I saw a social media post from Saturday that really got under my skin. I take a lot of pride in what I do as a coach and as a mentor. I also take a lot of pride in who I've been coached and mentored by. So I sat with it for 24 hours thinking maybe I was just overreacting. Another 12 hours later it's still swimming around in my brain so, fuck it, you're all going to hear about it...

There were some incredible performances this past weekend at the Arnold- one in particular could be referred to as the best ever. An exceptional powerlifter broke the all time  Wilks with some insane lifts.  I saw her final deadlift as posted by her coach of less than a year with the caption..."we did it." 

We? No, she did it. With hard work, fortitude and passion. Her coach did an excellent job of setting her up for success, but that's the end of it.

Under no circumstances is it ever a coach's place to say "we did it," ESPECIALLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL SPORT. If the athlete wants to say "we did it," they've earned that right.

I don't know this coach personally and my intent here is not to bash him. But if he or anyone else feels targeted...well, I guess the shoe fits. I realize the temptation in taking credit for a lifter's success, especially at that level...but you just don't do that, ever, especially after working together for less than a year. No coach worth his salt would ever take credit for something his athlete accomplished. It feels reminiscent of Don King.

The facts:

  • This coach had been working with this lifter for less than a year.
  • This lifter was already incredible by any standard before working with him.
  • She broke a huge milestone under his coaching.
  • To give credit where it is due- It can be difficult to take a lifter of that caliber and make them better, and this coach did that.

My opinion:

  • This just reeks of "hey look what I did, you should pay me for coaching."
  • As a coach, your sole responsibility is to make the athlete better- not get credit for making them better. It was implied in the job title that you are to make them better.
  • If someone else wants to attribute that athlete's success to you, let them. But doing it yourself is tasteless and undermines what it means to be a coach (see: leadership).
  • A "coach" that does this is financially motivated or purely looking to make a name for themselves.

My powerlifting upbringing was fortunate, to say the least.  I met Steve Goggins at my first meet- hell he even spotted me on my last squat. And eventually I sought his coaching for a couple training cycles. I met Donnie Thompson at my second meet and drove to Columbia to train with him a couple times.  By my fourth meet I was training at Westside with Lou. And two years later I was training at the compound with Dave and had been brought onto team EliteFTS.

Funny thing is, not one of these coaches or mentors EVER took credit for something I did, or any of their athletes for that matter. 

It would be a cold day in hell when Dave Tate posts on Instagram "we did it," after a team member broke a WR or won a meet. Of anyone in the industry, with the amount of time and information Dave has given away to countless world class lifters, you'd think he's earned that right to say "look at we did." But he hasn't, and he never will. Why? Integrity, plain and simple.

Live. Learn. Pass on. And leave credit where it is due. If you truly deserve it, someone else will give it to you. It's not for you to take away from your athlete.