elitefts™ Sunday Edition
I've been getting a lot of feedback from strength coaches, interns, and graduate assistants over my articles. The two biggest questions I'm asked are: what does it take to become a strength coach and what does a strength coach look for in a prospective employee, intern, or graduate assistant. In this article, I'll try to kill two birds with one stone.
Be a leader:
First and foremost, I want a leader! I want someone who isn't afraid to take a group or lead a flex period or agility drill. This is number one in my book. The best interns and coaches that I've ever had were guys who were given a task and went with it. I could hear them coaching and see them teaching.
I feel that being a leader consists of two things in this business—the ability to teach and the passion you have for your job. Let me repeat that. Being a leader consists of two things in this business—the ability to teach and the passion you have for your job. That is what being a coach is all about.
Being a leader isn't just about yelling to make noise so that people notice you and say, “Wow, that guy is intense!” Nothing could be further from the truth. What are you yelling about? Nothing irritates me more than a guy screaming at a player to finish a squat while his back is bent, his heels are up, his head is looking down, and his body is ready to be broken in half. Yet there aren't any coaching cues or corrections, just yelling. It's a waste of time, and guys like that will get you fired. You could also be the smartest guy in the world able to name every exercise, workout and internet guru, and winner of the CrossFit national championships (if there is such a thing). But if you can't convey that knowledge in a way that your athletes can understand, you don't have any place at all in this business. Get out now. Period.
Be loyal:
The next aspect of future job employment is loyalty to you and your program. I don’t care where you came from or where you've been. As an intern, your job is to make your boss’s job easier! Don’t criticize his program because that isn't how you've seen it done or it isn't how you think it should be done. No one cares what you think!
When your boss asks for your input or ideas, that is the time to speak up. If he uses your suggestion or not, you did your part. Now that it's over, do things his way and try again the next time he asks. I've always told my guys that I may say no 100 times but say yes on the 101th time, so keep trying. But don’t go behind his back and talk trash about his program. He brought you in or kept you and it is the professional thing to do.
In every situation—and I do this with all coaches I come in contact with or work with—learn what you like and don’t like from a guy and take both lessons with you. I've worked with strength coaches, position coaches, and even head coaches who have done things that I didn't agree with. When those situations happen, I just file it in my head and then when I'm in a similar situation, I know how I'll handle it. Learn the good and bad from everyone and keep your mouth shut.
Don’t be that guy:
Don't be the guy who just wants to be a part of what is going on, the guys who think that it’s a cool job. These lounge lizards are always in the background with the matching clothes, finding the fringe players and talking to them off to the side. When there is work to be done, they're the last to start and the first to finish. These reptiles have been to five different schools before yours, trying to pad their resumes, and fool you into thinking that they have what it takes. These “guys” are very deceptive. Beware of the weight room lizards. If you have them in your weight room, get rid of them now. Send them to your rivals. It's the only way that they will help you get better.
Have a strong work ethic:
Have it, live it, love it, and be it. Twenty years ago, a very good friend of mine was a graduate assistant in the SEC. He had just started his career when the head strength coach who had brought him and everyone else in the weight room left for another job. The new strength coach was very demanding and, within the first two months, fired everyone but my friend. When that guy left to take a job in the NFL, my friend asked him why he hadn't fired him. His reply was, “Every time I saw you, you were working; You were cleaning the weight room, washing the mirrors, setting up the stations, and just working all the time, and I respect that.” My friend went on to have a remarkably successful career doing what he loves and he's one of the best out there.
Don't let anyone outwork you. Put in the extra hours. Time doesn't matter in this business. Get on the same page as the boss and his staff. Make their lives easier by working your butt off and helping them to be successful. If they are worth anything and are professional, they'll find a way to take care of you.
Pay attention to detail:
Dress the way that they tell you how to dress. Be one of the staff, not an individual because your mother can buy you the loudest pair of sneakers out there or because you have fake diamond earrings. Keep the weight room spotless, all of it. Make sure that the metal is washed, the weights are straightened, the blenders are washed, and everything is put in its place. If a strength coach wants a messy looking weight room, you're working for the wrong guy.
Make sure that when you're asked to set up a field, it's perfect just like they want it. I have one rule when setting up the field—if the head coach is flying over a field set up for an agility or running session with a booster and they're looking down at the field, what is your message? Are you disorganized and sloppy or do you have pride in what you're trying to accomplish with his team and players? Someone is always watching.
I hope this article helps those of you who are in this business for the right reasons. Be a leader, be loyal, pay attention to detail, have a strong work ethic, and don’t be a weight room reptile. You'll be amazed at how many doors this will open for you.