By Courtney Everetts and Michael Craw
(November 12, 2021)
Coaching CrossFit and Aging Populations (4- Part Article Series)
Tell your older clients what they need to hear. Direct and clear communication is key to connecting with our older athletes because it drives them in a holistic-health manner. People of all ages have a desire to be challenged. This challenge extends to older athletes.
My resolve as a CrossFit coach is not to intimidate but to provide an exercise opportunity for people to challenge themselves, and realistically so. When exercise goals are communicated openly and realism is unified, people will adhere to “workouts that fit them” simply because they seek improved overall health outcomes for the balance of their life. Good coaching is good teaching, nothing else. Helpful coach communication begins with the daily WOD (Workout of the Day). Helpful well-timed communication touches the core of a person and when the “contact bridge” is crossed people will let you occupy the most authentic part of them, which is to trust.
Clear Communication
When coaching during a WOD, effective communication techniques help build profoundly rewarding, valuable, and beneficial wellness-based relationships with the older generation of CrossFit athletes (Master’s athletes). Witnessing our master’s athletes become more skilled, helping them to achieve goals (once thought out of reach), and seeing their self-confidence increase is what every coach should strive for. As a coach, aim for words and gestures that are short, focused, and sharp (but sensitive) because it shows them the correct way to complete the WOD effectively. Make the most of limited interaction during class time through undivided attention, active listening, and jargon-free feedback as it builds trust in the coach whilst maintaining capacity and confidence to execute workouts properly and safely.
Connect
In my experience at CrossFit Invigorate, greeting our master’s athletes with a warm smile, genuine encouragement, precise visual cues, and fast-paced music at a loud volume will motivate them to consistently strive for improvements in strength, mobility, skill, and foundational movements. Verbalized coaching goals such as “aim to be better than yesterday,” and “PR (personal record) where you can”, does more to motivate older clients than a jargon-laden explanation at the start of the WOD.
3 Tips for the Coach
In my view, older populations are in a dead set fight against the aging process. They don’t want to lose function and independence too early in life. They want to self-care for as long as they can, and there is no reason that they shouldn’t be able to be equipped with the tools to do so. As a CrossFit coach, a unique opportunity is presented to improve the older generation’s quality of living. As a coach, I can:
- Build Trust: One of the key components for ‘living’ is establishing a trusting and effective relationship through communication.
- Consider Word Choice: For this demographic should always be interlaced with encouragement, expectation, and genuineness.
- Clear Communication: This establishes the WOD’s intended programming standard, which should be interpreted as sensible and believable, but challenging without diminishing confidence.
Coaching CrossFit and Aging Populations 4- Part Article Series:
Part 1: The Magic is in the Movement
Part 2: The Art is in the Programming
Part 3: The Science is in the Explanation
Part 4: The Fun is in the Community
