In order to be the best coach that they can be, coaches often get caught up in the x’s and o’s, the optimum sets and reps and the latest in techniques and technologies. All of this is all well and good and very necessary to constantly improve and do what’s best for their athletes. But one of the most important aspects of coaching is to develop the “eye of the coach”. Every athlete reacts to training protocols differently with a whole boatload of variables that will affect even the best laid plans. Develop the ability to actually see what your athletes are doing and make adjustments to the training accordingly. Workouts, although written up with specific goals in mind, need to have some flexibility if things aren’t going right. For instance, if the plan is to do 85% for a certain exercise but the athlete is struggling with 75% on that day, maybe it is better to keep it at 75% and make the lifts as sharp as possible. On the other hand, if the athlete works up to the first set of 85% and it is looking really sharp that day, then let them go ahead and bump it up a tad for the second and third set. By developing the “eye”, the coach can get the most out of their athletes.
