Beware the Sirens

Odysseus was able to resist the call of the Sirens by having his sailors tie him to the mast. They stuffed their ears with wax so as to avoid being called to sail onto the rocks and be wrecked.

Odysseus listened to their beautiful song but his ship stayed on course because of the strength of the bonds and the mast.

The Siren calls of social media ‘influencers’ and ‘experts’ are tempting many young athletes to be dashed upon rocky shores. I am constantly being asked, ‘have you seen YouTuber Billy Bob who says that we should do exercise Y?’ or ‘Instagrammer Chuck says there are 24 points to remember while doing a snatch.’

‘No,’ is my answer to all of them.

My mast was built from being coached by excellent coaches, practising for thousands of hours, and undergoing the arduous (and often repetitive) task of gaining coaching qualifications.

I can resist the Siren call of big words like ‘Conjugate sequencing’ and ‘Bulgarian/Russian/ Chinese/German training methods because I have learned my trade.

Unfortunately, beginners are easily swayed by fancy websites, podcasts and social media images. They have yet to realise that perhaps the best coaches do not have time to cultivate a social media presence: they are too busy coaching and working on their craft.

The young athletes have no filter: their mast is a flimsy paper origami boat that gets buffeted by every breeze, every ripple and the weakest of tidal fads. They would be better off finding a good coach.

3 things to look for in a coach

There is no substitute for being coached by an expert coach. Go there with an ’empty cup’ ready to learn.

1: Some coaches have got lucky and coached a freak athlete: their ‘Golden Ticket’. Look for someone who has coached more than one decent athlete, someone who has had many experiences and can adapt their training philosophy to the person in front of them.

2: Are they qualified? Some coaches say they don’t have time or energy to get qualified, but the process of undergoing coach education and learning is a lifelong one. If they qualified 20 years ago, are they still undergoing professional development? The qualifications don’t always make you a better coach but the attitude to learning is important.

3. Do they answer your enquiries within a week? Don’t expect replies instantaneously or at weekends or late at night: they are unlikely to be on Snapchat and have lives to live. Are they welcoming to beginners? I think they should be because every athlete starts somewhere. That doesn’t mean you contact the National Coach and demand to be taught! A respectful reply and a signpost to the right training session are courteous.

Anyone who is ‘too good’ to do that, or forces you to undergo an initiation or expensive signup fee at the start should be avoided.

Three recommended weightlifting clubs.

I built my mast, and had it reinforced, at these three clubs:

• Crystal Palace Weightlifting Club: Coach Keith Morgan.
• Oxford Power Sports: Coach Marius Hardiman.
• Holyhead and Anglesey Weightlifting and Fitness Club: Coach Ray Williams.

I would happily send my children to those coaches, and that is the highest recommendation I can give.

All have a social media presence, but none of them spends their lives on there!