On the surface, coaching seems easy. You yell a cue. You make a grandiose speech before the big competition. You somehow turn a rag-tag team of misfits into Junior Olympic champions. (The last one may have been the plot for "D2: The Mighty Ducks," but it's still applicable.)

But what happens when you yell too many cues, make every competition a life or death situation, and run off more misfits than you keep? In addition to earning the nickname "Captain Blood," you are now guilty of over-coaching.

Not sure if you over-coach? Don't fret. I've put together some common over-coaching mistakes—many you may not even realize you do—and how you can fix them.

What Is Over-coaching?

In a nutshell, over-coaching is excessive input from a coach. Over-coaching is typically associated with over-cueing, but it's a little more complex than that. While over-cueing is a tell-tale sign of over-coaching, there are other kinds of over-coaching that are just as detrimental to the performance and the psyche of your athletes. Cueing at inappropriate times, coaching in a style that doesn't resonate with the athletes you’re coaching, and always putting your ego first are other examples of over-coaching that can damage your reputation as well as your athletes.

How Do You Know When You're Coaching Too Much?

Nobody wants to admit they over-coach. Many coaches don’t even realize they do it. If you are unsure about whether you over-coach or not, then check out some common characteristics that may clue you in to your weaknesses.

• Low Retention Rates: Are a high percentage of your athletes jumping ship? You might be over-coaching. If you micromanage your athletes and don’t ever allow them any autonomy, it can actually lower their self-confidence. The lower the morale, the bigger the mass exodus from your team. Quantitative data doesn't lie.
• Chronic Athlete Fatigue: Over-coaching and over-training can go hand in hand. If your athletes seem distant and the passion for their sport is gone from their eyes, you may be pushing them too hard.
• Athletes Tuning You Out: You cue an athlete but they stare blankly at you. This can happen to everyone from time to time, but it's not normal for multiple athletes to do this or for it to be a regular occurrence. If you regularly find your athletes ignoring you while you’re actively coaching them, you may want to check to see if it's your delivery that's the problem.
• You Never Allow Athletes to Correct Their Mistakes: Sometimes athletes need to feel out what they are doing for themselves and make corrections in real-time. There is an inherent level of trust here that's critical to any coach/athlete relationship, and giving them space to self-correct is part of that. If you immediately jump on your athletes during lifts, after lifts, or during their games, you are probably over-coaching.
• Your Peers Avoid You Like the Plague: Not every peer has to love you. Not every peer has to even like you. But if your peers avoid you at events like the plague, then you may have a problem. If you’re over-coaching at events and vying to be the center of attention rather than letting your athletes shine, other coaches see you, probably snicker about you, and avoid you. Meets aren't about how many likes you can, how many followers you have, or what "revolutionary" e-Book you have to sell: they’re about your athletes. Or they should be.

Every athlete will have peaks and valleys in their training. This list is just a starting point for you to self-assess your practices to see where they fall. The clearest indicator of your practices will be to talk to your athletes, their parents (if applicable), your peers, and athletes who have left your team. You can't please everyone, and your style may not work for every athlete, but you shouldn't be hemorrhaging athletes, and they shouldn’t be constantly miserable (more miserable than usual, that is).

Common Over-Coaching Approaches & Corrections

So you think you might be over-coaching. Good work: the first step to fixing this is to recognize it. Since over-cueing is inextricably intertwined with over-coaching, let’s take a closer look.
If you are yelling corrections or reminders while an athlete is setting up, mid-lift, mid-set, and again when they are on the competition floor, then you may be overdoing it. When you cue, how often you cue, and the style in which you approach your athlete matters.

• Excessive Cueing: In order to be a successful coach, you are going to have to be able to effectively cue and correct athletes. But if you're constantly yelling phrases just for the sake of yelling phrases and you're not sure why, then you aren't being an effective coach. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "heels," "get your air," "reach," and "speed" in gyms or at meets, then I would be a billionaire. That doesn't mean the cues don't work. But if you’re yelling all these cues in the span of 10 seconds, and all of the lifts look exactly the same, then maybe you should try a different approach.

Correction: The first step to fixing this this is to know why you are cueing. Make sure there is a specific action or inaction you are trying to correct.

Second, stick with very simple cues that are easy to understand. Throw your scientific explanations out the window when you are trying to fix an athlete's movement. While you should be able to explain the correction twice (in 5 seconds or less and again in 15 seconds*), now is not the time to show off your fancy credentials or how many podcasts you've listened to.
 
Third, stick with trying to eradicate one deficiency at a time. Focus on one specific issue so the athlete doesn't get overwhelmed.
 
Finally, make sure your cue is working. Don't keep repeating the same thing over and over hoping for a different result. The cue that worked for Jim may not work for John. Or a cue that once worked for Jim may not work for him anymore. Get creative and go outside your comfort zone to figure out what works best for your athlete. When that light bulb clicks for them, run with that phrasing. Better yet, once your athlete makes the correction, ask him what it felt like. Then use that cue for him later.** If he is still not understanding what you are trying to say, then don't be afraid to get another coach to try and help you out. Some folks just need to hear something in a slightly different way in order to understand the correction you are trying to make. This is when it helps to have a coaching staff you trust.

• Cueing at Inopportune Moments: Cueing before a lift, during a lift, during a set, or continuously while on the competition floor is a little much. If you aren't an athlete's coach, then you should not be correcting them either. My favorite scenario is when someone hires to work with them in a training session and their friend/spouse/neighbor decides to try to coach over me during their private session. New phone, who dis?

Correction: Time your cue or critique in a way that works best for the athlete. Don't give them a 30-second monologue on their diaphragm in between the clean and the jerk. They can barely breathe, let alone comprehend you. If you aren't an athlete's coach of record, and you don't have a rapport with both, then do not correct the athlete. This extends to Instagram and other forms of social media as well.

• Coaching in The Wrong Style: One size does not fit all when it comes to coaching. Not every athlete will respond to certain styles of coaching. If you are yelling at an introvert, then he may feel berated. He may tune you out or never come back. If you don't ever praise an extrovert, then he feels insecure and seeks another coach.

Correction: While I don't condone you completely changing your personal style, I do recommend you get to know your athletes’ personalities. Adapt to them so that they can listen in a way that is most effective for them. Ensure you have auditory cues, or make visual and tactile corrections if needed as well. Some athletes respond better to video analysis, while others need to hear what they need to do. If you really want to be indispensable, ensure you know how to work with youth weightlifters and special populations as well.

• Never Having a Quiet Moment: You feel the need to talk every minute of practice or during a meet. You have to talk louder than everyone else. Even worse, you may feel the need to talk down to other coaches, athletes, or peers in person or on the Internet.

Correction:  This one’s easy: Shut your mouth. "Don't speak unless you can improve on silence" isn't just an old saying- it's a truth in coaching as well. Let your (simple) cues and corrections speak for themselves. You don't have to continuously yell "heels" or "air" every lift. Use your cues when necessary or you are going to dilute their effectiveness.

• Putting Your Ego Ahead of The Athlete: You think you are the star, not your athlete. If you are being evaluated, then you want your peers to know how much you know. You are going to yell it. You are going to talk incessantly about it. You are going to name-drop. You are going to try to pick fights with well-known and established coaches online. But what you're not doing is helping your team improve.

Correction: Let your athletes' performance, your ability to develop their talents, and desire to work with and respect all levels speak for you.

The good news about over-coaching is that it’s easy to fix. Continue to monitor your actions and cues by using these tips. Choose the right cue for the right athlete, present in a style that works best for him, and check your ego at the door. Not only will your athletes' performances improve, the experience will be more pleasant for everyone.
 
* I'd like to thank Josh Lancaster for his suggestions and feedback on this piece. Josh is a Mississippi-based Olympic weightlifting and strength and conditioning coach at The Fieldhouse. He works with local sports teams as well as individual athletes of all sports, shapes, and sizes seeking to make them all as explosive as possible.

** Some of this section is paraphrased from the book Cues & Corrections by Daniel Camargo. Camargo is a 24-year veteran of Olympic Weightlifting, and my personal mentor. After representing the USA in nine international competitions and setting three Junior American Records, he began coaching. He is now a USA Weightlifting International Coach.