Ability to be Coached at the Highest Level
In 1993, I got the opportunity to train my first NFL player. His name was Rob Burnett. Our training relationship lasted three years and grew into a great friendship. I trained Rob during his tenure playing for the Cleveland Browns. The team would eventually move to Baltimore and become the Baltimore Ravens. One of my fondest memories is watching Rob sack quarterback Kerry Collins in the 2001 Super Bowl, which they would go on to win. Rob played fourteen years in the NFL, earning a Pro-Bowl bid and one Super Bowl title. But it almost didn’t happen.
Rob was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1990, in the fifth round, with pick number 129. His first contract was for a little over the league minimum. This was a surprise based upon his celebrated career at Syracuse University. He lettered three years and was a co-captain his senior year on a highly decorated team. He was considered one of the top four players at his position in the country by the talent scouts. So why did he drop so low? In the NFL, there are a series of statistics and metrics considered when selecting a player. Millions of dollars are on the line. No shell goes unturned. Every play on the field is scrutinized. There are the measurables such as your height, weight, and skills. The scene of Rob’s demise was at the 1990 NFL Combine. The NFL Combine is where American football meets speed dating. It is part track meet and part job interview as the 32 NFL teams learn more about the top 330+ college football players from across the United States who will enter April's NFL Draft.
After the day of workouts, team scouts were led through interviews with college team coaches. Coach Dick MacPherson, the Syracuse coach at that time, shared with team scouts that Rob was un-coachable. That put a black mark next to Rob’s name and affected his value. Rob had a few incidences of rebellion with MacPherson during his time at Syracuse, which he later chalked up to immaturity. Your ability to be coached is the biggest factor that affects your potential outcome. His agent would later state that he kept this information from Rob and knew he didn’t need additional fuel for his motivation. He knew Rob’s talent and work ethic would prove MacPherson wrong and shine through. Five years later, Rob would sign a contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, which at that time was considered elite status, of three years for twelve million.
The J & D Fitness View on Being Coachable
Personal Trainers are Coaches in the Gym
When someone meets with me about training at the studio, my initial goal is to ask questions about what they want. I dig into their expectations of training at the studio. I tend to spend more time listening than talking. I’m also investigating whether this person will take to coaching. The coach/ client relationship is especially important at the studio and isn’t taken lightly.
After listening to their needs, I then explain how I think we’ll be able to achieve their goals. This is where frequency of workouts (2-3 days a week) and the length of time is discussed (3 months, 6 months, etc.). This is the easy part.
The challenge begins after that. That is because for them to reap the benefits, they are going to have to buy into the process. A huge part of that process is them consistently showing up and applying effort. The job for me and my team is to maximize what they can do. That may include some sweat and struggle at times. Our job is to first keep them safe, apply a strategic program and to help them reach a little further than they thought they could. That requires trust on their behalf. If they trust and respect us, I believe together we can achieve monumental things. In the documentary series, The Last Dance, charting the rise of the 1990’s Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, coach Doug Collins says, “the best players want to be coached hard”. He later goes on the say that these special and elite players know that the way to achieve success is through demanding work. Now I’m not going to push one of my members like they are one of the best athletes in the world, but I am going to do my best to get the most out of them. This can only happen if they allow themselves to be coached.
The challenge for some may come in the form of concentration. If you come from a background of in-activity, learning how to move well is going to take focus. Today, there are not many physical demands placed upon our daily lives. This is the reason for the decline in body awareness. Proprioception is the ability to know where your body is in space. If you want to see an example of this, just go outside and attempt to skip across the floor. This may take you a minute and you may have to really concentrate. Skipping was an activity kids used to do for fun. Now, most people struggle to do the task when asked.
The next time you wipe the perspiration from your forehead as you concentrate on an exercise, your trainer just asked you to perform, don’t get frustrated and remember that’s part of the process of getting better.
I’ll see you at the studio.
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