Recently I have been approached by a few athletes that have asked “How to I get to the next level in my sport?” That question requires a far more complicated answer than one might expect. Let’s break it down.
What level are you are playing at right now?
First, for a helpful answer I ask “where are you now in your sport?” Are you taking lessons, being coached, competing in events, whether it is tournaments, games, or matches?
Have you set some goals?
Second: What are your goals? Have you engaged in a goal setting exercise, where you set long term dreams, and break it down to short term goals that might help you realize those dreams?
Are you totally immersed in your sport?
Third: Are you “eating, drinking, and sleeping” your sport. This means have you made it a point to know your sport’s history; the pioneers of your sport; the present day “players” in your sport discovering what they experienced and are experiencing to be successful so you can both parallel that effort as well as strike out on your own?
My Experience
When I was playing competitive tennis, my coach had me learn the history of tennis; read books about players like Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, so I truly understood the task before me. Frankly it made me all the more excited and dedicated to become successful in my sport. It also made me appreciate those that had gone before me and what they had contributed to the game. In addition I learned about equipment, how to pick the right racket for my style of play, how to string rackets, I even eventually worked for a company that built tennis courts and I learned about all the surfaces!! I actually bid on and was the project manager of the construction of two tennis courts in Austin Texas. I walked the site, bid the job, was there for the ground breaking, the laying of the post tension surface as well as the application of the Lakold green surface. Finally I washed the courts before the grand opening, and gave free instruction at the grand opening.
You are what you eat: Food is Fuel.
Fourth: What is your nutritional regimen? “Food is fuel” in sports but you need to understand what fuel is best before a workout; during a workout and following a workout. As part of this category, what is your fitness regimen? Do you know what program to follow in the gym for your sport? Should you be using free weights; machines; bands; doing Pilates, Yoga, speed work, long distance work and in what proportion so that you become stronger, have more endurance, but do not become injured?
Winning and Losing: The Mental Game
Fifth: How do you work on the mental side of your sport? How do you mentally prepare for your sport? Do you know what visualization is? How do you deal with winning and losing? I found when coaching athletes that a loss helped many athletes more than winning even though as Billie Jean King said “It is not that winning is great it is that losing is HORRIBLE”. When you lose, you should evaluate why? Was it lack of technique? lack of fitness? lack of concentration? Did your opponent beat you, just play better or did you beat yourself? Following a loss you should talk to your coach, discuss what worked and list what NEEDS WORK. When I was coaching I would immediately take my students back on the court and “fix the problem” and I mean IMMEDIATELY. In that way my player did not brood about the loss, but rather “repaired the problem.”
Choosing the Right Coach for YOU
Sixth: How do you find the right coach for you? This is probably one of the toughest questions, for you need to know what type of coaching fits your personality. Do you like to be handled with “kid gloves” or are you more motivated by a more aggressive approach? I think this is a critical part of the process and recently discovered a company “Athlete Assessments” that offers an assessment both for the player and the coach to make sure that the fit is a good one. At the present time the assessment is more for athletes in their mid teens and older although we have discussed administering it to a sophisticated younger athlete. In later posts I will go over in more detail what this assessment offers and why I think it is important. The most important thing to remember when searching for a coach is what is his/her motivation? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is he/she technically sound in my sport? They do not necessarily have to have played nationally but they need to understand all there is to know about the mechanics of your sport.
- Can he or she help with my fitness/diet/mental training; or have access to those that can help me in this area?
- Is he or she connected in my sport, meaning know equipment manufacturers, understand the surfaces on which I will be playing (in tennis: hard courts, clay, grass; in other sports Astro turf vs. grass etc) and others that they might bring to the relationship as you grow in your sport. (if you become a national player, can they help find a business manager, an agent, a financial planner, an attorney?)
- Is he or she 100% dedicated to me when I am with him/her? Recently I saw a very famous coach that took phone calls during the instruction (the entire lesson!!), and neither the player or parents complained, saying “well, he/she is very famous and very busy.” NOT. When you are with your coach he/she should be WITH YOU, 110%. If not…move on.
- Does he or she stay current in my sport, always learning, growing and keeping up with the evolution of sport and the tools available to help you grow in your sport? For example, do they engage in video analysis, bio mechanical analysis; etc.
- Is he/she more interested in their fee than me? ?This is KEY!!
As initially stated the answer to “How do I get to the next level in my sport?” is a complicated one. Hopefully this initial blueprint will help you begin to plan in more depth what your next steps will be.
