This title is trying to depict that our values are more important, but also inform, our use of the principles, which in turn are more important but also dictate the methods we use, and how we use them.
_____________________________________________________________________________
I believe that as humans we should be guided primarily by our values, and I think this is as true in coaching as it is in life. It is only from the point of knowing our values that we can make appropriate decisions in life and work which align with who we really are. A lot of coaches prefer to be guided by the principles (biological & psychological), and others have methods (systems, exercises, sets & reps) as their guide. For me, it is only when we know our very basest values as humans that we can clearly move forward with the ability to make great decisions in our coaching, using the physiological principles to then guide our employment of the appropriate training methods, within the specific context we find ourselves.
“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” Roy Disney.
Values >/-> Principles >/-> Methods
Our human values guide our use of the (biological) principles which in turn inform our use of the (training) methods.
So what are my values as a human?
Well, the below two statements begin to unveil my values.
Every human is a human.
Approach every human as a human.
Maxwell*
I used to work with a 16 year old rugby player called Maxwell. One day he came into the weightroom looking pretty melancholic. As he was warming up, we were chatting a bit and it came out that recently his parents had told him that they will be separating. This was obviously very painful for him and he was feeling very low. Due to the circumstances, I decided that considering his humanness first on this day would look a little different to how that value (approach every human as a human) normally looks in our training. “Approaching every human as a human” always means love, care and compassion, but the living out of that love, care and compassion differs from day to day, human to human, and context to context. On this particular day it meant disregarding the athlete’s prescribed plan and finding a way to give this human in front of me, who is going through something very difficult, some fun and a win. His humanness was and always is more important than his “athleteness”, and my decisions had to and have to always reflect that value.
So what did we do? Well, Maxwell loved to Back Squat, and so we back squatted. He also just happened to be a very strong squatter. We focused on the fun by only choosing exercises which Maxwell really enjoyed. Hence, back squat and biceps! He needed a win that day and he needed to be able to have so much fun that, even for just a moment, he forgot about his current difficult context. That’s what I tried to do for him on that day.
If instead of seeing our humans as humans, but rather we see them as athletes first, I think that it would be really difficult in that moment to put aside their “athleteness”, for the best of the human. If I had seen Maxwell primarily as an athlete, I would most likely have kept the plan the plan, because his social situation has very little to do with his goals of playing high level rugby. That might be a valid argument for some, but not for me. My values dictate to me that more important than his athleteness is his humanness, and therefore the only appropriate way forward for us on that day was to pay heed to his difficult context and just train all of his favourite and strongest movements to try and help him work through whatever emotion he had. Now, did that session fix anything relating to his parents’ marriage. No. Obviously not. I do know though, that he left our training session that day, having had some fun and having got that all-important win which he needed so desperately – He got a great biceps pump, and he set a new Back Squat PB!
A couple of important questions
So what does one’s “humanness” imply that their “athleteness” does not?
When I see someone as human, I remember, as much as is possible, “all” aspects which make up their lives. They might see me for 2-4 hours per week, but they are still a son/daughter/father/mother/brother/sister/friend/partner to some, and their lives include all of their hopes, dreams, pressures, fears, failures, joys, insecurities, expectations (whether self-imposed or otherwise), challenges, etc. As coaches, I believe that we must be cognisant of the fact that all of these exist in the lives of our humans. If they are forgotten, or deliberately unconsidered, then we cannot accurately and precisely coach them, and therefore we cannot be certain whether the stimulus (our training) will lead to an appropriate and desired adaptation for them, at that time, or not.
Does this mean I am over-stepping my scope of practice and going from physical coach to psychotherapist?
I don’t believe so. I do, however, believe that considering my human’s humanness is an important first step for us as coaches and this process importantly informs how we approach them and the (training) decisions that we make with them.
What about the possibility that considering a human’s humanness might put an unfair burden on them to share everything in their lives with you as their physical coach?
I think that this frailty does exist, however I think through clear communication, all fears of this kind can be allayed. We as physical coaches are not psychotherapists and we must be careful not to overstep our scope of practice. With considering our human's humanness, I am not saying that as physical coaches we should even ask them this stuff. In fact, I think we certainly should not, but I do think that when we see every human as first and foremost a human, it ensures that we are cognisant of the fact that there is most likely a lot going on behind the scenes, whether we know the details or not. Holding this posture toward those with whom we work will mean that we will be better able to read the signs when the signs are there to be read.
Context-Specificity
I realise that in some work contexts it might not be appropriate to view your humans as humans, but rather only as athletes. In most professional sporting organisations, your bosses might insist that as a coach you do only what is best for the athlete, as that is what is best for the organisation who has hired you and is the reason they are paying you. This is fair enough. Thankfully, I have had the luxury of working in schools for most of my career. Schools which hold similar values to mine, affording me the opportunity to make decisions for the best of the human, despite what that means for the athlete. So, I am lucky! This is why I love high school coaching**, because I can be me and make coaching decisions based on my values which then, and only then, inform our use of the (biological) principles, which then guide our use of the many exciting and useful (training) methods.
Values >/-> Principles >/-> Methods
Be curious!
GJD.
*Not his real name.
**At present (2021) I am not coaching in a high school, but still work with teenagers in a rugby club, as well as humans of all ages in a physiotherapy clinic.