Everything is impossible if it is not attempted with Tony Earp

  

I am very thrilled to share my conversation with Tony Earp. He is very dedicated to his coaching career. During this conversation my interest peaked from the minute he started to share his journey with me. I was super excited to write this blog. Here are some highlights of our conversation:

1. Can you tell me how you got into coaching? And what about coaching do you love?

Tony told me he loves the process. He got into coaching because, from an early age, he loved working with others. He also enjoyed helping people learn new skills. His favorite part is witnessing that growth and evolution that happens. He mentions the process of going from unknown to being an expert and being committed to the process is something he looks forward to.

2. Coaching is a very important activity that helps any person grow. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?

Coaching is challenging, and he does not like to see anyone struggle or not achieve what they hoped for. However, in that he gets to help people throughout their journey. The most rewarding part is continuously learning and adapting to the coaching strategy to meet the goals. He also mentions that another challenge is the level of patience required to reach a certain level in life. Many people expect to have everything instantly and struggle to handle the process. This was a very important insight to me that anything you do comes with hard work and dedication over time.

3. How do you motivate your athletes to push their bodies and minds to be the best version of themselves?

The most important step as a coach is to help athletes believe in themselves. He also mentioned that you can't just tell them what to do without helping them understand the benefit of doing the activity, especially if it's challenging. If a coach wants athletes to do something that challenges them physically and mentally, they should have a reason for it. He believes the greatest motivation is to trust the process. If you're painting a picture where the outcome will be beautiful, then an athlete who is internally driven to succeed will always outwork an athlete who is only doing what they're told. Commitment needs to come from both sides: the coach and the athlete.

4. What key skills have you developed during your career that you didn’t learn in school?

The most valuable skill he learned throughout his career is active listening. In school, it was just about hearing and writing down what the teacher said. He explains that when you're actively listening, you're trying to understand where the person is coming from, empathize with them and devise strategies that can help them.

5. What motivates you to keep working hard even when times are tough?

Tony asks himself every day if he was better than he was the previous day. Even on tough days, there are tasks that need to be completed, and that is what pushes him forward. Staying committed is the key. Additionally, helping other people makes his day even better.

6. What life lessons did you learn from your own athletic journey and from training young athletes?

I learnt that from Tony’s own journey, he learned that being a good teammate is important. He said it was difficult to do what was best for himself and the team at the same time, especially when his goals didn't always align perfectly with the team's goals. One of the most important lessons Tony learned was to grow and improve as an individual while remaining dedicated to the team's goals. Sometimes, the team might make decisions that are not in your personal best interest. The key learning I took away here was that in life there are going to be conflicting goals and managing them will require understanding and balancing.

7. As a coach, what is your perspective on food and nutrition during an athlete's overall journey?

I had a hunch and Tony confirmed in the discussion that food and nutrition is probably one of the most underrated topics. It is a really important topic but not discussed often. Most coaches focus on training and what needs to be done. He gave me a car analogy that made a light bulb go off in my head. He said a lot of times, we keep driving the car and don’t give it its nutrients such as oil which then starts to hamper the car. Similarly, coaches are not always teaching athletes how to take care of the body. The main aspects are food, water, nutrition, and sleep. Nutrition is critical for all athletes and one cannot reach their peak potential without it.

8. What is your favorite quote and how did it stick with you for your career?

Tony shared two quotes. The first is, "You're not just teaching sports; you're teaching people, and sports are just a tool you use to do that." When Tony was growing up, his mother asked his coach to talk about himself as a soccer coach. His coach replied that he isn’t just a soccer coach; he coaches people. This stuck with him through life. The second quote is, "If you haven’t learned, you haven’t taught." He explained, If an athlete doesn’t understand something, the coach needs to take ownership for not teaching the athlete properly. These 2 quotes were really awesome for me to hear.

9. How should one set goals for themselves and to stay consistent with managing goals?

Tony says it's about habits. When setting a goal, most of the time it's a big goal. Many people tend to jump straight to larger goals, but it's better to set micro goals, making them easier to achieve. These micro goals ultimately help you be where you want to in the future.

10. What advice would you give to me and other athletes around the world who would like to achieve the impossible?

He says that everything is impossible if it’s not attempted. It’s about the process, not the outcome, that defines you. The greatest athletes love their sport and put their heart and soul into it. If you're aiming to achieve something no one has done before, you will face tough times, and those challenges will test you in every way. I thought this last sentence was really powerful.

I had an awesome conversation with Tony. I had a lot of new learnings from this conversation. My favorite thing that Tony said was “Everything is impossible if it’s not attempted”. That was one of the things that really stood out to me. I would really like to thank him for taking time to talk to me. To all my readers, I really hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I enjoyed working on it.

You can follow Tony and his coaching advice and tips here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-earp-99a5a037/

I would really love to hear your feedback and comments. Please reach out to me@hanikachhajer.com.