Kevin Votaw’s Post

The Pitfalls of people pleasing in coaching and how to work around it. A coaches role can be clearly defined as that of being the person who paves the way, enabling an athlete to perform at their best, making fitness goals achievable. Sometimes however, this can be forgotten when working with an over ambitious athlete whose goals are unrealistic or come at a high risk of injury and other negative consequences. Many times coaches feel pressured into supporting these goals rather than speaking out against them. This could be for many reasons, the most obvious one being that the coach could be afraid of losing said athlete. Heres the kicker. If the athlete leaves its because you are not aligned in your values and it was inevitable. You will probably lose the athlete anyway if you persue unsound goals and the predicted negative consequences are realised. Heres how to work around this tricky situation. 1. Tell your athlete that you need time to assess the crediblity of their goals. 2. Do your research and crunch the numbers. 3. Get back to them with objective facts as to why this would not be in their best interest. 4. Offer an alternative goal (or alternative timeline for the desired goal). In a sound athlete/coach relationship this will be enough to avoid any unpleasantness and get to a winning resolution for your athlete. There will be times when the athlete will stand firm on the original goal. That would be a good opportunity to ask yourself what the implications are should you chose to stay with the athlete or part ways. My advice would be to err on the side of integrity. It wont be easy but it will be worth it.

Fitness coaches are not saviours and they shouldn’t behave like one. They can’t make someone fit if they are not willing to take action. If someone can’t take the responsibility to take their stats and check-in timely, they won’t take the coaching seriously. Taking such clients may help the coaches generate revenue in the short term but it may impact their business in the long run. Less performing clients will lead to poor results/transformations. A client’s transformation should be equally important to the client as it is to the coach. While getting the clients enrolled they should ask them these two questions: 1. Why do you want to transform and how much effort are you willing to put in? 2. Why do you think you are coachable and I’m the right fit for you? What is your answer to this?

Your mindset impacts your performance, and the people you surround yourself with matters. We help coaches understand the mindsets of their athletes so they can be more effective.

Having a coach is not a sign of weakness, but a strategic move towards excellence. Just ask the winners of any major sporting event in the world. A professional experienced coach brings Accountability, Strategy, Skill Enhancement & Mental Fitness, https://loom.ly/B7tLI-k

The coaching industry has followed the fitness industry in this way… Every business guru kills other business coaches in their comment sections. For every great fitness post, other coaches are telling them they are wrong because their ideals don’t match with theirs. ☑️ Can’t we all agree this world is full of opportunity and success for EVERYONE? ☑️ Can’t we be curious and humble that we can learn something new, even from the newest coach coming into the arena? ☑️ Can’t we all be appreciative of the work and time it takes to build our own perspective business with 💩💩💩💩 over effort? ☑️ Can’t we all share ideas. I mean I have been copied and my stuff ripped off more times than I can count, but that’s what success means. ☑️ Stop judging everyone for their style, it just may not be your style. ☑️ Ask great questions. We would all be better every day if we all asked others HOW, WHAT, etc.. What do you remind yourself every day as a coach? Please share with me in the comment section! #Mindset #CoachingBusiness #MindsetTransformation #MensCoaching #KingsCrew

In your opinion, what makes a good coach? If you’re looking to get coaching to reach your fitness goals then ask yourself these 3 questions about who you’re considering first: 1.) What have they accomplished with their own physical goals? They don’t have to be world champions, but ask yourself if they’ve accomplished things that you would like to accomplish. Have they reached a level of leanness that you aspire to reach? Have they reached physical strength goals that you’d like to reach? Etc. 2.) What have they helped others accomplish? Don’t hire a coach if they don’t have testimonials of clients they’ve helped! A good coach has plenty of experience helping hundreds of people reach their goals. Don’t just go with the cheapest option. You’ll get what you pay for! 💯 3.) What is their formal and informal education? I’ll use myself as an example. Formal: Bachelor’s of Science in Sports Conditioning from Texas A&M University with a minor in Coaching, NASM Certification with specializations in Nutrition, Special Dietary Needs, Corrective Exercise, and Behavioral Change. Informal: Hiring my own coaches who have competed and ranked regionally, nationally, and even at the worlds level in bodybuilding and powerlifting, countless courses and YouTube videos, and to sum up my informal education into one word… Obsession. Ask yourself these questions, and if you’d like to learn more from someone who’s entire world revolves around this area then message me “hey Coach”

It's pretty satisfying to help an Athlete upgrade their Fitness, build their Body & take their Skills to another level. And then to go see them use it - and perform, that's pretty sweet. With that said, it's not the MOST satisfying part for me. Don't get me wrong, I love to WIN and compete. Just ask my players (and kids). I have recently been working (hybrid - remotely + in- person) with a High School Athlete. Motivated. Gets the work done. Wants all the things I mentioned above in the first paragraph above. Fitter, Faster, IQ & Skills Upgrade. He will get all of that. And is. But here's what's more important - and what will actually BE the game changer for him. Working remotely, I analyze a lot of film. So there's a lot of WhatsApp videos / links getting sent back and forth. I watched a few of his training / game clips and here is what I provided him feedback on…. I looked at his body language throughout the session. I looked at how he moved between plays. I looked at how he responded after an error. I looked at how he responded after making a positive play. I looked at his involvements… Being a young ambitious athlete, often this stuff can get overlooked. You just skip to the plays & the action. I look at this stuff. But sometimes you don't know what you don't know. And when you don't see what you look like out there - you'll just continue on that same path. It will become habitual. So, I provided direct feedback. Let him know what I saw. And credit to him - he took it on board and looked way better the next time he sent me film. Not perfect, and I don't expect that. I want Progress. Which he nailed. This is the most powerful part about coaching for me. Seeing a kid make changes to those intangible things. Because when they start recognizing it themselves, and becoming more self-aware, that is High Performance in my books, no matter what level you're at. If you're a Mum, Dad or Coach of a Motivated 17-18yr old Athlete that could benefit from this type of Holistic Coaching Approach, send me a DM. **‘Motivated = Self-starter, doesn't need to be chased to do the work, willingness to have a crack.’

I've just signed up a personal fitness coach. Here are 5 things to look for when choosing a personal coach; be it for fitness goals, health goals or leadership goals. 1. Credentials: Look for credentials and accreditions from genuine sources. Experience of the coach matters, especially to make sure that they will understand your needs and goals better. 2. Cost: Don’t make the mistake of seeing what a coach will cost you, rather see if your goal is worth the value. This is critical if you are one of those who shy away from investing in their personal development. You don’t mind spending money on your kids and partners, but when it comes to your own needs and aspirations, you get ‘penny wise pound foolish’. 3. Coaching Style: Coaches comes in a variety of shapes and styles :) Look for ‘how’ they coach - language, methodology, directive or facilitative or combination, does their specialisation relate to the areas you are seeking coaching for. 4. Compatibility: Do a litmus test to see if you feel comfortable, respected and understood. Would you be willing to share your ‘deepest secrets’ with this person? 5. Conduct: Look for a coach who maintains high ethical standards and professionalism. Which of these 5 feels most important to you?

The great thing about working in development is that you get to choose what and how you coach. Whatever you decide to focus on - techniques, tactics, fitness, relationships - as the adult in charge of the experience your athletes trust that you know what you're doing. When you think about it, though, that doesn't mean you can coach any way you want, because it's not your journey. ✅ You have the liberty to coach any way you like. ✅ Your decisions have a direct affect on the hearts and minds of your young people standing in front of you. It's in the interplay of these two facts that have a lasting impact on the lives of your athletes. You offer them opportunities, and they learn and develop accordingly. This is why you need to be crystal clear on what you stand for. What impact do you want to have on your athletes? What you value, and the words and behaviours you model, matter.

💡How to Find The Right Coach What advice would you give to your 5 years younger self? ✅ What decisions to make? ✅ What courses of action to follow? This would likely get you much faster to where you are today… This is where the role of a coach or trainer comes in handy; their goal is to offer you a shortcut to help you reach your long-term goals and realize your full potential. 🤔 However, people seem to be skeptical about hiring such professionals… Why? Coaches usually ask for high fees and might not be relevant for your specific goals. So, how can you choose the right coach? It is very simple! Find a coach who has accomplished what you want to achieve. 🥊  For example, if you are looking for a personal trainer, you will want to hire one who has attained the physique, fitness, and health that you aim for yourself. 🎯 If you aspire to become a successful business owner or CEO, consider hiring a coach who has already attained your business goals and has grown their business the same way you want to grow yours in 5-10 years. So, our conclusion is: Find a coach who has already achieved your long-term vision!