Platform Lessons: First Weightlifting Competition and Why Coaches Should Compete
Last weekend marked a significant milestone for me as both a coach and an athlete. I participated in my first weightlifting meet, an experience that challenged me physically and provided me with important insights into the athlete’s journey—insights that I believe every coach should strive to understand.
PRs: Personal Records and Reflections
The meet went really well. I set personal records in all my lifts and increased my total. This was more than just an accomplishment. It was a reminder of the journey, the preparation, and the stress required to compete. It took me back to a couple years ago when I was still competitive in tennis. The competition helped me pushed my limits and reminded me of what it takes to be a competitor, not just a coach.
The Importance of Coaches Staying Competitive
This experience made me reflect on a crucial aspect of coaching: the importance of staying competitive. As coaches, we often find ourselves caught up in the physical and tactical mechanics of sports, focusing on developing our athletes’ potentials that way. However, immersing ourselves in actual competition can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
Competing allows us coaches to experience the nerves, the mental preparation, and the decision-making that athletes undergo. This isn’t just about understanding the physical strain or the technical aspects of the sport. It’s about living the emotional highs and lows that our athletes face, and from there, helping with our empathy and coaching.
Challenges of Being a Student-Athlete
One of the most challenging aspects to replicate as a coach would be the multifaceted stress of being a student-athlete. Balancing academics, training, competitions, and personal life is a difficult task. We might not be able to replicate all of that at its fullest, or have never been in the same situation as them before. We might not juggle the exact set of responsibilities, but competing on our own can still give us a good taste of this complex balancing act. When we compete as coaches, we still have to go through a hard training regimen paired with the stress of long hours of coaching, life, any continuing education that we may be pursuing and more. So, while athletes and student-athletes may have more going on for longer (and it is very important to acknowledge this), these competitive experiences can help get coaches closer to what athletes might be feeling or going through, empathize and, in turn, help us coach them.
Lessons in Tapering, Weight Control, and Competition Stress
Through competing, I gained a deeper appreciation for the art of tapering, or the strategic reduction in training volume and intensity to perform in competition day. It’s one thing to prescribe it, another to experience the restlessness and the urge to do more in the days leading up to a meet.
Weight control is another critical element, particularly in sports like weightlifting where weight classes play a crucial role. Managing dietary intake and understanding the physical and psychological stress that accompanies making weight are lessons best learned through personal experience.
Lastly, the preparation and participation in the competition illuminated the stress involved in such. From registration, weigh-in, warm-up protocols, to the execution on the platform. Each step is a learning opportunity, offering insights that can significantly enhance how we coach our athletes through similar experiences.
Closing Thoughts
This first weightlifting meet was not just about setting personal records; it was about a commitment to my athletes by aligning my experiences with theirs. For us coaches, staying competitive, whether in sports, games, or any other form of measurable performance, can help us connect with our athletes on a fundamental level. It equips us with firsthand knowledge, empathy, and a shared understanding that can profoundly impact our coaching and relationships.
I encourage coaches to step into the platform (alluding to any type of competition) in some way. Understand the nerves, the strategic choices, and the physical demands your athletes face. This perspective is invaluable, and it will undoubtedly enrich the guidance you provide and the connections you forge with your athletes.