Be an Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes

Things to develop your coaching and have a greater impact on your athletes. You define what your “elite” is!

By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

In this newsletter, I talk about why we talk too much in our coaching and why staying silent may be more powerful.

I then discuss a big topic of mine, how to engage your athletes from the start to allow them to focus on the main session and maximise their learning.

Also I just wanted to make sure you have read my most popular newsletters so far and those which I have had the best feedback from.

Click here to view them now:

1. The Role of Strength and Conditioning in Sports Performance

2. The Ultimate Warm-Up Strategy to Engage Large Groups and my Number 1 Mobility Exercise for Anyone!

3. Navigating the Menstrual Cycle in Female Athletes and Master the Art of Tailored Coaching

Be an Elite Coach:

Recently, I’ve noticed many coaches talking too much during their sessions—over-explaining techniques, using too many coaching cues, demoing for too long, and constantly engaging with their athletes throughout the workout.

When session time is limited, constantly interrupting the flow reduces valuable practice time. Sometimes, the most effective thing a coach can do is take a step back, observe, and listen.

Of course, communication is a vital part of coaching. It plays a crucial role in motivating athletes, correcting technique, and facilitating development. But there’s a balance. As a coach, you need to use different approaches—listening, observing, and speaking—to truly understand the athletes you’re working with.

By stepping back, you often gain a new perspective on your athletes and can better notice their behavior, technique, and decision-making. While it may feel natural to offer constant guidance, listening and observing can be far more impactful. Here’s why:

• Deeper Understanding: Listening helps you understand your athletes' true needs and challenges, allowing you to tailor your coaching.

• Stronger Relationships: Active listening builds trust, showing athletes that you value their input.

• Empowers Growth: Encouraging athletes to find solutions on their own promotes critical thinking and independence.

• Spot Unspoken Issues: Observing allows you to pick up on subtle cues that may affect performance.

• More Impactful Communication: Speaking less ensures that when you do give feedback, your words carry more weight.

I’ve experienced this myself as a coach. I used to feel the need to constantly coach and prove my expertise to my athletes and others.

But after reflecting on one particular speed session—where things move fast—I realized I was overcomplicating things. I was giving my athletes too much to think about when their focus should have been on running as fast as they could.

By stepping back, observing their running technique, and listening to their feedback, I was able to provide the right coaching cues at the right time, helping them improve without overcomplicating things.

Build Elite Athletes:

My question to you. How do your athletes/those you are coaching arrive to their session?

What’s their mood like? What are they focused on? Are they excited to learn? Are they energised to move?

One of my core philosophies is to keep sessions fun and engaging, regardless of the objective.

But how can you achieve this while ensuring the session is safe and effective, especially when the goal is physical development?

In my experience as a Strength & Conditioning (S&C) coach, whether working with athletes, school students, or the general population, my aim has always been to develop them physically while maintaining a fun atmosphere.

Here are some strategies I’ve used to ensure that sessions are both fun and safe, while still working on physical development:

Use games: Incorporate games that challenge athletes to move in various ways and test them physically. This is a great way to inject fun into the session.

• Create competitiveness: Introduce challenges or set targets/goals for them to achieve. This adds a competitive element that can increase engagement.

• You, as the coach, create the energy, but you remain in control: Your energy is contagious. If you look bored, they will be bored. If you’re enthusiastic and enjoying yourself, they’ll feed off that. However, remember that you’re in control; you can rein your athletes in to ensure their safety.

• Give them ownership, but guide them along the way: Sometimes, allowing participants to design their own program or session can make them feel in control of their development. However, it’s crucial to guide them and provide some rules or constraints to ensure the desired outcome is still achieved.

• The “Goldilocks Rule”: Find a balance between boredom (when the task is too easy) and frustration (when the task is too challenging). This keeps the athlete mentally and physically stimulated.

• Educate: When those you’re training understand why they are doing a particular drill, especially when it’s challenging, it can help drive intent and buy-in.

Let me know any other strategies or things that have worked well in your coaching or training to drive fun but get great outcomes!

The first 5 minutes of your session is the most important and it sets the tone for the rest of the training. Add energy in your coaching from the go, allow them to move and run around to then focus on the task ahead.

You are in control from the moment they arrive.

Need help in your coaching? Hit reply and let me know your challenges and we can talk!

Speak soon,

Isaac 🙂 

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