My primary goal is to create a training environment where my athletes can feel safe to learn, make mistakes, be active participants, enjoy the process, have ample room for improvement and, most importantly, have fun. I also want to ensure that each training session is a learning opportunity. To achieve this holistic training/learning environment, I rely on my three coaching pillars: Honesty, knowledge, and commitment.
I recognize that the quality of my athlete-coach relationship is based on trust; that is why I value honesty. Honesty follows transparency and integrity, which are vital components for creating trust within any team. By building trust, I can communicate effectively and create a positive change in my athlete’s training perspective.
I also believe that my coaching is directly related to the quality of my technical and practical coaching knowledge, which in turn helps me coach my athletes to reach their goals effectively and efficiently. It is why I continuously strive to learn current technological trends and information. The confidence I gain through continuous learning helps me create a healthy dialogue with my athletes to help them bridge their learning curves.
Lastly, I grew up in a family where commitment is valued the most. It has instilled a positive characteristic in me that once I set a goal, I am committed to reaching it regardless of the challenges I face. I wanted to create the same commitment culture in my team, where it is accepted to pause or slow down but never to quit. I can only encourage my athletes by modelling it myself. This also shows my commitment to my athletes and ensures that I will be beside them throughout their training and learning journey to answer their queries openly; consistently guide them throughout the process. I encourage my athletes to provide regular feedback on their training and learning.
In summary, my coaching approach is to work closely with my athletes with honesty, knowledge, and commitment. My objective is to prepare them mentally and physically during training by giving them the right amount of training stimulus to challenge them continually and ensure they strive and not to suffer and just survive during their primary races.
