17 February 2013
What do these words mean and who do they relate to? We think of being coachable as someone who is committed to their own development, looks for feedback from others and is open to anything that may help them improve. It can also mean being able to be coached effectively. Whatever it is that we are trying to achieve, whether that be in sport, business, a hobby or personal interest, aren’t we all trying to be coachable?
Late last year the HPSNZ Athlete Life Team and the Coach Performance Team ran a workshop to help athletes get the most out of their coaching and learn how to be a more ‘coachable’ athlete.
The workshop was facilitated by Athlete Life Advisor Helene Wilson, who as well as working at HPSNZ is also a netball coach, and until recently was Coach of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Netball Team. From her years of experience in coaching, she recommends that athletes need to be open to change even though change can be hard. “Be prepared to go outside your comfort zone. My philosophy as a coach has always been to make athletes better tomorrow at the things they can do today,” she says.
The skills that came out of the workshop were fundamental skills that can be used in day to day relationships, whether that’s between an athlete and coach, or applied more broadly to professional and personal relationships.
All of us are often so busy running hectic lives - or in the case of athletes their training and competition schedules – that it is difficult to stop and take a step back and consider how we are functioning and operating.
Being Coachable:
TRUST in EACH OTHER
Have OPEN and HONEST communication
Clear EXPECTATIONS of each other
Tristan Collins from the Coach Performance Team says: ``The workshop gave the athletes a clear view of the fact that while there is more than one way for an athlete-coach relationship to work, there are some common factors. Most powerful of these is trust and the clear understanding that with it most things are possible and without it, the chances are that some aspect of performance is being compromised.
``The interesting thing on the night was how quickly the athletes came to the realisation that they have a huge part to play in making the relationship work. They can be respectful, but they can't be passive -- they have to be prepared to be honest about how things are working for them. These were some genuinely engaged athletes which is a credit to them, and more than likely a credit to their coaches,’’ he says.
During the workshop, athletes shared their personal experiences of being coached and also heard from a number of top athletes and their coaches about the athlete-coach relationship.
Multiple Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Pascoe was interviewed on the success of her relationship with her Swim Coach Roly Crichton, and commented on the importance of the coach and athlete being on the same path with the coach 100 percent dedicated to helping the athlete achieve their goals. “Communication has to be good - you can argue or disagree but you have to be able to move on,” she says. Roly says that self-responsibility is key. “Athletes must be on time and prepared for every session to do the job.”
Other words of inspiration and wisdom that came from coaches and athletes included:
- Both the athlete and coach can bring ideas to the table so both have to have an open mind
- An athlete needs to have the right attitude, self-belief and drive to be able to do what’s needed as their coach can’t always be there
- Training might not always be enjoyable but maybe that is what is needed to be successful
- There must be clear expectations between the athlete and coach, and these need to be established at the beginning
- Being open and honest is very important, even if an athlete knows their coach might not like it
- Athletes need to be open to learning and understand why a coach does what they do
- Coaches often want to know an athlete as a whole person (in and out of sport) so they can provide the best possible coaching to that athlete
