Lead From The Front But Never Leave Your Athletes Behind

One of the things I believe most strongly as both a coach and a competitor is that there has to be a line between pursuing your own goals and serving the people who trust you with theirs. I believe in leading from the front. I believe it's important for coaches to continue chasing their own goals, competing, and pushing themselves. Some of the greatest lessons I've ever learned came from stepping onto the platform myself.

But I also believe that the moment you decide to run a coaching business and accept paying clients, your athletes come first. When someone invests their hard earned money into your coaching, they're not just paying for a program. They're trusting you to provide a reliable, consistent, and professional service. They're giving you their best effort every single week, and you owe them your best effort in return.

It's a two way street. If at any point you communicate, whether intentionally or not, that your own prep, your own competition, or your own progress matters more than theirs, I believe you've failed as a coach.

Ironically, a huge part of my success as a coach came from my years as a competitor. I competed at the highest levels of powerlifting and self coached myself to a 2000lb total at 242 pounds. While I was technically self-coached, I also owe an enormous amount of credit to the people around me. I constantly sought advice, asked questions, and learned from coaches and lifters who knew more than I did.

I know what it feels like to chase big goals. I know the stress of preparing for national level competitions. I know the sacrifices, the setbacks, and the obsession that comes with trying to become the strongest version of yourself. That experience shaped the coach I am today, but it wasn't until I had accomplished many of my own goals that I transitioned into personal training, then strength coaching, and eventually built The Crew. I wish more coaches did that, instead of just jumping into coaching without gaining valuable experience… and yes that means more than 1 or 2 local meets with a 1200lb total.

Once I made the commitment to help other people achieve their goals, I made another commitment to myself… My athletes would never take a back seat to my own ambitions. That philosophy still hasn't changed. As I write this, I'm less than four weeks out from my bodybuilding show. I'm deep into prep, my energy is low, and every day comes with its own physical and mental challenges. Yet every single day I'm still completing program updates, reviewing lifting videos, answering messages, and making sure my athletes are taken care of. I even requested time off from work two weeks before my show, not to rest or focus on myself, but so I could coach at a meet in Buffalo and support two of my athletes as they compete literally 2 weeks before I step on stage on July 18th.

At no point during this prep have they become less important because I decided to compete. I'm not saying my way is the only way. There are plenty of coaches who charge less. There are coaches with different philosophies and different levels of involvement. In today's oversaturated coaching market, there are more options than ever, but often, you get what you pay for.

I know many of my athletes chose me despite having less expensive options available. They chose my experience, my track record, and the standard I hold myself to. That's not something I'll ever take lightly. I'll continue pursuing my own goals because I believe it's important for my athletes to see that I'm willing to do the work too. If I expect discipline, consistency, and effort from them, I should be willing to demonstrate those same qualities myself and that's what leading by example means. But leading from the front doesn't mean putting yourself first, it means showing your athletes what's possible while never forgetting that your responsibility is to help them achieve what's possible for themselves.

If you're a coach, remember this… Your clients are investing in themselves, but they're also investing in you. Honor that trust, show up, be consistent, and give them your best because that’s exactly what you’re asking them to do every single day.

Are you looking for a coach? Get started today by applying for coaching here>> Contact — THE CREW (sheridanstrengthcrew.com)