When I run shooting courses, I am often asked what the actual difference is between an instructor, a trainer, and a coach.
The terms are often used interchangeably. “Coach” is an English word, and when translated directly into Norwegian, it becomes “trener,” or trainer. Even so, I believe there is a difference between these three roles.
The difference is primarily about what you are trying to achieve, and how much responsibility the athlete has in the process.
The Instructor
An instructor is primarily someone who shows and explains to an athlete how something should be done.
This could involve teaching basic technique, safety, or specific skills. An instructor will often work with athletes who are young, inexperienced, or new to the sport.
The focus is on:
- technique
- knowledge
- understanding
- specific instructions
In other words, the instructor provides the athlete with the answers to the question of how something should be done.
The instructor answers the question:
“How do I do this?”
The Trainer
A trainer does some of the same things as an instructor, but also expects the athlete to have a certain level of basic knowledge and understanding.
The trainer’s role is therefore more focused on developing the athlete over time. This includes planning training and the season, setting goals, evaluating progress, and creating structure in the training process. Through systematic and purposeful training, the athlete develops skills that can ultimately lead to improved performance.
The focus is therefore more on:
- progression
- training
- goals
- development
- performance
The trainer helps the athlete understand how they can become better.
The trainer answers the question:
“How do I get better?”
The Coach
A coach has a somewhat different role.
The coach is more of a conversation partner who helps the athlete identify their own goals, understand what is important to them, and find their own ways and solutions to achieve those goals.
This does not mean that the coach necessarily has all the answers. On the contrary, it can be more important to ask the right questions.
Through questions, reflection, and conversation, the coach can help the athlete understand themselves better, find their own solutions, and take greater responsibility for their own development.
The focus is on:
- questions
- reflection
- motivation
- self-awareness
- responsibility
- ownership
When athletes are involved in finding their own solutions, it also becomes easier for them to take ownership of their development.
The coach helps the athlete answer the questions:
“What do I want to achieve?”
“Why is this important to me?”
“How can I get there?”
Three Different Roles
If we simplify it, we can say:
The Instructor:
How do I do this?
The Trainer:
How do I get better?
The Coach:
What do I want to achieve, and how do I get there?
But this does not mean that one person can only have one of these roles.
Within a club, the same person can be an instructor, a trainer, and a coach. It depends on the situation, the athlete’s level, and what the athlete needs at that particular time.
A trainer, for example, may take on the role of an instructor when teaching a new technique. The same trainer may later act as a coach when the athlete needs to figure out how to use that technique as effectively as possible in competition. Sometimes the athlete needs an instructor. Sometimes the athlete needs a trainer. And sometimes the athlete primarily needs someone who asks the right questions.
Perhaps the most important thing, therefore, is not the title the person has.
What matters is understanding which role the athlete needs at that particular moment.
