Completing tasks from home became the go to replacement in 2020 and training from home, regardless of sport, was no exception. Stories about pro athletes building at home gyms trickled down to little leaguers building walls to throw against. We sat down with one of CoachUp’s top football coaches to discuss how athletes can use video to train on their own as a short term replacement option, but also as a long term strategy to get better. Coach Mike is using CoachUp’s 24/7 training app to deliver his workouts, but there are some good insights here that any athlete can use to incorporate into their own development.
What areas of improvement do you find most useful with instructional videos?
Instructional videos are a fantastic way to learn because it allows the student to digest information at their pace. When I would hear a coach instruct technique to me, I would sometimes miss the point because they would talk at their pace. The ability to rewind an instructional video, go over coaching points, digest the information at the student’s pace, and review multiple times is extremely helpful – so instructional videos definitely feature technique development as a strength.
Have you noticed athletes falling behind in certain areas of development because of Covid?
Whenever an athlete isn’t training or repping at game speed – or speed of sport, they will lose the ability to move at the required speed. There will be a massive skill/strength/sport IQ/Conditioning gap between those athletes that trained at home and those that have not.
Does an athlete need to work with you in person to benefit from your at home training program or can it help anyone looking to get a little extra work in?
If the videos are done with a professional and well thought out approach, it’s just as helpful as an in-person training session. You need high quality video resolution, descriptive technique and coaching points, and how to properly setup a drill station, while keeping in mind the equipment and space limitations an athlete may have at home.
What are some limitations you see with in person training that an athlete can use your 24/7 video workouts to help overcome?
Scheduling is based on availability so you can’t always get the coach or time you want. It’s Expensive: it can cost between $30-$200 per hour for private coaching. CoachUp 24/7 takes the time burden and scheduling conflicts out of picture, and allows the trainers/athletes to monitor/execute in their own window – which will substantially allow for more opportunities for CoachUp athletes (more affordable = more athletes who can benefit)
A major problem with athlete development is athlete’s aren’t hitting their quota in terms of input hours (could be because of time, money). Because the app allows the athlete to execute the appropriate dedication for development, they will see greater growth and at a faster pace.
What do you think is the most valuable part of your at home training program? If you could pick one thing that it targets where athletes really see some improvement, what would it be?
Athletes that use the CoachUp 24/7 app will develop in strength/conditioning, skill development, and sport IQ using the educational materials. But they will also learn the art of self-drive. Becoming a high motor athlete by executing assigned training at home – through incentive-based points and leaderboards – is priceless.
Coach Mike’s last point might be the most interesting and is a classic example of what a good positive coach would say. You can almost always take negatives and look at how it might help in the long run. Training on your own isn’t ideal, but it’s a powerful way to learn how to self-motivate, and separate yourself from the pack.
