What is the difference between a Sports Coach vs Career Coach or more importantly What has Sports Coaching got in common with Career Coaching?
I coach the under 12 rugby team for my local school. If you don’t know what rugby is then very simply, it is little like Soccer, American Football and Wrestling all rolled into one! Have a look at this website if you want to know more.
What have I learned from Sports Coaching? Are there differences between a sports coach vs career coach?
What have the under 12s taught me and where can I use it my career coaching? Where are the cross overs?
Firstly, children are far less patient than adults and they tell you when they are bored!
That’s something that I have realised – small games and small ideas can really help in coaching so it feels fresh and creative rather than repetitive and boring. You look at a problem in many different ways and use all of your brain so you get to new solutions.
- I use small games in my Career Coaching too.
- Sometimes I give homework so you talk to your life partner and see if you have the same expectations for your life.
- Additionally, I play drawing games so we paint a picture showing all the important parts of your ideal career.
They make you be more creative and think wider.
Secondly, it is key to explain why you are doing something.
Children like to know the bigger picture. Why are we doing this training? Where does it fit into the game or our strategy? What role do I play?
It’s the same in career coaching – where are we going? What are we trying to achieve and how do these goals fit into the long term aims? This is important to clients, so you can understand how we are getting from now to your ideal career.
Thirdly, children (and adults) want to be seen.
We want to be listened to and take part in shaping our future. We want to belong to the group. Children want you to have a relationship with them. Sometimes I can be the third most important adult in their life after their parents.
Coaching clients are the same: you want to be listened to, be really seen and develop a relationship with a trusted person who you can properly talk to. I spend the first session as a chemistry meeting. This allows me to make sure we are going to work well together and clients can check that I have really understood their needs. This is an essential part of building that trust.
Fourthly, make it fun!
Coaching rugby and coaching clients are very similar just a little less muddy!