Preparing to become SS coach

[Maties Hofstede]

Yeah, it's for professional CYA reasons. You'd be shocked at how some attorneys just started talking to someone loosely, and suddenly got stuck representing them. (And they couldn't even withdraw because the court wouldn't let them.)

Wauw, thats bizarre. I remember attending some seminars and the like in the Netherlands from people from the states. Everyone attenting had to sign off some piece of disclaimer something. Never really happenend when attending a Dutch organised event.

[koreansavage]

I trained a handful of folks for free before the seminar, waiver, cert, and insurance free. I made it very clear to them that I was "helping" them what I knew, not "coaching" them (dunno why that was significant to me, but it seemed to make it feel better) and that I was trying to learn to coach better. They were also my friends, so I didn't have to solicit strangers into some kind of arrangement. I made it known that I wanted practice helping people learn the lifts and people came to me. I also had them use the app and read the book. I was present while they did what the app told them to do, and I helped them follow what the book and app said. We paid to have a membership in the same gym, where we all signed the waiver for the gym.

Not sure that ANY of this would have protected me if someone had become injured while trying to perform the lifts the way that I was telling them to, but my FEELS (and the feels of my trainees) were assuaged because there was something else of authority we were following. I literally didn't let them call me coach until I passed, although sometimes they tried to anyway. I was a friend helping out my friends. If you're concerned about legal issues, you may try it this way.

Also, I believe that if you attend a seminar, your Certificate of Attendance qualifies you for insurance through Sports & Fitness Insurance. It says so here: seminar-course | The Aasgaard Company. You could attend a seminar, learn a lot about the method, and then cover your ass for pre-cert coaching by getting insured.

Yeah, that seems like the way to go for me as of now until I attend the seminar. I'm not sure if anyone ever passed on the first attempt at the seminar, but due to it being pricey, I'd like to at least give it a shot. As a college student, saving money is a priority. It's cool that the seminar qualifies you for insurance though! If I fail, at least I'll learn a bunch and have that.

[Katherine Bickford]

Yeah man, people definitely pass on their first try. The test is another thing entirely...

Just find one or two people and make them lots stronger. Find people who SUCK at moving their bodies, you'll learn how to solve lots more problems than if you coach a gifted athlete. Teach your mom to squat, just once eve, just a broomstick. Then teach your uncle, and your best friend's grandma. Practice the teaching progressions in the books on real humans. Pay attention to the form checks on this forum. And by all means, get yourself coached by a Starting Strength. You're in SLO, right? Drive up here to the Bay or head south to Horn's. It's worth it to get cued in person.

[cph]

Despite this, I don't have my house guests sign waivers before entering, even though I could draft a pretty damn airtight one.

Tangential question: If you had a home gym, would you have anyone you let use it sign a waiver?

[Brodie Butland]

Tangential question: If you had a home gym, would you have anyone you let use it sign a waiver?

It depends on the context and the person. For me personally, if I'm coaching someone in a home gym (even for free), definitely, because I'm now representing myself as a knowledgeable person in whom they give trust. If I'm just letting a friend use it, I'll probably let that one slide for the same reason I let the barbecue slide.

[Mia Inman]

It depends on the context and the person. For me personally, if I'm coaching someone in a home gym (even for free), definitely, because I'm now representing myself as a knowledgeable person in whom they give trust. If I'm just letting a friend use it, I'll probably let that one slide for the same reason I let the barbecue slide.

If someone comes to my home gym, unless I'm absolutely sure that they won't be lifting anything (e.g. parents watching their kids get coached), I have them sign the waiver - that Brodie prepared for me. Even close friends.

[Brodie Butland]

If someone comes to my home gym, unless I'm absolutely sure that they won't be lifting anything (e.g. parents watching their kids get coached), I have them sign the waiver - that Brodie prepared for me. Even close friends.

This is a good distinction that I didn't mention in my previous post and should have. If you run a home gym as a training business, then I would follow Mia's approach for the same reason that you would have anyone sign a waiver if you ran a commercial gym space on Main Street. (And you'll probably want to include provisions relating to other rooms in the house that the trainee may end up using, esp. the bathrooms and any corridors needed to get there.)

I took the question as relating to if I had a home gym for myself and decided to train a couple folks on the side for purposes of getting practice, but not running a formal training business. In that more informal case, I'd be very vigilant about those who I was "coaching," but less so for non-coaching. But then again, by doing so, I would necessarily be opening up myself to some risk, and I could end up regretting that later, so I can't fault anyone for taking a more conservative approach even for a "recreational" home gym space.

Also, a sidenote: Mia runs a very good home gym business...would definitely take her pearls of wisdom seriously if you were considering starting one yourself.

[koreansavage]

Yeah man, people definitely pass on their first try. The test is another thing entirely...

Just find one or two people and make them lots stronger. Find people who SUCK at moving their bodies, you'll learn how to solve lots more problems than if you coach a gifted athlete. Teach your mom to squat, just once eve, just a broomstick. Then teach your uncle, and your best friend's grandma. Practice the teaching progressions in the books on real humans. Pay attention to the form checks on this forum. And by all means, get yourself coached by a Starting Strength. You're in SLO, right? Drive up here to the Bay or head south to Horn's. It's worth it to get cued in person.

Yeah, I've noticed being cued is a huge help. I've gotta get some more coaching from coaches and learn their cues. I wish there were starting strength coaches in central coast.

[Katherine Bickford]

Leah Lutz isn't unreasonably far from you.

[Leah Lutz]

Chris,
I now expect you to come and see me in Santa Cruz this summer. :-)