Athlete-led, Coach Driven
Two things come to mind when we are talking about preparing athletes for high performance.
Ownership and standards
Today we’re talking ownership. Creating an athlete-led development environment where the athlete truly buys into and owns the execution of their program.
Now you have a performance framework to work off (see last week’s newsletter) it’s time to get behind the wheel. Think, reflect, talk about the areas where you can improve … and then execute.
You must know what you want, and move toward it
It all starts with honest self-assessment. Where you’re at. Where you want to be.
Honesty is king here. Not emotion….honesty.
I see too many emotional responses where people really beat themselves up, trapped in the same stories they’ve always told themselves.
“I’m not a winner.”
“I’m just good at X.”
“I’ve never been good at Y.”
Those aren’t truths. They’re narratives.
Once you drop the stories and get honest, you can not only handle the training, you can finally get stuck into the areas that really need work.
OWNERSHIP WINS :
Before Kona 2016, Jan Frodeno found himself spiralling with injuries, doubts and frustration.
He was blaming the training, the program and the pressure.
Then one morning in his house in Girona, staring in the mirror, it hit him ….
“It’s not the program. It’s me. I’m not owning this.”
From that day forward, he took full responsibility.
No more excuses. Just world-class execution.
He followed the very plan he had once doubted, with total commitment.
He said, “No more doubts.”
History shows he won Kona again. But what mattered most?
“That title meant the most, because it was the first time I felt like I truly earned it.”
and that’s the lesson …..
Every session your coach prescribes…
Every choice you make…
Every standard you live by…
It’s not truly yours until you take ownership.
And the best part?
When it comes from you, from that place of personal responsibility, it feels sweeter than anything fear or doubt can offer.
That’s how champions are made.
See next Friday
Coach