10 questions you should ask before training

“What should I be asking to get the information I need?”

This excellent question came from Mark, one of the coaches on our last CPD workshop in Devon. You have a blank sheet of paper, you have a new group of athletes: where do you start?

Here are 10 questions you might want to ask (in no particular order).

1. How much time do I have with them?
2. What is their current level and volume of training?
3. What else do they do (outside of the sport)?
4. What facilities/ equipment do I have available (available is different from mandatory)?
5. What are the Needs to do vs Nice to do for their age/ stage and sport? (from Gambetta).
6. How can I integrate training into other aspects of their life?
7. How can I organise the session to minimise down time (different from rest time which is necessary)?
8. Where do I want them to be in 12 months?
9. Where are they now and how can I measure that?
10. What unique aspects of the sport are there that might influence my session? (e.g. trampolinists & cricket fast bowlers do repeated movements on one side which affect their back).

This is a start and then you can plan from there. I work from the ground up, rather than try backwards from the “ideal situation”.

It is also important to remember that change takes time: sports coaches, athletes and parents need to be nudged and trust allowed to develop.

Has anyone got any other good questions to ask at the start?

Further reading:

• How to plan your team’s fitness training 
• How to take charge of your fitness training