sent by Nick Grantham | 13th April 2021
I'm currently working with a coach, Josh Taylor, who I've known for several years. Josh is helping me with my training. You may think it's a bit odd for an experienced strength and conditioning coach to have another coach programme for them, but it's something I've always done. It's way too easy to only programme the sessions you like to do, and I need some external checks to keep me on task! We were discussing my goals, and they were a mixture of performance-based and, let's be honest, a generous dash of aesthetic! Josh created a balanced performance-based programme for me and was quick to tell me that "Nick, your body is an instrument, not an ornament". He's right; I want to be able to cycle and run and carry out my day to day tasks....looking half decent is a bonus. Josh practices what he preaches; he's got a decent rig on him...but it also functions...in fact, this weekend, he ran 208 miles in just under 48 hours to raise awareness for The Motor Neuron Disease Association and Mind.
Source: Josh Taylor
We all WANT things, but we don't necessarily DESERVE them. This quote is from my book, You're Hired, and I carefully considered whether to include it in the book. I'm really glad that I grew a set of nuts and kept it in. If ever I needed justification that this one statement would shake aspiring coaches to the core and inspire them to take action, this was it. Here is a genuine tweet.
"@coachnickg Nick, "You deserve Nothing" was the most blunt, crushing and helpful thing I've heard!"
Sometimes we all need a reality check! Just because we've gone to university and got our undergraduate or postgraduate degree, it doesn't mean that we will automatically step out and get a job. "Eh, I've done my time; why can't I get a job?" We are all exactly where we deserve to be at this point in time. This is not necessarily a bad thing. We are a product of our experience, education, background, childhood, and all the things that brought us to this point. There's a reason why we're at this point. If you stop focusing on what you want and figure out what you deserve, you'll stand a much better chance of moving forward.
Source: You're Hired by Nick Grantham
We are fast approaching the business end of the season for many sports, and the pressure will be mounting to make one final push. The push may be to avoid relegation; it could be to gain promotion or qualify for a major tournament. I've worked in enough sports to know that you can't 'cram for the exam'; doing more and more is usually a recipe for disaster. As Fergus points out, if you chop a bunch of hair off a couple of days before a wedding, there's no chance of growing it back in time. As a coach, you have to trust in your process and preparation throughout the season. So when you are closing in on the business end of the season or getting close to game day, don't try to hustle your way to success; appreciate that it's time to freshen up.
Source: Fergus Connolly
Red Adair was an American oil well firefighter, and he was the guy people would call when it had all gone a bit pear-shaped, and oil wells were burning out of control. I don't know, but I'm assuming from his quote that he was pretty pricey, but he was damn good at what he did so that he could demand top dollar. I've sat in meetings discussing the pros and cons of hiring a consultant or offering someone a permanent contract. I've often been baffled when people will plump for a cheaper option to save some pennies rather than pay the going rate for the best candidate. It's such a short term approach. Sure, they may make some initial savings. Still, in the long-term, the cheap option (the amateur) is probably going to do a half-arsed job or take twice as long to figure out how to resolve an issue that it will end up costing more to fix all the problems they've caused or actually sort the issue they couldn't find a solution for.
Source: Red Adair
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