As I’m sure you know, CoachNow enables unparalleled one-on-one collaboration between coaches and athletes. You’re likely also familiar with the benefits that one-on-one coaching offers.
But recently, I’ve gotten tons of questions about how coaches (and athletes) can benefit from Group Coaching, or what I like to call a “One-to-Many” coaching. I’ve been advocating for this approach for years and you can find more in various blog posts (here, here, here).
Today I wanna give you the quick guide to get started in the highly leveraged world of group coaching.
Group coaching should not function as a standalone offer, but also as an integral part of a broader coaching strategy that’ll enable you to help more athletes, more efficiently.
In this post, we’ll cover a few strategies to help you create an engaging and effective group coaching offer that complements your one-on-one coaching.
Let’s get to it.
But recently, I’ve gotten tons of questions about how coaches (and athletes) can benefit from Group Coaching, or what I like to call a “One-to-Many” coaching. I’ve been advocating for this approach for years and you can find more in various blog posts (here, here, here).
Today I wanna give you the quick guide to get started in the highly leveraged world of group coaching.
Group coaching should not function as a standalone offer, but also as an integral part of a broader coaching strategy that’ll enable you to help more athletes, more efficiently.
In this post, we’ll cover a few strategies to help you create an engaging and effective group coaching offer that complements your one-on-one coaching.
Let’s get to it.
The Assessment Funnel: A Gateway to Group Coaching
If you’ve been following us, you’ve heard me talk extensively about the Assessment Funnel. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, check out these links to learn more (you’ll thank me later!):
Introduce Long-Term Development Programs into Your Coaching
The Assessment Funnel: Your Blueprint for Coaching Success
Assessment Funnel Deep Dive: Convert Leads into High-Paying Customers
This assessment funnel can help you find clients who are ready for your individual coaching. But, perhaps more importantly for today’s post, it can help you find clients who aren't.
There are a number of reasons why an athlete going through your assessment may not be a fit for your individual coaching… Maybe they aren’t ready to commit to your individual coaching requirements. Maybe they don’t have the time or financial resources.
Regardless, offer your group coaching plan to these athletes.
I think you’ll find that this group consists mostly of juniors, as that group tends to have a high diversity of skill. Group coaching is perfect to help them hone in on their skills in a collaborative setting. It easily accommodates diversity of skill, ambition, time commitment etc., all while keeping them in your network and moving up your ladder of coaching offers.
In other words, group coaching can serve as a bridge, offering a highly leveraged and supportive coaching program to help athletes improve with others at a similar level.
To sum it up: to offer group coaching, you first need a group of athletes. Use the assessment funnel to build that audience, then offer a group plan to the ones who show potential but aren’t quite ready for your full attention yet.
Introduce Long-Term Development Programs into Your Coaching
The Assessment Funnel: Your Blueprint for Coaching Success
Assessment Funnel Deep Dive: Convert Leads into High-Paying Customers
This assessment funnel can help you find clients who are ready for your individual coaching. But, perhaps more importantly for today’s post, it can help you find clients who aren't.
There are a number of reasons why an athlete going through your assessment may not be a fit for your individual coaching… Maybe they aren’t ready to commit to your individual coaching requirements. Maybe they don’t have the time or financial resources.
Regardless, offer your group coaching plan to these athletes.
I think you’ll find that this group consists mostly of juniors, as that group tends to have a high diversity of skill. Group coaching is perfect to help them hone in on their skills in a collaborative setting. It easily accommodates diversity of skill, ambition, time commitment etc., all while keeping them in your network and moving up your ladder of coaching offers.
In other words, group coaching can serve as a bridge, offering a highly leveraged and supportive coaching program to help athletes improve with others at a similar level.
To sum it up: to offer group coaching, you first need a group of athletes. Use the assessment funnel to build that audience, then offer a group plan to the ones who show potential but aren’t quite ready for your full attention yet.
Beyond One-to-Many: Supervised and Competitive Practice
Something to consider: “Group Coaching” doesn’t need to be you in front of a group teaching everyone at once.
It could also take the form of what I call “supervised practice”.
This format involves you as the coach setting the stage at the beginning of practice with a specific drill, movement, goal or challenge for the practice session.
Then breaking the group into smaller groups, or pods, to train and practice with each other, with your oversight and coaching.
Even better, try adding a layer of friendly competition to encourage effective practice, challenge and development, all while fostering teamwork and player bonds.
For examples, if you had 24 kids in your junior program, you would split them up into six groups of four. Those four juniors would practice and play together and train together and operate as a small team.
During practice, they would compete with one another, and as the program progresses they would compete against the other small teams you’ve created.
In this model, you act as the person who sets the stage and monitors the groups, offering helpful advice and feedback to your pods as you see it.
I’ve found this to be especially useful for juniors because that sense of competition and excitement often already exists within those groups. But it absolutely can be applied to adults and more advanced players as well.
Supervised practice provides a dynamic approach that blends the best of both worlds: the personalized attention of one-on-one coaching with the communal energy of group sessions. All while being highly scalable and easy for any coach to create and run.
For more on this topic, check out this interview I did a while back with Nicole Fougerousse. She gives a perfect example of this strategy in action.
It could also take the form of what I call “supervised practice”.
This format involves you as the coach setting the stage at the beginning of practice with a specific drill, movement, goal or challenge for the practice session.
Then breaking the group into smaller groups, or pods, to train and practice with each other, with your oversight and coaching.
Even better, try adding a layer of friendly competition to encourage effective practice, challenge and development, all while fostering teamwork and player bonds.
For examples, if you had 24 kids in your junior program, you would split them up into six groups of four. Those four juniors would practice and play together and train together and operate as a small team.
During practice, they would compete with one another, and as the program progresses they would compete against the other small teams you’ve created.
In this model, you act as the person who sets the stage and monitors the groups, offering helpful advice and feedback to your pods as you see it.
I’ve found this to be especially useful for juniors because that sense of competition and excitement often already exists within those groups. But it absolutely can be applied to adults and more advanced players as well.
Supervised practice provides a dynamic approach that blends the best of both worlds: the personalized attention of one-on-one coaching with the communal energy of group sessions. All while being highly scalable and easy for any coach to create and run.
For more on this topic, check out this interview I did a while back with Nicole Fougerousse. She gives a perfect example of this strategy in action.
Remote Group Coaching and Course Building with CoachNow
Of course, there are tons of features in CoachNow that make remote Group Coaching a breeze. Here are some quick resources to check out if you’re unfamiliar with our Group Features:
Unlocking the Power of Groups
Using Automated Templates to Make More Money
With Groups, you can create a short course and sell it on auto-pilot for $100 (or more) while you sleep.
Using the Advanced Group Controls included in CoachNow+ and CoachNow PRO, creating a course or training program is easier than ever.
Just film a series of short modules, create a few actionable high-value pieces of “homework”/ worksheets, and sell it on your website, socials etc.
Upload the modules into CoachNow, create a new Template, and use the Automated Template Scheduler to schedule all the modules in advance.
For instance, you can send a "Welcome to the Course" message on Day 1, follow up with a progress inquiry after 3 days, Request their first video submission after 7 days, etc.
Then, whenever someone purchases your course, add the athlete to the Group set the template, and let CoachNow take care of the rest.
I’ve seen the magic of this “evergreen” strategy many times. It’s SUCH an effective way to deliver value to athletes, while essentially printing money for your business.
Unlocking the Power of Groups
Using Automated Templates to Make More Money
With Groups, you can create a short course and sell it on auto-pilot for $100 (or more) while you sleep.
Using the Advanced Group Controls included in CoachNow+ and CoachNow PRO, creating a course or training program is easier than ever.
Just film a series of short modules, create a few actionable high-value pieces of “homework”/ worksheets, and sell it on your website, socials etc.
Upload the modules into CoachNow, create a new Template, and use the Automated Template Scheduler to schedule all the modules in advance.
For instance, you can send a "Welcome to the Course" message on Day 1, follow up with a progress inquiry after 3 days, Request their first video submission after 7 days, etc.
Then, whenever someone purchases your course, add the athlete to the Group set the template, and let CoachNow take care of the rest.
I’ve seen the magic of this “evergreen” strategy many times. It’s SUCH an effective way to deliver value to athletes, while essentially printing money for your business.
To wrap this up, if you haven’t yet given group coaching a try, you’re missing out!
As a coach, it's without a doubt one of the most powerful ways to foster more relationships and help more athletes progress, without adding more hours to your schedule.
Group coaching, especially when fed by leads from your assessment funnel, offers a dynamic and versatile approach to development in sports and other performance areas.
It acknowledges the individual needs of participants while leveraging the benefits of group dynamics to foster a supportive, competitive, and accountable environment.
Leveraging group coaching can enhance your offerings, providing a more comprehensive and effective development pathway for all your athletes
I’d love to hear how it goes!
As a coach, it's without a doubt one of the most powerful ways to foster more relationships and help more athletes progress, without adding more hours to your schedule.
Group coaching, especially when fed by leads from your assessment funnel, offers a dynamic and versatile approach to development in sports and other performance areas.
It acknowledges the individual needs of participants while leveraging the benefits of group dynamics to foster a supportive, competitive, and accountable environment.
Leveraging group coaching can enhance your offerings, providing a more comprehensive and effective development pathway for all your athletes
I’d love to hear how it goes!