My goal with this blog is to share what I believe are some of the more important aspects of being a coach AT a competition.  I’ll be the first to admit that this list is constantly under construction, always changing and getting things added or removed after each experience that I have.  But my hope is that, even as I continue to mess up and learn new lessons, sharing what I’ve discovered to this point can help others streamline their own process, and maybe save you some time along the way.

Competitions are an awesome stress test of your preparation, for both athlete and coach.  There is no better gauge for how well your preparatory phase went than seeing how you fare out on the floor, under the lights.  You receive real-time feedback about so many areas…

• Efficacy of programming for major priorities – did the athlete get better in the areas that were identified as major priorities, and were they able to showcase these improvements when it mattered?
• Skill development – have their sport specific skills continued to become more resilient?  A competition is uniquely suited to test this with external pressure, higher intensity, higher volume, and different variations of a certain skill.
• Adaptability – has the athlete’s preparation made them more adaptable to the unknown and unknowable?  In this crazy sport of ours, we need to ensure that we are addressing and embracing the chaos component.  CrossFit coaches need to find a balance between structured programming to address key areas, AND ensuring adequate touches on new and more complex skills than the athlete is currently capable of.  At a competition, you will be likely exposed to different programming biases, with different time domains/modalities/rep schemes/movements.  How well did you prepare for this?
• Coach/athlete relationship – Comps are stressful, and relationships are put to this test as well.  How clear and honest are your communication channels?  Is each party accepting responsibility when needed, and asking for the same from the other?  Are the inevitable swings in emotion managed as efficiently as possible, to optimize performance?

One big picture point before I get into some of the specifics of coaching at an in-person comp.  It’s in my nature to be hands-on with my athletes.  If I’m asking them to lean in and take risks and put themselves out there, it seems only right that I be willing to do the same.  Together we will put as much as we can into the process, to set ourselves up for success as much as we can.  The rational side of me knows and acknowledges that there is WAY more outside of my control than there is within it, but if there is anything I can do to remove some of the burden from my athlete, then I will do it.  If for nothing else than to make it clear to them that they aren’t in this alone.  You will no doubt find other coaches who are more hands off, who want to encourage their athletes to be more self-reliant and autonomous.  I understand and acknowledge the value in that approach, but for me that experience and mindset is fostered in training.  When we’re COMPETING, the goal is different.  The goal is performance.  And I wouldn’t be a very good coach if I didn’t have faith in my own abilities to help improve my athlete’s performance in the moment by being more hands-on. 

Now, onto the specifics…

Pre-competition

In my opinion, one of the most important things that a coach can do in the build up to a competition is to have an open and honest discussion with the athlete about how they want to define success.  While a competition can teach us a lot about what went well and what could have gone better, we need to make sure that the takeaways stay actionable, and focused on the lessons to be learned.  We do NOT want an athlete, or you as a coach, to allow leaderboard placements to define success/failure for us. 

So, lets discuss a route to try to get out ahead of this potential issue. Pick and choose 3-5 areas that are COMPLETELY within the athlete’s control, and are realistic to accomplish, and hold those up as a counterpoint to the leaderboard.  The leaderboard is ever-present and almost impossible to ignore entirely, so its our job to ensure that there are more inputs to consider when judging success.  This is a very individualized process, but some examples might include

• I want to walk away from each workout proud of my EFFORT
• I want to stay present before and after each workout, and be thankful for the opportunity to compete in a sport I love.  This includes recognizing family/friends who came to support me, enjoying the shared suffering with my competitors, thanking the staff and judges for allowing us all the chance to do this.
• I want to stay focused on my own gameplan for workouts 1, 3, and 5 because I know that my competitors will be going at a pace that I can’t match, and it would be a mistake to chase them.
• I want to push myself to RACE on events 2, 4, and 6. I trust my capacity in those setups, and I want to really test myself.

In the build up to game day, one of the main goals is ensuring that the athlete is building momentum and self-confidence.  With the bulk of the preparatory training done, including the weakness-focused priority progressions, the makeup of the training can and probably should be a little more athlete-centric.  As the coach, you should keep your pulse on what is feeling good, and what could use a couple more finishing touches from their perspective.  Even if it’s something they’re unlikely to see, or is already a ‘strength’ of theirs, the value of having a positive and confident mindset as they approach the finish line is more than worth the training time.  

To double down on this point, another helpful practice to build this confidence in the athlete is to have them make a very thorough and detailed list of all of the positive things that they have experienced or built up in recent memory.  What we are looking to do is provide the athlete with positive ammunition to directly counter the inevitable feelings of anxiety and insecurity that develop as competitions draw near.  This list is written from their perspective, with the intent of making them their own ‘hype-man’.  Build yourself up, with tangible facts and statements, that when you review them later will fill you with pride and positivity.  Example statements that some of my athletes have used…

• I have put a TON of work into my ring muscle ups this last cycle, they feel better than they have ever before, and I’m excited to test them.
• I’ve hit PR’s on my back squat, front squat, and deadlift within the last 4 weeks.  I feel confident to tackle whatever heavy lift is thrown at me.
• I feel more in tune with my pacing plans than ever before, due to the practice we have done on visualization before a workout, and video review after.  I have a better knowledge of myself, and I know that will help me out immensely on the floor.

One last thing that I try to cover with my athletes before a comp, specifically for those I have never worked with in person at a competition, is to simply ask them how best I can help them while we’re there.  Each athlete most likely has their own processes, their own preferences, and their own concerns.  One might need emotional support, one might need structured game plans, one might need help staying organized and on time behind the scenes.  Or someone might need/want ALL of that!  But you’ll never know unless you ask.  So, don’t assume – ask them how you can best provide value to them, and then live in that role.  

Competition Day/Weekend

You’ve made it to Game Day!  First of all, congratulations!  Getting your athlete there, in one piece, and ready to take on the weekend is a huge accomplishment.  While the ‘prep’ is done, the work is far from over though.  Our role as coach now shifts from preparing/building, into helping them ‘express’ their training out on the floor.   How this actually looks will again be different from athlete to athlete, and possibly even different for the same athlete over the course of the weekend.  

Be ready to shift and flex as needed, with one major goal in mind – be present.  

Be there for them, and make sure they know you are there for them.  Be available, instead of appearing busy or preoccupied.  Be close, instead of wandering around and socializing.  Let them know, by your words and your actions, that they are the priority.  I’m not saying you have to be a slave to them, or follow them around on a leash.  But I AM saying that there is a big difference between physically being at the location, and being there in a capacity that is clearly there to serve, and help set them up for success.  Let them feel your presence and support, so that they have an anchor in a chaotic and stressful environment.  

In order to help them manage their stress levels and their emotions, our goal is to try to remove as much uncertainty as we can.  The unknown can be scary, and intimidating.  While we can never remove all of it, doing what we can to highlight what IS in our control, as well as mitigating the uncertain aspects, is enormously valuable.  Some examples of this…

• Help them with time management.  Knowing event start times, corral times, approximate warmup times for the specific event, and working backwards so they know when they should start moving around is a small but very valuable coach task.  Each athlete will have their own preferences for warmup structure, with some possibly wanting more or less guidance from you, but we can still ensure they are on time with things and not feeling rushed.  Similarly, checking in often with the event organizers to keep up to date on event briefings or other general information can help to limit unwanted surprises.  Make friends with the people in charge so you can feel comfortable asking questions throughout.
• Determining event strategy and game plans.  For each event, work together to identify where you think the true separation lies, and how they can exploit it to the best of their ability.  Play the event out from start to finish and picture specific execution cues, potential bottlenecks, the price of residual fatigue towards the end, etc.  Talking through this not only gets us visualizing how we want to execute, but also reduces uncertainty and can go a long way towards calming nerves.  
• Build them up the same way that we ask them to do for themselves.  Keep them calm and positive and focused on the task ahead.  Without being a delusional cheerleader, come up with tangible reminders of WHY they are prepared for this challenge.  What were aspects of their training that went well, that will now help them execute.  A positive and confident athlete is more likely to lean in when things get tough, because they back themselves and their ability.  A tentative and uncertain athlete will back off because they are unsure and insecure.  Give them specific examples of WHY they should be confident for what lies ahead.
• Fueling and hydration management.  Whether you help them build a plan, or outsource this to a nutrition coach, its important for you to know exactly what the schedule is for keeping them fueled and hydrated.  An athlete in the middle of a competition will rarely have a big appetite, or feel like drinking a gallon of water between events.  Helping them execute on a nutrition plan that is laid out in detail beforehand is another huge value add for a coach.  The war of attrition that usually happens at longer events can be best managed by an athlete that is well fueled and hydrated.

Lastly, at a competition, we need to EXPECT that there will be some big swings in emotions and moods.  Acknowledging this ahead of time prepares us to help our athletes navigate these swings and make sure that they are benefiting from these emotions instead of being a slave to them.  All athletes chase the feeling of walking off the floor feeling accomplished, knowing that they performed as close to perfect as they could.  On the flip side, it can be a lonely and embarrassing experience to underperform or mess up when it matters, when everyone is watching.  

Our goal isn’t to ignore these emotions, but instead to leverage them, and make them work for us.  How can we use a good event as a springboard to build momentum and self-confidence, without getting too carried away?  How can we re-frame a bad event to learn what went wrong and ensure the same mistakes aren’t made again, without wallowing in self-pity?  This involves a lot of discussion and true insight into how each specific athlete prefers to manage their emotional state.

Post-competition

Another congratulations is in order – you guys made it!  You did the thing.  Its never easy, there’s always surprises and mistakes and lessons to be learned, but I hope that both yourself and all of the athletes you work with allow for some time immediately after a competition to just sit and be proud.  Don’t fall right into analysis mode, don’t think about all of the coulda-shoulda-woulda aspects that EVERYONE could list out, no matter how seasoned or professional they are.  Just sit, and be present with the fact that a major challenge was taken head on, and be proud of yourself and your athletes for having done so.

After a competition, some down time is always in order.  Obviously there will be physical fatigue and soreness, but there is also a lot of CNS fatigue involved with competing that, in my experience, can take longer to resolve.  Don’t rush back into things too quickly.  Often an athlete will say that they are ready to get back into training before they really ‘should’, so having a plan in place beforehand about how much down time to take can help protect against this.  Their body will feel good after a few days, and they’ll be excited to get back to work, but the positives of resting to full recovery MORE than outweigh trying to save a few days by rushing the process.

When the time is right, and before too many days have passed, sit down and do an analysis with your athlete of what went well, what could have gone better, and what you will change in the future.  This analysis can and should be applied event by event, to the competition as a whole, and also to each of you as individuals.  As I mentioned at the start, an absolutely vital aspect of any healthy relationship involves accepting responsibility where/when needed, and holding the other party accountable for their actions as well.  Have an honest debrief where both of you can review not only your own roles but also each others, and grow together as a result.

Conclusion

If there’s one thing to take away from this, it should be that every athlete will have their own way of going about a competition.  It’s your job as a coach to figure out what that looks like to them, and then help them make it happen.  Communicate with them often and openly to make sure that you’re on the same page, and that you are constantly helping enhance their weekend instead of becoming a distraction or irritant.  Be there for them, be present, and in the capacity that THAT individual prefers.  This individualized approach is something that all good coaches can and should be doing anyways during training phases, but hopefully the above helps you learn and think through how to apply the same approach to game day.