On a recent early morning run, surrounded by fog and cooler temps, I found myself thinking about the changes that have occurred personally and professionally over the past several years. Enter “REFLECTION”. Aside from being a buzz word in most professional education programs, Mark Twain perhaps identifies it most simplistically - “Reflection is the beginning of reform.” It is not a ‘one and done’ process, but rather an intentional and continual process of evaluating actions and outcomes to better understand future experiences. As John Dewey noted in 1938… “To reflect is to look back over what has been done so as to extract the net meanings which are the capital stock for intelligent dealing with further experiences.” What then has reflection got to do with coaching and how has ‘extracting meaning’ from past experiences impacted my coaching present day? In short, I’ve realized that successful athletic development and attainment of long-term success boils down to 5 pillars.
These ‘pillars of coaching’ provide a structured approach to athlete interaction, development, and training execution, complimenting and reinforcing as opposed to superseding or taking precedent one over another. Finally, the coach must also transition away from the role of “operator” and towards one of “educator”. Make no mistake about it – 2020 has challenged the conventional norms of coaching. Races have been canceled; in many places, gyms remain closed; social distancing is straining our idea of ‘community’. We are collectively being forced to reflect and adapt.
The coaches and athletes who are taking actionable steps right now to answer these questions and position themselves for success over the next year (and more importantly the next 5-10 years) are those who will be primed for personal and professional achievement moving forward. Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season and a calm mind amidst the ever-evolving COVID climate. If you’re interested in learning how these pillars impact the interactive process of coaching join Chris Johnson (@zerenpt) and me on Dec. 5th for a master class on “Mastering the Master Runner”.
We had initially opened the course to 50 seats, but after that sold out in less than a week, we decided to open an additional 10 seats. Given the initial overwhelming interest we know these last few spots are going to go quickly. We would love to have you join us! Sign up here. Chris and I are excited to see you on December 5th as we unpack the injury to performance spectrum of the master runner.
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AuthorJoel Sattgast is a physical therapist, performance coach, assistant professor of physical therapy, a Dad, husband, and an athlete. All posts are related to evidence, opinions and thoughts regarding various performance and rehabilitation topics. |