🏋️ What Makes a Good Coach · The Academy. by Wes Piatt

🏋️ What Makes a Good Coach

It’s not just certifications on a wall. It’s not just calling out cues or writing workouts on a whiteboard. A good coach is someone who cares deeply — enough to know your name, your story, your aches and pains, your wins, your losses, and everything in between.

A good coach pays attention. Not just when the clock starts, but when you walk through the door. They know when you’re moving well and when you’re hiding something behind that forced smile. They know when to push and when to simply stand beside you in the grind.

A Standard That Starts With You

Coaching isn’t about telling others what to do. It’s about holding yourself to the same standard you ask of your athletes.

If you demand full range of motion, you’d better be the one squatting below parallel.
If you tell people to fuel their bodies well, you’d better be the one eating like it matters.
If you preach sleep, recovery, and discipline, your life should reflect that standard — not in perfection, but in consistent effort.

Great coaches don’t lead from the back. They lead from the front — by example.

It’s More Than Movement

Yes, movement matters. A good coach will correct your form even when it’s uncomfortable to do so. They’ll call you out on lazy reps, because they care more about your longevity than your ego.

But a great coach also sees beyond movement. They understand that sleep, nutrition, stress, mindset, and community are all part of performance. They hold space for all of it. They check in, they listen, they notice.

It’s Not About You

A good coach knows this isn’t about their PRs, their body, their highlight reel. It’s about you — the person showing up on tired days, sore days, scared days, strong days.

The best coaches understand the responsibility that comes with trust. When someone gives you their time and their effort, you owe them your presence, your attention, and your standard.

Living the Standard

Here’s the truth: people don’t follow words, they follow example.

If you live the standard — in how you move, eat, sleep, recover, and treat others — you don’t have to say as much. Your actions will speak louder. Your athletes will rise to match the energy you bring, the expectations you hold, and the care you give.

A good coach doesn’t just create better athletes.A good coach creates better humans.

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