Lies in S&C Development - 4 strategies to avoid being duped.

Have you ever wondered if you’re developing as well as you should, as an S&C coach or leader?

Guess what, you are in good company as everyone has this, and uniquely, it can occur whether you’re fresh onto the gym floor out of uni, or over decade down the line and an S&C head of department.

This question on your development influences everything that you do, but often online, the truth of the matter isn’t fully disclosed. Actually, its in the interests of many to make you believe you’re not developing in a certain way, so they can wang over on your feed a new educational course or product.

Note – I have nothing against this, there are some very good online resources and I have marketed my training centre for nearly a decade to the audience it helps. But as someone once said – ‘social media isn’t CPD’

So, what is the truth? In this instalment of the Performance Peek I openly share the 4 crucial things to ask yourself, to keep developing (and not create a problem which isn’t there).?

This isn’t just my opinion, but informed insight from particularly over the last decade where I have conducted a vast number of S&C job interviews, recruited coaches and been involved at speaking at various universities on the topic.

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You’re doing the worst thing – Looking at them

You see a coach that you haven’t seen in 3 years, and they are doing something online you consider cool, maybe cutting edge, let’s say a 10 second clip. This then creates thoughts of ‘why am I not doing this’, ‘why didn’t I think of that’, ‘they are clearly doing things way different to me’. But guess what?

You have seen a few seconds on a video, you haven’t seen what they do in a whole day, let alone a whole week, month or year. It would be like seeing me scoring a one off basketball hoop from downtown overhead, and from this thinking I am some how a world class baller (which I’m certainly not).

Psychological research clearly shows comparing yourself with others, is recipe for disaster. Even more so when you are doing it with people online where you see a snapshot.

People share the sexy stuff, not the common stuff they do. No different to how in a Netflix doc I just watched, a couple on youtube looked happy and in love, when actually the guy ended up topping his fiancée within weeks of filming!

Comparing yourself is never ending game of loosing – you will never win.

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You can only connect the dots when looking back

Some of the best development I have seen in other coaches, is in areas they never could of imagined.

While having direction and focus to learning is important, not everything that you will improve will be predictable and clear. Time has shown me, this doesn’t matter…

If you’re made of the right stuff in regards to attitude, application and character, I guarantee you will develop superbly in ways you didn’t imagine a year plus, down the line. Therefore, don’t sweat it if you can’t always highlight specifics ahead in regards to your growth. This is particularly true the more experienced you get where natural and obvious boxes have already been ticked (qualifications, reading, skills etc).

Knowledge and experience is only specific to the context you’ve attained it. dealing with a grade 3 bicep femoris injury in a young rugby player, is not the same as the same injury in 30 year old distance runner. Leading a small department with 2 other people in, is not the same as leading a department with several. This means you can forever grow, by revolving around similar topics, but still developing as you get exposed to new contexts.?

Fear, challenge and chaos

I just referred to being made of the right stuff and one crucial example in coach development of this is your capacity to see challenge and sometimes even chaos as opportunity to become greater.? Sure, we all can proudly say we do this – my experience shows though, that many can’t.

Consider when you’re coaching someone, do you improve any aspect of physical performance by providing a comfortable, repetitive stimulus that is the same each week? Instead, you provide a sufficient overload, progress this over time and encourage them to work hard, pushing through sticking points – this the same with coach development.

Greatest development occurs in coaches when they have had a significant challenge – an injury they have had to recondition for the first time, a person they coach who isn’t like them at all. These are windows to not only improve your skill set, but to show others your true capabilities.

Be a winner not a whinger.

Social is a mirage

Generally speaking, the things which will allow you to develop optimally, won’t look amazing on Instagram or tickitytok. So what?

As someone once said – ‘there is nothing more pointless than trying to impress or prove something to someone you’re unlikely to ever meet, or see again, who doesn’t give a damn about you’.

Having a superb looking social media page, does not correlate with having superb coaching skills and expertise.

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Wrapping it up

While some scenarios do mean that external factors can totally block your growth, in many cases the true factor limiting growth is your own mindset towards this.?

Don’t compare to others (particularly online), take ownership of embracing challenge, have direction and trust where it will take you, value the things which will really make you greater even if they are very simple.

Have a great weekend.

Dave