In the last blog, we talked about how we've managed to help more than 100 athletes at the collegiate level.
It is not the quantity that is important, it is the quality. These young men and women have become resilient, impact-driven, courageous leaders in a world of college athletics where most end up stressed, anxious, unfulfilled, and quite frankly dreading each season.
How have we done it?
PFP's 7 Pillar Winning Athlete Formula
We wanted to share Pillar 1 and 2 today.
Pillar 1: Assess for Success
It boggles my mind to see how few students get initial 1 on 1 time with their coach.
How do you find out what really drives a young man or woman if you do not connect and assess in a 1 on 1 setting?
How do you really know their fears, doubts, or insecurities so that you can lead them up and build them up?
How could you possibly know how that young man or woman is best lead, motivated, and coached if you do not get to know the real them?
Group coaching is a compliment to 1 on 1 coaching, never a replacement for it.
At PFP we've established a process that enables us to really get to know the athlete 1 on 1 so that we can meet them where they are at and build an effective game-plan.
1. Mindset Assessment
2. Flexibility Injury Prevention Assessment
3. Performance Assessment
4. Strength and Core Assessment
5. Overall Strengths, Weaknesses, Passions, and Desire Assessment
It sounds like a lot, and it is. But it is worth it when you see the impact 2-3 years down the road.
Pillar 2: Connect and Build Trust
*Connect
*Serve
*Engage
This happens during Pillar 1 and throughout the entire relationship between our coaches and athletes. It is a non-stop effort to connect and build trust. It takes months to build it up, and just a moment to tear it down. We are careful with our words and constantly seek to serve them, because service leads to trust.
To truly connect means to find common ground and to become interested in their interests, even if they are not our own. To listen and refrain from analyzing and "teaching" all the time is to connect.
Engagement from teens is a constant challenge but we work hard to build that muscle because engagement of the youth mind is everything to the influence you have with him or her.
For example, during our motivational message we share personal stories with vulnerability, we use visuals and analogies to increase engagement, we do writing exercises, and we ask the athletes for their help.
We work harder at increasing connection and engagement than we do at just about anything else.
Why?
Because a disengaged student is on their way out, which means we do not get to have the lasting, life-long impact that we've been able to have with these 100+ college students to date.
Stay tuned for the next couple of pillars. We love serving your child and your family. You are awesome!
All the best,
Coach Andrew Simpson and the PFP Team
