How do I become a better athlete or coach? (Pt1)

I often get asked "How do I become a better coach or athlete?" For me the answer is very simple and it applies to both groups of people - Play!

What do I mean by play? Exactly that...go out and play and experiment. By playing and experimenting with different movements you start to improve your coordination, your rhythm and balance (not to mention all the other benefits attached to theses things).

For coaches this is a great way of appreciating what your athletes go through - don't get me wrong I know not all coaches can do the stuff that they ask of their athletes, but those able to, I believe it gives them a better understanding and expectation of what the athlete has to do.

For athletes, just going out to play 'pick up' games will hugely improve your gameplay particularly if you're playing against better players than yourself, you'll need to raise your game to their level. Dare I say it I think a lot more can be learnt in this arena than just in a formal training environment. When it comes to the weight-room, I use the term 'play' with much more caution...MASTER the basics, then experiment with the other stuff, but above all be safe!

For both groups, learn and master the basics of important fundamental movements (squats, deadlifts, lunges, pulls and presses) then everything else will flow from these. Don't be afraid to try them, look for opportunities to play in your environment.

In Part 2 we'll look at coaches in particular and how to become a better coach - it's more than just sets and reps.