Coach and Trainer. I have seen these two terms used very loosely lately. Having chosen a career path that entails both these titles, I wanted to clarify what the difference between the two means to me. Yes, you can be both a coach and trainer, but they are not mutually exclusive. Just because you are a certified trainer does not automatically mean you are a qualified coach.
Personal Trainer
The reason I have become very involved in climbing is due to my background in Training. I am a member of the NSCA, the organization in which I studied for and passed my exam to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Once I passed the exam, I began working with individuals in the gym. That is when I earned the right to call myself a trainer. As a trainer, I work with individuals on maximizing their time spent in the gym. We work on movements that will improve their performance and prevent injury while on the playing field. I design training plans that include physical movement and recovery.
As a trainer, my job is to understand the physical demands of a sport but not necessarily the strategy on the field or game time management. A trainer’s time is best spent studying the bio mechanics of movement and applying that knowledge to using the tools available in the gym with an athlete. Just because I passed my exam to become a trainer did not give me the right to start calling myself a coach. After a couple of years of training under my belt, I decided it was time to broaden my horizons and start developing a skill set to become a coach.
Coach
The job of a coach is to understand how to manage game-time situations, design strategy, develop fundamentals, develop team camaraderie, develop decision skills, instill discipline, take the blame for a loss, take credit for a win, etc. The job of a Coach is to coordinate all the moving parts of the machine and to make sure everyone involved in the “team” is on the same page. Even in a personal sport like climbing, there is a team whether or not you are on a gym’s “climbing team”. Your team may consist of an athlete, a doctor, a nutritionist, a physical therapist, a psychologist, massage therapist, route setter, gym manager, Trainer, etc.
Your coach is in charge of making sure all the right people are doing all the right things at the right time in order to have a successful outcome on the field. A coach, in a way, is the President of the operation. As the coach of the climbing team, I need to let the route setter know what we need to set for the kids on what days.
Coach and Trainer
When I am in the gym working with football players, I am not their coach (yes, there are collegiate and pro-level strength coaches in programs, but that’s not what I am talking about here); I am their trainer. I do understand the physical demands of the sport (more specifically, their position), and I apply that knowledge to how I have them lift in the gym. Their coach may send me information in regards to their schedule and their on-field strengths and weaknesses. With that knowledge, I can better develop a training plan based on the request of their coach.
If an individual who climbs on a climbing team comes to me to train, I do just that. I am not automatically their coach because they may already have a coach who has been developing their skills so I would not want to interrupt that process. A trainer for any sports team is independent when it comes to working with athletes in the gym (that is their expertise), but at the end of the day, the Coach is still their boss.
Putting it all together
Only am I a “Coach” when it comes to managing a team in a skill sport (such as the UW climbing team and previous snowboarding and golf teams) that I have earned the designation. I have grown up competing in golf and snowboarding and understand these sports inside and out. I have developed a skill set and passion to take charge and overlook a group of like-minded individuals (in golf and snowboarding) to direct them down a path of success in their sport. That skill set has nothing to do with my training qualifications; being a Coach and Trainer in these sports is just a bonus for the individuals I coach.