What if I told you that by making one small fix, your tumbling could be twice as good as it is right now? (if not more)
Would you be willing to take the time to make the adjustment?
I hope so, because what I’m about to reveal today might be the most important piece of advice you ever get as an athlete.
How can I be so sure?
Because I was an athlete myself (actually I still am), and I’ve yet to come across anything else that’s had a bigger impact on my training.
The crazy thing is, you may have been making this mistake your whole life and not known about it. But don’t worry, I’ve been there. And it wasn’t until I fixed it that everything changed; I progressed faster, picked up new tricks in a matter of week, was able to compete at a high level, and it even improved the way I coach. In fact, it continues to help me reach new levels to this very day.
So yeah, you could say that it’s pretty powerful stuff.
And what’s weird is that it has nothing to do with anything physical; no need to condition any harder or spend more time stretching.
So, what is it this mysterious mistake?
It’s called, having a low Coachability Index (CI), and in my opinion it tops the charts as the number one mistake that I see tumblers make. Especially those that could have been amazing, but end up falling short of their potential.
The CI is so important, that I would rather take on level 3 athlete who has a high Coachability Index, than a level 5 athlete that always sits at a low Coachability Index.
Does that sound absurd?
It’s not, and you’ll understand why in just a moment. But first, you’re probably wondering…
What is the Coachability Index?
See, at any given time during any given day you’re subject to what is known as the Coachability Index – a number the determines how willing you are to accept and implement new information from an authority you respect. The number is based on a scale of 1-10.
But since definitions are boring, let me give you a few examples:
Let’s say your coach says “ok, you need to make ABC corrections and do an extra X reps today during leg conditioning.”
And if your instant, knee-jerk response is “Why?” or “I don’t feel like…” or “I dont think I can…” then guess what? You do not have a high Coachability Index.
When you want to skip or delay your workout because you want to watch another episode of American Horror Stories, you do not have a high Coachability Index.
When you cheat on your diet plan because “it’s only just one cookie,” you do not have a high Coachability Index.
When your coach asks you to try something new, and you act stubborn or are unwilling to do so, you do not have a high Coachability Index.
I think you get the picture.
Why You Need To Have A High CI
When your CI is low, it doesn’t matter if you hire the best coach in the world, you will not see results.
You see, when you aren’t coachable, you’ve instantly blocked yourself off from progress. You can have the best plan, the best diet, the best equipment, the best everything… it literally will be of no use to you.
You will forever trap yourself in a land of amateurs.
Personally speaking, the instant someone becomes un-coachable is the instant I stop giving advice, because I know that even if gold is coming out of my mouth, it is going to fall on deaf ears. And that’s just not worth my time.
This is why I said I’d rather take on a level 3 athlete with a high CI over a level 5 – because I know that with just a few months of work, they’ll be level 5 anyways. All without giving me headaches or making my job harder.
Better yet, after they reach level 5, they’ll continue to improve and get better instead of stalling.
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Why This Is The Best Kept Secret
The best athletes, the best coaches, and the most successful people in the world – you know, the ones you look up to? They are in fact, the most coachable people on Earth. I mean just look at some real examples:
Jamie Andries? Very Coachable
Gabi Butler? Very Coachable
Kiara Nowlin? Very Coachable
Aaron Cook? Very Coachable
I can bet that their CI is constantly at a 9 or 10, which is why their success comes as no surprise to me personally.
It’s a given.
You just look at the way they train and it’s like, “Duh, of course!”
“when you aren’t coachable, you’ve instantly blocked yourself off from progress.” (tweet this)
So now the obvious question is, can you increase your CI and if so, how do you know it’s increasing?
The first answer is heck yes, and you’ll know it’s increasing when you start to say things like “Alright why not?”, “Sounds good” or “Sure I’ll try that” whenever you’re given advice. That’s a start anyway.
While verbalizing is definitely a step in the right direction, internalizing a high CI is a whole different ball game.
I have many athletes whom I’ll give corrections to, and they’ll be like “alright I’ll try that” or “sure thing”, but then will go on to do a half-assed job of it; five rope climbs become two, thirty pushups become ten, ten minutes of drills magically morph themselves into a two minute circus act.
This is because they usually have a mediocre CI (somewhere around 5-6). Verbally they’ve agreed, but mentally they haven’t internalized any of it.
Look, if you want to be at a 9 or 10 and want to be on the same level as the world champions, then you need to treat the information you receive from your coaches as if it has been passed down from the good lord himself.
Oddly enough, devoted religious folks who believe that any advice that has come from a “higher power” seem to have a very high CI.
How interesting.
This means that on top of having a high CI, you also need to trust the source. Luckily enough, if you’re paying for your training, this should be pretty easy to do. And if you don’t trust the source, then either find a way to do so or find a new source you do trust.
Once you have a trustworthy source, then you really have no more excuses.
So if your progress has stalled or you aren’t as good as you think you “deserve” to be, the first thing you should do is stop blaming your coach, parents or the presence of other athletes.
What you need to do is look in the mirror and ask yourself: “On a scale of 1-10 how Coachable am I?”
Do this every morning after you wake up.
If you think you’re a 9 or 10, that’s Mr.Wonderful. But you need to be sure, which means you also need to test it.
When your favorite TV show comes on, are you willing to turn off the idiot box and do what it takes to get you want?
When it’s competition season and your friends invite you to a party, do you tell them you can’t or give in to social pressure just because you’re afraid they’ll call you lame?
When your boyfriend or girlfriend texts you saying that you should skip practice just this once, do you tell them that’s not possible, or give in because you think they’ll dump you?
The answers to these question will quickly tell you what your true CI is, real fast. And the beauty of this is that while you can lie to others, you cannot lie to yourself.
You can’t cheat your way to a high Coachability Index – it’s foolproof. You either have it, or you don’t. And if you don’t, the results will speak for themselves. Period.
But once you have a consistently high Coachability Index, there’s almost nothing you cannot accomplish – doesn’t matter if it’s during tumbling, school, college or even your job.
A high Coachability Index spills over into all areas of your life.
So fix your attitude, before you fix your technique. [Tweet this]
I hope that you got a lot out of this article and it helped you grow as an athlete. If it didn’t, you might want to check how coachable you are, and read it again 😉
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About Coach Sahil
For over 15 years, Coach Sahil has been on a mission to help athletes master their tumbling and acrobatic skills in the shortest amount of time possible without sacrificing safety or the quality of their technique. As a former Power Tumbler and Power Lifter himself, he fully understands the inner struggles of an athlete and how to help them get to the next level. To date, he has worked with thousands of athletes around the World and provided training to hundreds of coaches in almost every country you can imagine. He is also a Certified Gymnastics Coach, founder of Addicted To Tumbling, and former co-owner of a gym. He is also the author of the best-selling book The Cheer Diet.
Oh my god! I’m pretty much guilty of all those things that gives you a low coachability index lol
I remember skipping training for a party one time… ugh what was i thinking. Girls listen to coach Sahil and don’t do it, it’s just not worth it having that feeling of letting down your team!
Julia,
Don’t worry, we’ve all had times where our CI was low. Even now, there are times where I have to “catch” myself and realize that I’m acting like a person with low CI and I instantly make the change.
Humans are imperfect creatures, but the important thing is to keep yourself in check so that you can be better then you were yesterday.
We use this term as well in diving (springboard). It is basically the same thing only divers get wet! The statement I use on myself when I look at myself in the mirror is “How ‘dive-able’ am I as a coach”? It is a two way street in my opinion. The athlete can become more coachable if the coach is more dive-able.
Sahil, this article should be like the mini bible for all atheltes. It should be required reading on the first day before they even put on their shoes. I’m so thankful you wrote this in a way that’s easy to understand for everyone.
And I totally agree with Tom’s comment… the coach needs to be just as coachable as the athlete. I learn just as much from my girls as they do from me!
You’re right Tom, it definitely is a two way street. Barb said it best – as a coach we learn just as much from our athletes as they do from us, and I’m glad you brought up that point because sometimes coaches forget.
And Barb, thanks for kind words… I’m glad my writing is being compared to a bible, that’s some seriously high praise right there lol!
That was a great article coach. You couldn’t have picked better examples to show what you were talking about. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE Gabi and Jamie. And I’m partially blaming Teen Wolf for dropping my CI from time to time haha.
But all joking aside, this really helped me sort out my priorities. But I do have an issue with the “source” since I was dropped during a spot on a back tuck so I become really hesitant with my coach. Any tips?
Amber,
It’s unfortunate that you got dropped. Coaches make mistakes like any athlete, and it’s important to realize they’re human. Having said that, I don’t know your tumbling coach personally so either it TRULY was a mistake or they were careless during the spot. YOU will have to reach that conclusion on your own then move forward.
If you believe the coach was careless then you’ll just have to find another coach to train with. Do what you gotta do young lady. Hope that helps 🙂
Sahil, you absolutely killed it on this one… I always tell my friends and other cheerleaders on my team that they gotta be willing to learn, no matter what the cost.
But I like the CI… it’s a good way to measure where you’re at. Totally friggin’ genius!
Appreciate that Tyle, glad you liked the article. And haha I don’t know about genius, I just found a way to put a name on something I was taught but you’re right – willingness to learn is HUGE. Keep on preaching!
Ok can I just say that your articles on cheer and tumbling are some of the best ever? I’ve bought a lot of issues of Inside Cheerleading which didn’t even half close to the awesomeness you bring… and your site is FREE.
Ugh.
Ok enough fan girling hehe. I totally loved the way you put this into an “index” because I’ll be telling all my girls about this. Each class will start with Coachability Index!
Emily, personally I’ve ordered my issue of IC but it hasn’t arrived yet so I can’t comment on the quality of their content, but wow, that is one serious compliment. I’m humbled.
And starting every class with CI is a great idea! Just asking the athletes where they’re CI is at can increase it because they’re aware of it. Let me know how it works out for you!
“fix your attitude, before you fix your technique” is now my motto for LIFE. If you’re ever down in Cali coach Sahil, hit me up and I’ll buy you a drink. This is really good stuff and would love to pick your brain on everything from coaching to training.
I’m a fan for life
– Tanya
First of all, I love you too! 🙂
And I’m totally going to hold you to that drink Tanya, if anything it’ll give me a good reason to get out of this damn cold lol!
This was one of the best things I’ve read in years. And the face of that little girl is exactly the face I used to make during my younger years of training lol! It’s actually a miracle that I ever accomplished anything and how my coaches put up with me, but when I turned 16 things changed. I really did become more “coachable” and I wish I had done so earlier!
Having a high CI WORKS! Thanks for reminding me of that, coach!
You’re welcome! And I’m glad you basically figured it out by yourself – that’s the best way to learn anything. Keep it up!
As a gym owner myself, this piece really hits the nail on the head, I can actually envision athletes in our gym who this applies to. The only thing i would add from a outsiders standpoint is that athletes with low CI will never admit to having a low CI to themselves, regardless of how good their equipment / diet / commitment or coaches actually are. It will always be something else’s fault for stalling or not getting what they feel they deserve/need.
Great article!
Eddie,
You’re right, MOST of the time those that aren’t coachable either don’t realize it, or wont recognize it. However, when you test it amongst the temptations of life, you won’t be able to fool yourself. Skipping training for parties being the perfect example.
One can only hope they realize it sooner though! 🙂
Thanks for the input, always nice to hear the thoughts of a gym owner since you obviously must deal with a lot of athletes.
Excellent advice-but don’t discount the relationship between the coach and the student. If trust & mutual respect hasn’t been developed, someone who is extremely willing to be coached and take on board advice, will not do so from that coach – even if they are the best coach in the world. Luckily my daughter has, so far, had some of the best, most knowledgable and positive coaches … Just wish her CI was as high at home as it is at cheer!
You’re right Lisa, trust is HUGE.
And haha having a high CI at home might just be asking for a miracle! I remember I someone got one of my athletes to clean her room once by challenging her…
Wasn’t able to repeat this process again, sadly. I know most moms would do anything to make this happen! 🙂
I am so happy I found this! My assistant coach and I had a real issue with some members of our team last year. This was our first year coaching and I admit that mistakes were made on our part. The cheer program was very unstructured in the past few years, so much of the resistance was from upperclassmen. However, after addressing the things we could improve on, we still had problems with girls changing their attitudes. Our expectations are high, but not unreasonable as we are doing our side job as coaches (molding them into responsible adults and providing them with life skills). Some had a low CI and now that we are going into tryouts for this coming year, I can’t wait to share this with the girls, and I hope it motivates them so that this year can be much less stressful!
Thank you so much, I can’t wait to explore the other things you have written!
Hi Nichole, thanks for the kind words!
It’s great to see that as a coach, you’ve learnt from your mistakes and are taking action to improving your program. That’s the important thing. Mistakes are made by coaches and athletes every day, but if you don’t do anything to improve, that’s when it becomes a problem, so I commend you on having a high CI yourself.
I’m glad you’ll have something to share with your girls, and I would also recommend that you set clear boundaries about what you accept and don’t accept in your gym, and if and when they do cross the line, that you have clear consequences and don’t got “soft” on them.
No gym is perfect, and not every rule can be enforced 100% of the time, but in our gym we make it very clear that all emotional baggage should be left at the door before they enter.
Hope that helps, and let me know how it goes for you this season. Wish you all the best!
Hello!
As a cheerleader myself I have only been in the sport for nearly two years and with hard work and perseverance I have gained up to a backhandspring however; I feel like I am not improving anymore and I think it’s to do with my CI as I always agree to do something, and I am starting to give my all in my conditioning and all my drills… But I get very scared? When my coach asks me to do a new drill which includes a backhandspring (which I only got on the dead floor confidently 1 month ago) I get incredibly scared and it stops me from doing it well, I will do the drill but not to my full ability. Is there anyway I can improve this??
Thank you x