Case Study: “Squat, Squat, Squat… All We Do is Squat!”

A few years ago, I inherited a group of athletes who were reluctant to train in the gym. Attendance at strength training sessions was consistently poor, with only a handful of athletes showing up regularly.

These were not casual participants but student-athletes at a sports academy. They were there because they aspired to become champions in their respective sports. So why weren’t they putting in the effort needed to achieve their goals?

By that point, all the athletes had been part of the program for at least three years. They had gone through a structured athlete development program designed to prepare them for the demands of high-performance sport. This program not only provided diverse training methods to develop essential skills but also focused on education—teaching them not just how to train but why training is crucial for success.

At that point, three things were clear to me:
1. These athletes wanted to be high-performing athletes, or they wouldn’t have joined the academy.
2. They understood the importance of training in the gym to achieve their goals.
3. They possessed the skills needed to train effectively.

And yet, they didn’t show up. When they did, their effort was minimal, and complaints were frequent.

As a former athlete, I couldn’t imagine not doing the work. The program was solid, the schedule allowed for dedicated training time, and the coach was world-class, having worked with Olympic medalists and world record holders. So, what were we missing?

I decided to ask them.

To a coach, this sounded almost laughable. Squats are fundamental in any elite training program. They’re one of the most effective exercises for building strength and were a cornerstone of the coach’s program.

But their frustration got me thinking. I tried to see the situation from their perspective. At the next session, I made one small change. Instead of instructing them to squat, I gave them a choice: “Would you rather do squats or deadlifts today?”

That’s it.

To my surprise, every athlete chose squats.

The problem wasn’t the exercise itself. The problem was the lack of autonomy.

Imagine being a young athlete in a sports academy. All day, you sit in classrooms, where you’re told where to sit, what to study, when to speak, and even when to take a break. Then, during the one part of the day where you’re supposed to pursue your dream of becoming an athlete, you’re told exactly what to do again.

The issue wasn’t effort or commitment; it was control.

By offering them a choice—one that still aligned with the training goals—I handed ownership of the process back to them. They understood the value of the training. They just wanted it to feel like their training, their journey, not just the coach’s directive.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: athletes—and students—thrive when they feel they have some control over their path.

As coaches and teachers, we often think it’s our job to dictate the path forward because we’re the experts. But our students have their own narratives, and those narratives influence their decisions. To insist on our version of the story, especially when it’s not working, is shortsighted.

The key to better coaching and teaching lies in understanding our students’ perspectives. By considering their stories, we can frame our guidance in a way that resonates with them.

It’s not about relinquishing control entirely but about creating an environment where they feel empowered to make good decisions. When students and athletes feel ownership over their journey, they’re more likely to engage fully and make choices they’ll be proud of.