Motivating Athletes in Your Strength Program

Ask any strength and conditioning coach to name their primary objective, and almost all will say motivation. In my experience as a strength and conditioning coach, the true foundation for optimal strength and conditioning is effort. And the major factor contributing to effort is motivation. Effort is the key to attaining the goals and objectives you have set as a coach for your program. In order for a coach to motivate any athlete they must develop relationships, trust and coach-athlete trust. A strength coach is like a used car salesman, trying to convince the athlete that the vehicle you have to sell them is the best buy for their money. You let them kick the tires, but they are never allowed to start the engine. The intangibles involved with the sale is that the athlete must trust you in telling them that the car you are trying to sell them is the right car for them at this time.