People become coaches for a variety of reasons. Some do it to support the local people who try to participate in the triathlon club, while others simply want to give back to the sport that has given them so much mindfulness.
Triathlon is expanding faster than ever, and so is a greater demand for coaching for individuals and groups. However, becoming a good triathlon instructor has not yet become a simple task.
Coaches Should Have First-Hand Experience of the Sport
To become a successful triathlon coach, you must have as many personal experiences and as much understanding of the sport as possible. This is why many professional triathletes choose coaching as a vocation. As an athlete, you get to learn over time what works and what doesn’t.
To become a certified triathlon coach, you should learn about the timing of training, time management, and discipline and how to get into that training habit to get the best job done.
You must also comprehend the psychological part of the sport. It includes the understanding of what your mind goes through on a regular basis when racing and training. Therefore, it is recommended for certified triathlon coaches to participate in the sport themselves to get this information.
Coaching Qualifications
Education and qualifications also play a crucial role, whether it be a University Sports Science course, something similar, or something like a BTF Level 1,2,3 coaching certification or equivalent.
Trust in your qualifications is essential, and it checks one of the major boxes on your path to becoming a coach. These classes will teach you the fundamentals of training and allow you to practice.
Most coaches will use the strategy to assist other experienced coaches before doing it alone. This is obviously vital for learning the craft and receiving ideas for new methods of coaching.
Each athlete is distinctive and works in an approach that is consistent with what defines them, so working with a variety of athletes with diverse skills and attitudes can help you develop expertise.
Read More: How Much Does a Triathlon Coach Cost – Comparing Options (2023)
Performance Monitoring
Coaching has also become much more technical in recent years, making it easier for a coach to monitor their performance; however, you must be able to read and interpret data from your computer and provide guidance to them.
Athletes utilize a variety of tools to track their performance, including power meters, heart rate monitors, heart rate variability and cadence, and training stress scores.
You may monitor all of their data on an online training platform and provide feedback to them through the course to increase efficiency and communication. This is modern-day coaching, and it will be essential in the future.
Important Considerations Before Applying for a Certified Triathlon Coach
Here are a few things you need to consider before applying for certified triathlon coach
1. Do it for the Right Reasons
Your motivation for being a coach is the first essential to success. Being enthusiastic about racing and training for triathlon is not sufficient motivation to become a triathlon coach.
Coaching triathlon, or coaching anything else, is all about assisting people in reaching their goals. It’s quite improbable that you’ll become a good triathlon instructor unless you’re sincerely passionate about assisting others.
2. Don’t Go All-in, to Begin With
To be successful in something, you must typically go “all in.” That’s an excellent way of doing some things, but not for a coaching career.
To be an effective coach, you must have both knowledge and experience. So, coaching people is the only way to develop experience; therefore, expecting to be successful at coaching people full-time from day one is unreasonable.
To excel in this discipline, you must gradually improve your skills. A smart way to start your coach journey is to train one or two people in your spare time.
You’ll make blunders along the way, so starting with a limited number of athletes is the greatest way to learn from your mistakes.
Read More: What Is a Good Time for a Sprint Triathlon?
3. Find a Mentor
Find an experienced and talented coach and seek assistance. Any competent coach enjoys assisting others. Thus, many coaches would be happy to mentor an enthusiastic and motivated rookie coach.
Mentoring can begin with suggestions and advice and quickly progress to being able to take on some of your mentor’s athletes if they are full or if they require assistance with group sessions or planning. Many exceptional coaches began their careers as outstanding students or deputies.
Don’t be hesitant to approach someone and ask for mentoring; the worst that can happen is that they say no.
4. Go Back to School
You don’t have to go back to school, but you do need to learn. Depending on the method you wish to pursue, there are numerous online and offline resources available to help you build your knowledge and schools.
Finding a good mentor is great, but you should also take the time to educate yourself. There are numerous themes to pick from, including biomechanics, sports psychology, nutrition, physiology, motivation research, and bike fitting.
The list goes on. Begin with something you are enthusiastic about and work your way up from there.
5. Get Certified
Much of what excellent triathlon coaches have learned has come from on-the-job experience, although some coaches might reject the idea of more structured and official schooling.
Whatever strategy you adopt to study, formal courses can help you prioritize the abilities and approaches you should focus on developing.
You can’t obtain a degree in triathlon coaching (yet), but there are lots of courses and certifications to help you learn and get credibility as a triathlon coach. Most national federations offer triathlon coach certification, and the ITU also offers an internationally recognized accreditation.
Regardless of your present coaching level, there should be a course or certification available to you. Along with recognized certificates, several industry brands also provide education and certification.
All else being equal, credentialed instructors will have more credibility and attract more clients than those who do not have credentials.
Read More: What to Eat Before a Triathlon? (Beginner’s Guide)
Summary
Hopefully, we’ve provided you with at least a few suggestions to help you get started as a triathlon instructor. In addition to our articles, we provide one-on-one coaching to all of our coaches who use our platform.
Through technology business and marketing assistance, we hope to assist as many coaches as possible in developing successful coaching businesses.
