Coaching is one of the top 5 frustrations for masters rowers.
Getting coached and finding coaches are challenges. But have you thought about your part in this learning process?
How coachable are you?
The coach tries to teach; you try to learn. Like any muscle it needs training.
If you adjust your mindset towards empowerment, this could make a major change in your views on “coaching” for masters rowers.
- The wrong idea is the coach is boss.
- The coach is one of the tools an athlete uses to meet their goals.
- Coaches are rare.
- Athletes have knowledge gaps.
- Athletes take responsibility for their technique.
We’ve got an video below about the 5 types of feedback which empower athletes and coaches – find out the effects of each on you (as an athlete) and also on your coach.
As a coach I love it when an athlete asks for feedback. As a masters coach, I know that feedback is critical to comprehension.
One of the tropes about masters is that they won’t change when coached. Much of that comes from outcomes where the coach is inexperienced teaching adults.
A coach must understand how adults learn – we need to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ as well as the ‘what’.
Marlene and Rebecca have written a certification for “Coaching Masters Rowing”.
In module 3 on Teaching and Learning, we include advice on the relationship coaches have with masters athletes, how to structure your practice to enable learning, and advice on feedback.
Five different levels of feedback
- No Feedback
- Negative feedback “why kids must behave”
- Zero Feedback. When you say “good” it’s not encouragement, nor telling them anything useful.
- Subjective Feedback. When you tell them information or how and what they did. Me-tell-you.
- Objective Feedback. Athlete first tells the coach what s/he thinks they did. Then coach confirms or corrects.
Watch the 6 minute video below illustrating the effect on the athlete of the 5 types of feedback – then watch it again with your crew and club group.
