So, you are an athlete looking for a competitive edge. You are considering using the services of a York Strength and Conditioning Coach. Well, you have come to the right place.
A Strength and Conditioning Coach is a professional that works with athletes. The role of the Strength and Conditioning Coach is to develop fitness qualities in order to reduce injuries and improve performance in a particular sport. In a nutshell this is what an S&C coach is and what an S&C coach does. The rest of the article is dedicated to establishing what to look for in a Strength and Conditioning Coach.
What to look for in a York Strength and Conditioning Coach?
Deciding which Strength and Conditioning Coach to work with is an incredibly important decision. The choice you make is likely to have a big impact on your future sporting success. So you need to be sure you are making the correct decision. In my opinion, these are the key considerations when looking at which Strength and Conditioning Coach to work with:
- Strength and Conditioning Coaching Experience
- Formal Strength and Conditioning Qualifications
- Access to Appropriate Strength and Conditioning Facilities
- Were they an Elite Athlete themselves?
I have listed these factors in order of importance, from most important to least important. However, they are all very important factors to consider. Let’s take a look at each of them individually.
Strength and Conditioning Coaching Experience
This is arguably the most important factor to consider. Not because it is impossible to be an effective coach without lots of experience. It certainly is possible to achieve great coaching results without lots of prior experience. However, as an athlete looking to invest in the best Strength and Conditioning Coach, why would you take that gamble? What is the easiest way for you to know if a coach will be able to achieve outstanding results with you? It’s by having confirmation that they have achieved the results you are looking for with many athletes before. Success leaves clues. If a number of successful athletes have already put their trust into a certain Strength and Conditioning professional. That is a very big clue worth taking note of.
Formal Strength and Conditioning Qualifications
This is the second area to look at. First and foremost, results matter. With that said, previous results achieved with athletes will always take precedence over formal qualifications. However, education is still very important. A coach with a higher level of education within the relevant areas will have a greater knowledge base. A greater level of knowledge usually results in more effective coaching. Of course, coaches should also learn through their ‘in the trenches’ experience. So, in reality, coaching experience and formal education go hand in hand to create the complete Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Access to Appropriate Strength and Conditioning Facilities
This is the third area to look at. Coaching experience and formal qualifications should always come first. This is because an effective Strength and Conditioning Coach should be capable of achieving great results, even with limited facilities. That being said, you are an athlete looking for the best coaches and the best training environment. Why would you want to settle for sub par training facilities?
My advice here is to never, ever, choose a coach with limited experience and sub par qualifications, simply because they operate out of a fancy training facility with all the latest equipment. However, as long as you are looking at only highly qualified and experienced coaches, then yes, absolutely take into consideration their access to certain facilities and equipment.
Were They an Elite Athlete Themselves?
This is definitely an important consideration. But it is not the be all and end all. The best athletes don’t always make for the best coaches. It does, however, really help to have an understanding of the demands of elite level sport. If a coach has been there and done it as an athlete, then they will have that understanding of what high level training and preparation feels like.
So don’t worry if your Strength and Conditioning Coach has not competed at the Olympics. Very, very few coaches will have done that. And, as we have already said, the very best athletes do not necessarily make for the very best coaches. However, you could look for a coach that has competed at an international level or at least a National level. That is something that could be very advantageous. It should also be said, the three factors above (coaching experience, formal qualifications, and access to appropriate facilities) should be treated as more important factors. If your coach was also an elite athlete, that should be thought of as the icing on the cake.
York Strength and Conditioning Coach
My name is Tim. I am a Personal Trainer, Sports Massage Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach, based in York. If you are also in York, are looking for a Strength and Conditioning Coach, and have made it this far through the article; by now you know what to look for in a Strength and Conditioning Coach. I will now endeavour to provide an honest appraisal of how I stack up against the above criteria. This should help you to assess whether or not I am the correct Strength and Conditioning Coach for you.
Strength and Conditioning Coaching Experience
As a coach, my experience lies primarily within Track and Field. I have coached sprinters to qualify for the English Schools Track and Field Championships. I have also coached sprinters to qualify for the British Championships, World Trials and Olympic Trials. Some of the athletes that I have coached have also won medals at North of England Championships and at Scottish National Championships.
In addition to my coaching experience, as a Sports Massage Therapist, I have worked with Team GB and Team Canada Olympic athletes, Commonwealth Games medallists, World Champions and World Record Holders.
Formal Strength and Conditioning Qualifications
I hold a BSc (Hons) Degree in Sport and Exercise Science, an MSc Degree in Strength and Conditioning, and a PGCE in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. I also hold a Level Five Diploma in Sports Therapy.
In addition to these qualifications, I have had my Sports Science research published in a Peer Reviewed Journal and I spent three years as a Lecturer in Strength and Conditioning at the University of Derby.
Access To Appropriate Strength and Conditioning Facilities
I operate my personal training and Strength and Conditioning Coaching business out of my own completely private gym, Egerton’s Garage Gym (The EGG).
The EGG is located in Foxwood, York. It is entirely and extensively equipped with high end equipment from world class manufacturers. Equipment in The EGG includes brands such as Hammer Strength, Eleiko, Rogue Fitness, Watson Gym Equipment, Wolverson Fitness and more. The EGG is a completely private gym in York. You will never have to share your training space with other gym members. The layout of the gym has been expertly devised in order to make sure it both maximises the use of the available space and to also ensure that all the necessary equipment for elite level Strength and Conditioning training is available.
You can click the following link if you are interested in finding out more about my York Personal Training and Strength and Conditioning Gym:
York Personal Trainer
Elite Level Athletics Experience
I am now a retired middle distance runner. However, during my running career I accomplished the following:
- Selected to represent England in international competition on three occasions
- Five times an England Athletics National Championship medallist (one silver, and four bronze)
- UK Inter-Counties National Champion in the Mile
- Three time a UK Inter-Counties National Championship medallist (one gold, one silver, one bronze)
- Two times a North of England Champion (once at 1500m and once at 3000m)
Finding a York Strength and Conditioning Coach
You may have decided that I am a good fit to work with you on your Strength and Conditioning training. In this case, the next step is for you to get in touch. From there, we can have a chat about your requirements before getting started.
If, however, you have read the above and have decided that we may not be such a good fit, please do feel free to still get in touch. I want athletes in York to thrive, whether they are working with me or working with other coaches. So if you do require assistance in finding the right Strength and Conditioning Coach that may be a good fit for you, I can help point you in the right direction.
York Strength and Conditioning Coach
With all that said and done, one final point that you should consider is your personality and the personality of the coach you are planning to work with. If your personalities do not gel, then it is unlikely to make for a fruitful coach / athlete relationship. Even if your potential new coach ticks all the right boxes (unrivalled coaching experience, top tier formal qualifications, state of the art gym, and has walked the walk as a top level athlete); if your personalities clash, or if you just don’t really like them, you are very unlikely to get the results you are looking for.
I encourage meeting for a chat before getting started. You should have a good feeling about what we are to embark upon. We can speak on the phone. You can also visit Egerton’s Garage Gym in order to chat in person.
So if you would like to get in touch, either to enquire about working with me on Strength and Conditioning or for guidance on finding other Strength and Conditioning Coaches in York, please click on the following links:
ENQUIRE ABOUT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
Tim Egerton
The EGG
Egerton’s Garage Gym
Foxwood Persoanl training, York