The quest to find wisdom is no small matter. With enough grit and determination, most people in this world can become erudite or well-informed. That just takes time and an inclination toward information retention. We’ve all fallen victim to the mental shortcut of confusing someone’s breadth of knowledge on a given subject with his depth.
For strength coaches, the path to becoming wise is simple, but fair warning, it is neither predictable nor direct. To obtain true wisdom as a strength coach, it all boils down to accepting and embracing difficult challenges, and in the face of that assault, a coach must simultaneously pursue continuous improvement. It amounts to a formula for growth in which the parts constantly change but the expectation remains the same: Predictable and regular success despite facing constantly moving goalposts.
Professional growth is a never-ending journey that demands commitment and a readiness to absorb knowledge from others. Conversely, stagnation is akin to a metaphorical demise, as it indicates a halt in personal development.
In our modern, tech-savvy world, coaches can easily access a wealth of knowledge through digital platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. However, to truly grasp and integrate the meaningful lessons available to you as a coach, it is vital to observe the hands-on execution of the techniques that belie the profession.
Watching other coaches in action offers a chance to learn from their accumulated wisdom and experience, which can be instrumental in shaping your own coaching approach.
At Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove, Ga., Tobias Jacobi takes on numerous responsibilities with great dedication. Among these roles, he deeply values his position as an educator, first and foremost, and in more ways that might be immediately apparent.
As the head of the Physical Education Department, he is well-versed in educational terminology and effortlessly communicates using a hybrid zsargon assembled from the best words the professions of coach and teacher have to offer. This strategy helps him enhance his abilities to build relationships, master his craft, and serve as an exemplary leader and mentor.
As a coach, honing your own skills is important, but so is mentoring and supporting your colleagues. Taking the initiative to visit other coaches and watch their training programs can provide valuable insights and expand your understanding of diverse coaching methods. This not only benefits your personal development, but also allows you to more effectively support and foster growth in your assistants or younger coworkers.
“From a knowledge-development standpoint, I want to see coaches coach,” says Jacobi. “I want to go visit somebody and see him actually in his room. I’ve got an assistant here. She’s young. She’s got decent knowledge but not a lot of wisdom, so I’m trying to help her grow. But I also know you need the knowledge first to be able to develop that wisdom. And wisdom comes with experience. On our summer program last year, we took Fridays. I would take my assistant and visit our peers.”
Wisdom Demands Adaptability Under Pressure
Obtaining knowledge that can be shaped into wisdom is an uphill battle, especially for high school strength coaches, who often face obstacles unique to the job. In general, high school strength coaches are no strangers to the following circumstances:
- Limited Resources: High school programs often operate on smaller budgets.
- Balancing Academic and Athletic Demands: This can be difficult for high school athletes, who often have no experience organizing their time appropriately to meet obligations.
- Multi-Sport Athletes: This presents a challenge for strength coaches, who must design programs that accommodate the diverse physical demands of these different sports while avoiding overtraining and injury.
- Parental Involvement: At high levels, this can present challenges in managing expectations, addressing concerns, and maintaining effective communication with both athletes and their families.
Another striking difference between high school and college strength and conditioning coaching lies in the varied training dynamics present at the high school level. While college programs typically adhere to a more standardized structure, high school programs often need to adapt to unique situations such as class schedules, facility constraints, and differing levels of commitment from student-athletes.
“Now, yes, staff sizes are different. Facilities are different. Budgets are different. I get that,” says Jacobi. “But at the high school level, we’re all completely different. Every situation is unique. How we train at Strong Rock is not in any way, shape, or form an ideal way I would like to train, but it’s the best way we can train with our dynamic of our class schedule, with our dynamic of our coaches, with the dynamic of our facility location.”
As a result, flexibility and resourcefulness are key traits for high school strength and conditioning coaches when devising their programs. The perfect training plan may not always be viable due to those common challents. Consequently, coaches must customize their approach to best fit their specific environment and resources, while still prioritizing the development of their athletes.
“My weight room’s not in my school,” says Jacobi. “It’s away from the school. So, I have to account for travel because guess what? Kids will be late to athletic performance, but they won’t be late to AP Calculus. They won’t be late to physics. They won’t be late to Bible class. But they’ll be late to us. So, we have to account for that behavior.”
Achieving success as a high school strength and conditioning coach demands a blend of knowledge, practical wisdom and adaptability. Continuous professional growth, guidance, and learning from others’ experiences are vital elements in staying ahead in this constantly evolving field. Embracing the distinct challenges of high school coaching and adapting to your unique situation will empower high school strength coaches to offer the best possible support and training to your student-athletes, guiding them to attain their maximum athletic potential.
“I think the key to all this – and this is why I enjoy going and making visits to other schools – is it’s crucial to see wisdom in action,” says Jacobi. “I think the day you stop growing is the day you die, because if you’re not constantly trying to better yourself in some way, shape, or form, then at least figuratively speaking, you’re done.”
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