. They will not make up rubbish excuses.
The coach's role? Create an environment where this love can flourish.
I start by seeing the human being standing before me – not just a swimmer, or runner, or triathlete, but a complete person with hopes, fears, and aspirations that extend far beyond sport. Ask questions about their life outside training. Learn what motivates them. Understand their "why."
This approach isn't soft – it's smart.
By prioritizing relationships, I, and WE, are choosing connection over performance; I, and WE are establishing the foundation that makes sustainable performance possible.
The only person who can't get better is the one who isn't there.
This relationship-based approach also transforms how we can all view coaching itself. Rather than seeing Coaches as directors issuing commands, we become partners in our journeys – collaborators who guide, challenge, and support.
By empowering athletes with choice and responsibility, not only are better performers developed, but more complete human beings who carry the benefits of sport throughout their lives.
The science of performance will always evolve, but the art of human connection remains timeless. The end goal is to create not just champions for a season, but athletes who love their sport for a lifetime.
YOU are stronger than YOU think,
Alli |
