One of the reasons why I like coaching so much is because it helps clients discover their own answers and treats them as the experts in their own lives (which I believe everyone is). It is a very client-centred and solution-focused approach. A very brief example of this is shown in the following diagram –
Today, I wanted to share with you 9 specific ways an athlete can benefit from resilience and well-being coaching.
9 Ways An Athlete Can Benefit from Resilience and Well-Being Coaching
There are many benefits an athlete can receive from working with a coach. Following are nine popular benefits that I have heard from the athletes I work with.
1. Clarify and Align to What You Truly Want in Life
When was the last time you sat down and truly identified what you want and looked at your life outside of sport? Yes, your relationships, your dreams, your other skills and talents outside of sport.
“Fear regret more than failure.” ~ Taryn Rose
2. Increase Your Genuine Level of Self-Confidence
What would you do today if you had genuine self-confidence in your life (not just your sport)? Or maybe you would also do things differently in your sport? A life coach can support you to increase your genuine level of self-confidence.
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~ Dale Carnegie
3. Expand Your Professional Career Opportunities
Being an athlete doesn’t last forever, it has a lifespan. Is it time to start thinking about expanding your professional career opportunities outside of sport?
“Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.” ~ Jim Rohn
4. Supports You to Manage Stress and Increase Your Resilience and Wellbeing
Being an athlete can be stressful. There is a lot to manage and then you are expected to perform at your best on top of that. It can also be tough to deal with other people’s expectations and losses. A life coach can support you to increase your toolkit of resources (i.e. mindfulness, self-management, emotional intelligence and self-compassion) to increase your resilience and wellbeing.
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” ~ William James
5. Develop Written Plans and Grow Accountability Levels
Do you ever wish you had a sounding board to discuss your plans and have someone hold you accountable to them? A resilience and well-being coach is on your side and wants you to succeed as much as you do.
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” ~ Denis Waitley
6. Increase Harmony and Balance Across Your Sport and Life
Do you find you invest more time in your sport than on other areas of your life? Is having harmony and balance across your sport and life important to you?
“You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” ~ Zig Ziglar
7. Improve Communication Skills
Effective communication relies on a high degree of self-awareness. By developing awareness and understanding your own communication style can help to build quality relationships with other people and handle conflict. Communication is more than just your words, it also includes –
- how you say it – including the tone of your voice,
- why you say it – the intention behind the message,
- when you say it – for example – during an argument, the time of day etc.,
- what you don’t say – sometimes what you don’t say gives a clearer picture of what is going on than what you say, and
- your body language – including your facial expressions, gestures and posture.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” ~ George Bernhard Shaw
8. Increase Life Satisfaction
Your career as an athlete may be going well, however how satisfied are you with your whole life? Yes, your life outside of sport? A life coach can support you to look at your whole life and also start the transition process out of sport.
“To be able to look back upon ones’ life in satisfaction, is to live twice.” ~ Khalil Gibran
9. Unconditional Support
When was the last time you had someone listen to you and your dreams and support you unconditionally? Being an athlete can be challenging as you are supporting other people. Sometimes these other people are so focused on your sporting results and performance, they forget you are a human being first. A life coach supports you master your whole life, not just your performance on the sporting field.
“Helping others isn’t a chore; it is one of the greatest gifts there is.” ~ Liya Kebede
Over to You…
I hope this post has give you some insight in to the different ways an athlete can benefit from resilience and well-being coaching. If you would like to find out more about life coaching, click here.
Also – if you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and bridge the gap between sport and life, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.