Why You Need a Coach and How to Get The Most Out of The Experience
An athlete, a businessman, and an artist walk into a room.
What do they have in common? The fact that they all hire coaches to help better them in their pursuits. So — maybe that anecdote isn’t clever or funny, but you get the picture.
Why do people need coaches, and how can you get the most of a coaching?
The first and most obvious reason is to have an outside pair of eyes look at your work then give you tips on how to make it better — this is a great reason, and we could stop there.
But coaches, sports coaches, life coaches, dance coaches or otherwise, do more than tell you “hey, do better” or “point your toes.” They inspire you to push yourself and set you on the right path to take your performance to the next level.
It often seems like “successful” people were born successful, or figured out how to work to their full potential on their own, or just somehow know how to get what they want. But, when we think about it, we all realize that people aren’t born knowing how to master any particular skill. Getting to the “next level” requires a lot more than repeating the same steps by ourselves on a daily basis.
Whether that next level be dancing competitively or feeling comfortable enough to say yes when somebody asks you to dance, coaching takes thinking out of the equation — coaches narrow down your focus to one specific change, creating attainable results that will affect the rest of your body, your mind, and your dancing.
More specifically, coaches:
- Help you to develop a vision and give you a mental framework to get there.
- Allow you to “update” and build upon the foundation you already have.
- Collaborate with you to create that skill update, by providing support and accountability that encourages students to try new and different actions that will produce results that matter to them.
If you’re thinking about taking a coaching here are some tips to get most out of it:
- Relax! Understand that these people have seen it all, experienced it all. They’re not there to criticize you, they’re there to open your mind and help connect mind and body.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions or take notes. This will help the coach understand where you’re at mentally and physically. Go for it and show them the best that you’ve got so they have an accurate representation of where you are.
- Keep an open mind. Sometimes you may receive conflicting information — two different perspectives that may seem at odds with what you previously understood to be true or correct. Before rejecting the new information, try it out. See what works better for you. It’s dancing — usually there is no right or wrong, just what looks and feels more comfortable.
Whether you feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your dancing or you just want to give a new experience a try, the biggest benefit to taking a coaching is walking away with a new sense of inspiration. As you open yourself up to the coaching experience, the mind gives way to the body and clears room for a focused, relaxed state we don’t normally experience in our day-to-day lives.
Coaches coming to an Arthur Murray Central Jersey studio near you!
Amy Novotny coming June 18th and 19th. Amy Novotny is an Arthur Murray Finalist in Open Smooth, Salsa, Argentine Tango and Two-Step, and is a Champion in Open Hustle & West Coast Swing. She has traveled all over the United States and abroad to help dancers expand their knowledge at both the amateur and professional levels.
Daniel Heroux coming 21st and 22nd. Traveling all the way from Canada, this classically trained dancer, judge, adjudicator, traveling consultant and coach, and franchisee is extremely experienced at all levels of Arthur Murray.
Ron Christy coming June 28th & 29th. A Rising Star Rhythm Champion and Four-Time Country 2-Step Champion, not only is Ron a co-author of the Arthur Murray Syllabi for West Coast Swing and Country 2-Step, he’s also really nice.
Written by Jindalae Suh for Arthur Murray Central New Jersey
