Any sort of remote coaching relationship requires excellent communication between the athlete and the coach. Without a foundation of trust and clear expectations from everyone involved, relationships can quickly sour. In my time as a remote coach, I’ve seen all kinds of things go wrong — either in my own coaching or in observing the relationships that other coaches have with their athletes. Aloof, disorganized coaches who only follow up with athletes intermittently? Check. Weird, co-dependent relationships? Check. Controlling and manipulative behavior? Check. Athletes looking to their coach for constant validation? Check. A lack of trust resulting in an athlete questioning and doubting every aspect of their program? Check. There are all kinds ways that a coaching relationship can go wrong, but, in this episode, Luke and Todd discuss how communication should work for remote coaches. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. You can follow us on Instagram as well for regular training tips and crunchy tactics: @legion.sc Show Notes: [01:23] How should coach and athletes lay the groundwork for communication in a remote coaching relationship? It’s not just about sending people their programs. [13:40] The two types of communication errors that coaches make: excessive hand-holding or having weird “rules.” Building trust is necessary to establish good communication rhythms. [25:59] The dangers of the “authoritarian coach” — and some strange controlling behavior we’ve seen from coaches. [36:12] Some people want their training micromanaged by a coach, so coaches need to be prepared to discuss exactly what clients are looking for. And, the things that observant coaches should be paying attention to when communicating with athletes