On Being Coach-able

Being coach-able requires a set of interpersonal skills that allow the fighter to learn, grow and achieve their potential.  To grow to potential a fighter needs to first begin by listening to their instructor. This requires active listening to what is being said, by the instructor, and not thinking about what they want to say in response.  If  too much time is spent thinking about your response then your not open to what is being said.  This leads to spending more time defending the ego instead of accepting you do not know everything and that you may learn something from the advice being given.

Second, the fighter needs to understand their emotions and reactions. When receiving criticism, constructive or not, some emotions over take them and they may begin to feel embarrassed or angry. When this happens they become defensive and in some cases completely shut down.  Understanding that on the path to reaching your potential it is crucial to be able to manage these emotions and be open to feedback.  Once this is achieved the fighter can then choose to accept the feedback and take direction to change or ignore it.  Different skills work for different people so some feedback may not be as constructive as others.  Hopefully your instructor can provided specific examples of how to improve and what to do. If not, the fighter needs to ask questions to clarify what will help them improve and what steps to take to achieve it.   If you are unsure about how to improve you also need to step up and ask for feedback about fighting performance.


Here are some thoughts from a few conventional sports trainers on the subject.   


Andy Petranek, owner/founder of CrossFit Los Angeles, says coach-able athletes have the following qualities:

They're humble. They're okay slowing down for the sake of learning form. They are usually master technicians. They think long-term. They measure progress in months and years versus day by day. They're competitive with themselves as much or more than with others. They have a good sense of humor and don't take things too seriously. They practice things on their own. They're willing to try new things. They aren't hung up on doing things the way they always have. They look toward change. They're willing to take risks. They're respectful. They know they don't know it all.

Barbara Skiba, a retired field hockey coach, looked for athletes who:

• Are committed to the sport
• Love the game/activity
• Respect coaches, teammates, and opponents
• Accept responsibility for outcome of contest; don't make excuses for losses
• Work hard at practice as well as games
• Exercise self control on and off the field of play
• Possess confidence but not arrogance
• Possess inner strength; able to control emotional responses and concentrate on what has to be done in pressure situations
• Are competitive, but have fun and enjoy the game
• Are able to set their ego aside and learn to adapt.