Coach-athlete communication: feedback that works
How to give and ask for useful feedback on every session, what to ask your athlete and how to keep communication from getting lost on your phone.
A good plan with poor communication delivers less than an average plan with good communication. Athletes need to know why they do each thing, and coaches need to know how it's going.
Before the session
A short note with the goal: "today we're after the feel of marathon pace, don't overdo the first reps". An athlete who understands the purpose executes better.
After the session
Always ask for three things: how it felt (perceived exertion), whether anything was off (niggles, sleep, stress) and a free comment. Watch data doesn't tell you what went through their head.
Your reply
- Be specific: "reps 4 and 5 were slower, did you need more recovery?".
- Reply soon: the next day it's not as useful.
- Not everything needs a comment; save your time for what matters.
One place
When the conversation is spread across messaging apps, email and calls, it gets lost. Ideally the comment lives next to the session it's about. In Traincontrol every session and activity has its own comment thread between athlete and coach.