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It’s time for a guest post. Occasionally, I feature tips and stories from other individuals who have helpful input about the mental side of fitness, training and life. All of the other posts on this site are written about me, so I like to share different perspectives (especially so that you don’t get too tired of my voice). I select witty and honest pieces, that give insight and advice. I’ve bolded a few of my favorite lines.
Enjoy the post written by Matt Foreman published originally on one of my favorite websites, Catalyst Athletics.
How Athletes Become Like Their Coaches: Leadership & Gym Atmosphere
“If you’re an athlete, you’re looking for information that will improve your training. If you’re a coach, you’re looking for information that will improve your program and the way you develop your athletes.
Can we all agree that your daily attitude in the gym is hugely important to your success as both an athlete and coach? I hope so. Programming, technique, etc… Those things are the foundations of your weightlifting life. But the 27 years I’ve spent as a competitive athlete and coach have taught me something that I can absolutely, positively declare as one of the biggest truths in this business:
“The way you think and act when you’re training will be the dividing line between success and failure.”
Your attitude, along with the attitudes of the people you work with, will create the atmosphere in your gym. I’m a pretty big believer in the idea that atmosphere is just as important, and sometimes even MORE important, than programming and technique. And I’m also a big believer that every single member of the gym contributes something to the atmosphere, whether we’re talking about national competitors or low-level lifters who will probably never make it to the big time. Regardless of their rank, everybody brings something to the table every day and it all gels together to produce the overall mojo of the program.
The personality of the coach is contagious. Athletes, without even realizing it, gradually develop the characteristics of the leaders who are guiding them. If you’re a coach, this is one of the best pieces of input I could ever give you. I can’t even count how many times I’ve watched this happen throughout my career, and it’s obvious that there are both positive and negative directions it can take.”
Read the rest of the article HERE.
: Matt Foreman is the football and track & field coach at Mountain View High School in Phoenix, AZ. A competitive weightlifter for twenty years, Foreman is a four-time National Championship bronze medalist, two-time American Open silver medalist, three-time American Open bronze medalist, two-time National Collegiate Champion, 2004 US Olympic Trials competitor, 2000 World University Championship Team USA competitor, and Arizona and Washington state record-holder. Foreman has coached multiple regional, state, and national champions in track & field, powerlifting, and weightlifting, and was an assistant coach on 5A Arizona state runner-up football and track teams. He is the author of the books Olympic Weightlifting for Masters: Training at 30, 40, 50 & Beyond and Bones of Iron: Collected Articles on the Life of the Strength Athlete. check out his other informative articles posted on CatalystAthletics.com HERE. Connect with Catalyst Athletics on Facebook and Twitter.
