By Rijad Pekmez
I’ve spent more than a decade in weight rooms. First as an athlete, now as a performance coach. My role is to guide athletes in becoming stronger, faster, and more efficient in their respective sports, all while helping them achieve both individual and team-oriented goals. And let me tell you what – establishing trust, respect and inclusivity are the fundamental pillars of what I do and they are at the heart of the relationships I build with the athletes I work with. These three keys are more important than strength and speed – they are also what make the development of strength and speed possible.
Trust
Building trust is where it all begins. How do you do this? Through strong communication. In the early stages of a relationship, you must consistently provide feedback, regardless of the outcome. When one of my athletes experiences failure, I don’t immediately point out what they could have done better. Instead, I highlight one or two things they did well first. You’d be surprised by how many positive reactions you’ll receive in return — almost as if they were expecting you to only acknowledge the failure. By doing so, you’re letting them know that despite the failed attempt, their efforts are still recognized. This positive reinforcement helps them approach future challenges with confidence and view failure as an opportunity for growth. Not only does this make them feel good about their efforts, but allows them to continue embracing new challenges, even when they don’t always succeed, while teaching them how to respond to failure.
Respect
When they trust you, they’ll respect you. Once athletes begin to accept your feedback and show signs of respect — eye contact, asking for clarification, or expressing gratitude for your help — it indicates they’re receptive to feedback and ready for the next step: goal setting. Whether it’s personal or team goals, you now know that they are willing to perform the tasks that they’re given. There will be moments of success – and there will be moments of failure – but checking in often throughout their training and reminding them that you’re here to support them through these moments is crucial. If you’re expecting them to hold themselves accountable, you’ll need to make sure that you’re doing the same. That’s mutual respect for each other’s time and efforts.
Inclusion
We are “team first” in our weight room – making sure to include everyone. Hard work may look different per athlete, but regardless, it does not go unrecognized. I’m always observing and reminding athletes of our standards and expectations regardless of what it is they’re trying to accomplish. The athlete who was able to do 10 perfect pushups in a row a few feet away from a teammate hitting a squat P.R. of 500 lbs is just as exciting to me. Progress is relative and what might be a small victory for one athlete could be a huge breakthrough for another, and both deserve to be celebrated. It’s not always about the numbers on the barbell; it’s about the effort, the consistency, and the dedication that each athlete brings to the training process. We have developed a tradition in our weight room where we’ll bring together all the teams at the same time and each member of our staff will go in a circle and highlight one thing that stood out to them. This is where you have the opportunity to recognize someone for their efforts that day.
Establishing these three components in the weight room has opened up doors in my coaching career that I didn’t even know were possible. Focusing on each athlete’s individual experience in the weight room makes them want to return time and time again. Practicing these habits allows athletes to feel more connected and less isolated, which improves their mindset when facing physical challenges. Nothing makes me prouder than when teams conduct a breakdown, fist-bump us coaches, and say, “Thank you, coach. Have a nice evening.” While athletes enter to improve athletic performance, the weightroom becomes a space for much more than that.
If you’re a coach looking for ways to enhance your relationships with your athletes, feel free to reach out to me at coachpekmez@gmail.com.
