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Coaching 101 : Power Up Points
According to the dictionary , soft skills are “ the personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people .” But these skills are often overlooked .
British Canoeing ’ s English National Talent Squad Coach , Imogen Collins discusses the importance of these skills for deepening relationships and enhancing the performance of athletes .
“ A recurring misconception in the coaching world is the negative connotations around soft skills , but in my experience these skills are becoming an increasingly significant factor making a difference between one time success and long term excellence .
“ Yes , talent and hard work can get you on top of the podium once or twice , but the drive to train every day no matter what ’ s happening at home , school , or work , and knowing you ’ re doing it with the support of someone else , helps deliver long term high achieving individuals .
“ For the purposes of proving just how impactful soft skills can be , I ’ m going to call them power up points .
“ What is it that puts you in a good frame of mind ? For me it ’ s a picturesque training venue that makes me happy to do what I do , or a ‘ good morning ’ from a shop assistant as I purchase my pre-coaching cinnamon bun . Each of these simple acknowledgements power me up for the day ahead .
“ Whilst these power up points are brilliant to add into the mix on a good day for an athlete , they are invaluable when things aren ’ t quite going to plan . When your athlete is feeling sluggish , or beating themselves up that they aren ’ t hitting their targets for the session , power up points help provide a few simple cues to help reignite their focus .
“ Just by saying ; ‘ Alex , you have been smashing it lately so don ’ t worry if you aren ’ t at your best today . What do you want to achieve ?’ you ’ re able to reassure them and help them manage their expectations for the session . You ’ re giving them the power to make the change and be confident in the fact you as a coach will help them .
“ But it shouldn ’ t just be those short sharp conversations during training , power up skills are about touching base with athletes outside of their sessions as well .
“ The power in this approach comes to the athlete when you take the time to try and help them work out why everything felt that tiny bit harder than they wanted it to . Taking the time as a coach to learn about the athlete ’ s life helps allow you to direct them in the correct way .
“ The coaches that stand out to me , not just in paddling , but across all sports and levels of performance , are www . britishcanoeing . org . uk
“ I am quickly learning that working with athletes will always present some form of ‘ emotional life wobble ’ that can quite quickly see the talent in an athlete completely wasted . But if , as coaches , we can create an environment where they know they will be greeted with a “ hello ” and a “ how are you ?”, it helps pop a little bit of power into their battery pack to get them firing for the session ahead . These little things may not be quite as powerful as a strong coffee , but it can make training even on the most miserable of days a more positive experience and makes a difference in their attitude to training .