Education is Energizing. Do you believe it?
In this blog, Coach Doug Heslip shares a bit of his story in regards to how being a student of his own craft has impacted his journey.
I started out as a football and a basketball coach.
I knew the X’s and O’s of each game. In my quest for knowledge, I started to take an interest in weightlifting and was curious about how to develop speed. The problem was that I had no idea where to begin my learning journey. There are so many options out there.
A friend suggested that I start with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and so I did.
I took a number of the resources and certifications, but I felt there was still something more out there. I didn’t feel that my body of knowledge was complete. I still had many questions, especially in regards to coaching athletes.
I wanted to know more.
As luck would have it I received an email, from IYCA CEO, Jim Kielbaso offering a speed training program. I read the email and thought immediately this is exactly what I needed. I ordered his video and I was hooked. I took all of the courses.
Following that, I took several courses that resulted in many certifications through the IYCA.
The information I obtained provided me with the confidence I needed as a trainer to speak to parents and athletes in an educated way.
I was able to articulate the knowledge I had gained in such a way that a student athlete could learn and understand what needed to be conveyed.
I’ve heard people say, “Certification(s) don’t matter.” I say they do!
The courses offered through the IYCA are skillfully laid out. They explain, in depth, the how and the why certain drills are used. I have all my certificates hanging on the wall of my gym as a gallery of knowledge.
They speak volumes to prospective athletes and parents surveying them.
The IYCA was the catalyst that provided the motivation for me to keep learning. The knowledge they provide is credible and is taught by true professionals in the world of athletic training.
Do I have certifications through other organizations? I do. I have listened to, taken notes and installed training methods that have had an incredible impact on my clients. For example, I decided to get a certification in Triphasic Training, a weight lifting system. That coupled with the IYCA’s High School Conditioning Specialist certification gave me the confidence to write the programs needed to develop athletes.
It is the quality of instruction and materials inherent to those programs that gives a solid foundation to expand from.
I’m still taking classes! This is how I know that I’ve still got what it takes. Learning provides me with energy. It fuels me and makes me, literally, feel young.
If you get to a point in your career where you feel that you know it all, you’re on the way out.
You will grow stale, you will only go through the motions and it will be evident to others that you no longer care.
By the time you figure this out it may be too late to salvage the passion that you once had.
Final Lessons & Thoughts on Education
- Stay sharp, invest in continuing education.
- Listen to people that have been in the business for decades.
- Education creates energy, and that is a superpower.
- Competence & Confidence comes from putting your nose into knowledge.
- Applied knowledge is king.
- Feeling stagnant, learn something…anything, just activate your brain.
In summary, an educated trainer is confident and competent. Continuing to learn brings energy to the table. Energy will keep you going, it will radiate that you care. Most of your clients just want you to show that you care. Keep exercising that mind of yours it will keep you fresh!
Author: Doug Heslip
Doug Heslip is the owner of Heslip Elite Sports Performance Training in Negaunee, MI and the creator of Seek & Destroy – Elite Running Back Drills a video product for football coaches. He works with young athletes in a variety of sports and teaches football coaches how to incorporate speed & agility training into their sessions.
For more information on developing athletes, the IYCA Certified Athletic Development Specialist is the gold-standard certification for anyone working with athletes 6-18 years old.
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