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Personal Trainer vs Sports Coach: What are the differences?
In a highly competitive market, there is a growing need for these professionals to take on this dual role without knowing for sure what responsibilities each entails.
It is precisely these two jobs that we are going to focus on in this article, making it clearer for professionals who want to go into coaching or specialise in physical exercise.
What is a Personal Trainer?
Nowadays, you don't need a degree in sport to be a Personal Trainer (often referred to as a “PT”). In fact, a Technical Course in Physical Exercise is enough to be able to work in this job.
This professional has the ability to create and supervise physical workouts, helping to achieve and attain the defined results with better performance in an effective and safe manner. In addition, a PT is an important figure, not least because they help reduce the risk of injuries that can easily be caused by a lack of knowledge when performing exercises.
Since this is an autonomous job, this professionals doesn't have to be associated to a fitness club: they can have complete autonomy to work anywhere, whether at home, in the park, in the garden, in the box or in any other place adapted for physical workouts. This is, in fact, one of the great advantages of a personal trainer: he or she can set his or her own working hours and thus adapt to personal and professional needs. This autonomy also gives the professional the opportunity to undertake and manage his/her own business, establishing greater control over his/her career.
The PT career also has the advantage of building personal relationships, since this professional is an "active voice" in a journey with a lot of emotions and a lot of commitment, so it can't always be as straightforward as it seems. Challenging moments will arise for those who are buying the service and for those who are providing it. Added to all this is the positive impact that this figure has, being part of major transformations in people's lives.
What is a (Sports) Coach?
In Portugal, for example, it's not difficult to become a coach. It's an unregulated job, with several courses and certifications that allow you to acquire some knowledge in this area. However, it's important to point out that the focus of a coach's action is on producing a change in the individual's behaviour and attitudes in the short term, so the professional must have behavioural and emotional characteristics capable of meeting the needs of those who seek them, basing his/her intervention on his/her training in coaching.
When applied to the field of sport, a mental coach is someone who gives athletes the tools to use their mental and emotional skills and abilities to be able to practise a particular sport more effectively and with better performance. We could almost call this professional the "right arm" of any athlete who wants to achieve success.
We've often said that focus and concentration aren't always at the same level every day: finding the daily motivation to not give up on achieving your goals isn't always easy. The coach has precisely the role of encouraging and coordinating all the initial planning, from defining the goals to the exercise plan and developing a mindset centred on success.
It's well known that when it comes to high-performance sport, mental coaches are vital allies in each athlete's success, having to be able to inspire, motivate, discipline and, above all, understand any momentary frustrations that may arise.
Basically: good communication, empathy, the ability to listen and adapt to each person's needs are the basic characteristics that this professional must have.
Can I be a Personal Trainer and a Coach?
Yes! In fact, a personal trainer who possesses the knowledge obtained through specialised coaching courses can be an asset, in the sense that he or she asserts himself or herself as a more complete and qualified professional to assist his or her athletes.
In addition, complementing the knowledge gained can make the whole service offered to the athlete much richer, taking into account all the components of the body and mind, adding valences that would normally be overlooked.
However, you need to be aware of several factors: if you want qualifications in the area of PT or coaching, you need to look for accredited institutions that have a coherent curriculum and specialised staff with a background in the field. This information is usually available on the organisations' websites or by contacting them directly.
As we've already mentioned, your role as a personal trainer and coach has a big impact on those who come to you. You should therefore bring together all the skills that will positively affect your athletes, seeking knowledge from reliable organisations and partners.
Final Toughts
Coaching requires a combination of skills and characteristics that require you to be constantly learning, and it is an area that is always evolving.
As a personal trainer interested in coaching, you should bear in mind all the characteristics that this area is increasingly demanding and, above all, place your athlete as the "main actor" in a journey in which you should always be the inspiration.
As your reliable partner, you can always count on BOOMFIT to help you offer complete workouts with the right equipment so you can give your athletes an experience with effective and safe results. Plus, we have a team ready to help you make that choice: just talk to us!
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