There are many reasons why an athlete would work and partner with a wholistic coach. Subsequently, in this post I wanted to share you you some of those reasons. However, before I share why would an athlete work with a wholistic coach, let’s make sure we are on the same page about coaching.
What is Coaching?
The International Coach Federation (ICF) refers to coaching as –
“partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Another definition of coaching from Anthony Grant includes –
“A collaborative, solution-focused, results-orientated and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of performance, life experience, self-directed learning and the personal growth of people from normal (non-clinical) populations.”
Coaching recognises the client as the expert in their own world (personal and professional) and knows every person is creative, resourceful, and whole.
Basically the coaching process is about identifying where you are now, where you would like to be and then close that gap. The coach does this through –
- discovering, clarifying, and aligning with where the client wants to be,
- encouraging self-discovery and trust within themselves,
- eliciting client-generated solutions and strategies,
- keeping the client accountable and ensuring they are taking responsibility for themselves, and
- providing support to the client.
Coaching is not –
- a quick-fix, one size fits all approach for your current challenges (as we are all unique),
- therapy or counseling (please seek a licensed medical professional if this is what you need),
- about giving you advice (you are the expert in your own life),
- financial advising or estate planning (again please seek a licensed practitioner if this is what you require).
You can see more about what coaching is and is not in the following video –
What is Wholistic Coaching?
Basically, Wholistic Coaching is Life Coaching is coaching for your life (with a bit of a twist) and it aligns mind, body, emotions and awareness in those areas. For me personally, my life makes up 12 areas. As you can see by the image below, career (i.e. sport) is one of the twelve, however it is linked to other areas.
Why Would an Athlete Work With a Wholistic Coach?
There are many others reasons why an athlete would work with a wholistic coach, some of these reasons include –
- improving communication skills,
- clarifying, and aligning with where the athlete wants to be and developing accountability, plans and strategies to align with them,
- expanding professional career opportunities (yes being an athlete doesn’t last forever),
- increasing your level of genuine self-confidence – both inside and outside of sport,
- optimising your performance (i.e. helping you “be in flow” with your career and life),
- increasing your health and wellbeing and ways to manage stress (i.e. self-management strategies and mindfulness),
- managing the transition process of life after sport, and
- improving harmony and balance within your career and life.
Over to You…
I hope this post has give you some insight in to why an athlete would work with a wholistic coach. If you would like to find out more about coaching, click here. Ready to reconnect with your heart and livie a more connected and whole-hearted life, click here to receive the free download 🙂
Reference –
Grant, A. M. (2001). Towards a psychology of coaching: The impact of coaching on metacognition, mental health and goal attainment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.