“Bob, the only coach I’ve ever had. He had trained me, punished me, motivated me, inspired me, and proven to me the connection between hard work and success. Bob has long been one of the very few people in my life to tell me the unadulterated truth, even when I didn’t want to listen. Perhaps most important, especially when I didn’t want to hear it.”

Outside of athletes, coaches may be the most important figures in all of sport. Often they start as parents or non-professionals eventually evolving into people who coach full time. Michael had one coach his whole career in Bob Bowman. Other athletes like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have had many through their careers.

In this episode we try to answer, what is the role of the coach? What is the breadth of value a coach can offer to an athlete. As part of this discovery, we also look into how coaches and athletes can communicate and build trust. Finally, we examine the role of the athletes themselves.

Timestamps

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:11:24 Outlining What is Possible
  • 00:17:43 Setting Standards
  • 00:29:48 Creating a Gameplan
  • 00:37:40 Thinking Long Term
  • 00:43:08 Research
  • 00:49:57 Creating Adversity
  • 00:58:34 Protecting the Athlete
  • 01:02:55 Motivation
  • 01:12:24 Goals
  • 01:16:35 Perspective
  • 01:20:11 Transparency
  • 01:43:10 Building Trust
  • 01:46:55 The Role of the Athlete

Links and resources

Affiliates

Track your health data with Whoop. Get 1 month free – join.whoop.com/exponentialathlete

Resources – Books

  • Beneath the Surface (Autobiography): https://amzn.to/4eJK4fk
  • No Limits (Autobiography): https://amzn.to/4h7zjVR
  • The Golden Rules: https://amzn.to/48g2vGb
  • 10X is Easier than 2X: https://amzn.to/4faohhe

Resources – Podcasts

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9yrT2c-yyU&ab_channel=BlueWire
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-WwtG625sI
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISuQHEUpJW8
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG5pLBH4-9s

Resources – YouTube

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHjtJLu5F24
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MheXi-r-hdU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjMVZp0X_gw
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25c1ZYVF_f8
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1gqy5KJhww
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsBk_U8mhQA
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCPAl1yPKGk
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LoPcX1U3FU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDsk9At6aEU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErcP2VIbgus
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8ZZS0qrVNw
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4YYKk-60I – Calories Burned in Pool
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr-wf-EevUc
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xagTJo_vGTk – Characteristics of Champions
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqjHRN11NM
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao4fEglWqms
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl1LJx1JEjU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OelU90hH0QA
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmIUibhpyPc
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Kma3WLbTQ

Resources – Articles and Movies

  • https://www.si.com/olympics/2015/11/09/michael-phelps-rehabilitation-rio-2016
  • The Weight of Gold