Athletes Aren’t Coaches…

Athletes Aren’t Coaches…

Introduction

Nowadays, everyone seems to be a coach or a PT. It's easy to assume that spending hours in the gym equates to profound knowledge of fitness and exercise science. However, The Dunning-Kruger Bias tells us that self-perceived competence in a domain doesn’t always align with our actual understanding. This blog will outline why merely going to the gym, or being in good physical shape, doesn’t translate into coaching competency.

Dunning-Kruger Effect: What Is It?

The Dunning-Kruger Effect, a cognitive bias named after psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, describes the phenomenon wherein individuals with limited knowledge or skill in a particular area tend to overestimate their competence. Conversely, those who are more knowledgeable may actually underestimate their abilities. In the context of the gym, this can manifest when frequent gym-goers assume they possess the expertise necessary to guide others in their fitness journey, despite lacking the relevant coaching experience, qualifications or skills.

Athletes Aren’t Coaches

It's essential to understand that being able to cobble together a single workout doesn't translate into the ability to design safe and effective strength and conditioning programmes. Similarly, just because you’re in good shape or physically fit, it doesn’t mean you possess the skills to coach others to similar feats. Qualified and competent fitness professionals will possess an understanding in anatomy, physiology, sports psychology, exercise programming, injury prevention, client assessment techniques, and a wider spectrum of critical areas.

Here, I’d like to demonstrate my point with what I call the ‘Gerrard/Lampard Fallacy’. For anyone that’s into football, you’ll appreciate that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were two of the greatest professional footballers of their entire generation. They were phenomenal athletes and consummate professionals. People assumed after retirement, they would experience similar success in the dugout as coaches, given their unbelievable athletic pedigree. This was not to be the case, because a good athlete does not necessarily make a good coach. Yes, there are some commonalities and carryover, but there are also a lot of differences.

To further exemplify my point, individuals like Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho experienced very modest playing careers, but then went on to be two of the greatest coaches of all time. Why is this? Because the skills needed to excel as a coach are different to the ones needed to be a top athlete. For example, if an athlete wants to reach the top, they need to be selfish and put their own needs front and centre. The opposite can be said of coaching, where selflessness and empathy are the name of the game.

Summary

In conclusion, while collecting training experience in the gym will undoubtedly provide some scope for learning and understanding, it doesn’t translate into the skills required to be a competent Personal Trainer or S&C Coach. There is a difference between being an athlete and a coach. The Dunning-Kruger Effect serves as a clear reminder to remain humble in our fitness pursuits. Remember, if you're in the market for a coach or PT, judge them on their capacity to help and improve you, not keep themself in good shape. 

Back to blog