Sometimes as an athlete, you get in a position where you have a bad coach you have is not exactly the one you like, or you feel as if for whatever reason they do not like you. It is not always easy to just up and quit and find another coach or a new team.
Here are some ways to deal with having a bad coach, and maybe turn the bad coach into a good coach, or at least have a relationship that can still promote you improving as an athlete.
Use negativity for motivation
If you feel like a coach is not being as positive as you may need, then take the negative statements as positive ones. Hear negative things from your coach or anyone as a challenge to prove someone in this world wrong. When you prove them wrong either 2 things will happen; the first being them continuing to doubt you which means they will continue to be wrong, or they will stop doubting you.
Put In extra time without coach
If you feel like the workouts are not sufficient for what you need to be a better athlete and stay healthy than take things into your own hands. Now I am not saying go out and have another practice on your own as this would be counterproductive. But adding an exercise/drill or two on to practice or in the weight room could be beneficial.
Change your attitude
Many times it is easy to blame everything on your coach, and even if everything is their fault, put the blame on yourself. If you put the blame on yourself to be a smarter athlete than naturally, you will go on a hunt for a solution to make things better instead of just waiting for your coach to do something.
Open up your communication
Communication is a skill that is so vital yet we all struggle with it. Many times communication can be the deciding factor in whether any type of relationship thrives or breaks down. Athletes are the best at sucking things up when they have a problem. In reality, if you do not believe in the training you are doing it will not work as well for you as if you did. Making the attempt to talk to your coach about what you do not like is always worth it.
Explain what you want and why
Many times people can say what they want but they cannot explain why they want it. For someone in a position of authority, not having a good reason to back up a want just does not cut it. Also being able to explain yourself in a situation shows you put some careful thought into things and shows you know what you are talking about.
Make sure that you are not just a baby
If you complain about things that no one else on the team has even noticed than chances are you are just being a baby. Things are never going to be perfect no matter what situation.
Give the coach a chance and just believe in them
Sometimes you have to give people a chance. Some people have heard things or they hate someone before they even get to know them. Once they get to know them through their eyes are opened up. If you decided in your mind you are not going to like someone chances are you will never like them until you change that mindset and give them a chance. If you give them a chance and they continue to do things that make you not like a person or a coach than at least you have a reason.
Find a way to keep things fun
I am a big believer in training hard but having fun while doing it. As humans, we always do better at things that we enjoy. If practice and sports in general just seem to not be fun anymore, do whatever you can to bring the fun back into training.
Do not make matters worse
If the relationship with a coach already seems to be a bad one do not make it worse by being disobedient. Do what you are told even if you have an issue with it. There is a right way to go about explaining that you do not like what is going on and it is not in the middle of practice in front of the whole team. Do your part to be respectful and a great athlete, so that the coach can never say that you were a horrible person to coach.
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KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
