A trainer I know is closing his business down and asked if he could train his remaining clients at my facility through the end of the year. We worked out the logistics and the arrangement has been working fine.

The other day, he proceeded to tell me how one of the area high school football coaches “hates him” (his words). One of his clients was having a one-on-one meeting with this football coach and the coach made the comment he hasn’t seen him in the weight room much so asked what is he doing.

The athlete said he’s been working with this trainer and the coach told the athlete that this trainer I know was an awful strength coach, he’s only stealing money from this kid, and their school has the best strength program in the state of Ohio.

Even though the kid told him that during his time spent with this trainer he has felt he is the strongest and most explosive he has ever been? I don’t know what the coach said in response to this.

If I understand this coach correctly, the only good strength coach is the one hired by a school or university? Stealing money from the kid, give me a break. This coach doesn’t exactly coach football out of the goodness of his heart. He gets paid a nice salary to do that.

It amazes me the stories I hear from my colleagues about their dealings with sport coaches. The majority of which aren’t positive. Even Toni, the basketball instructor I share space with, has stories of coaches who will dissuade their kids from utilizing her services.

Let me get this straight, Toni Roesch has played division 1 basketball at Ohio State, has coached at the division 1 level, yet your high school coach ego won’t allow your athletes the opportunity to potentially get better for your team’s benefit by letting them pay for her services??

Not all of us performance coaches are bums looking to exploit money from these young athletes. The people I know that do this for a living are “wicked smart” and I guarantee can put your athletes through a better strength and speed program than anything you can come up with.

All I’ve ever asked when I meet a sport coach is to be open minded.  I am not trying to overtake your program and cause chaos to your empire. But I know how a weight room works and know you don’t have enough eyes to monitor all the athletes and some will slip through the cracks.

Some of these athletes slipping through the cracks might want to do extra work to help YOUR team make an impact next year. Get the chance to learn my program so that you will feel comfortable knowing we will get your athlete better. If your athlete says he/she is working with us, you will know that at least they are doing a solid program that won’t set your athlete back in their athletic development.

Embrace what we do. You and I want the exact same thing, to make a better athlete that will contribute positively for your team. Yes, I make money doing what I do, but last time I checked most strength coaches at schools get paid with money as well.

Do what you want, but you better hope I don’t hear about how sucky I am as a performance coach. If so, I pray there comes a day when you lose to a team where an athlete of mine dropped 40 on you. Good chance I might not take the high road next time I see you.

Photo courtesy of Neon Tommy on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/neontommy/