You look after them.
We look after you.
Coaching can be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. This space is here for every member of the Hotshots team — for your mental health, physical wellbeing, workload and the moments when you simply need somebody to talk to.
Speaking up early gives us the best opportunity to support you. You do not need to wait until things become overwhelming.
What do you need today?
You don't have to know exactly what's wrong before asking for help. Choose whichever area feels closest to what you're experiencing.
Your head matters as much as your body.
Coaching requires energy, patience, concentration and emotional investment. There will be times when life inside or outside the gym makes those things harder.
You might be struggling if...
- You feel constantly exhausted or emotionally drained.
- Sessions you normally enjoy begin to feel overwhelming.
- You feel anxious before coming into work.
- Your patience is much shorter than usual.
- You are struggling to switch off after coaching.
- You feel unable to keep up with your workload.
- You are losing confidence in yourself or your coaching.
- Problems outside Hotshots are affecting you at work.
- You simply don't feel like yourself.
Things that may help
- Tell somebody before things build up.
- Take your scheduled breaks properly.
- Separate coaching time from personal time where possible.
- Avoid replaying every difficult session in your head.
- Talk through difficult athlete or parent situations.
- Ask for help when your workload becomes too much.
- Protect sleep, food, hydration and recovery.
- Speak to your GP or a professional when you need more support.
A 60-second check-in
Every so often, ask yourself these three questions honestly.
Don't wait until your battery is empty.
A busy competition season can make it easy to normalise exhaustion. Being committed to your athletes does not mean ignoring your own limits.
Physical signs
Persistent tiredness, headaches, muscle tension, disrupted sleep or feeling physically run down.
Emotional signs
Irritability, anxiety, feeling detached, becoming unusually emotional or losing enthusiasm for things you normally enjoy.
Work signs
Dreading sessions, struggling to concentrate, becoming forgetful, withdrawing from colleagues or feeling that nothing you do is enough.
You can come to us.
You do not need to arrive with a solution. If something is affecting your wellbeing, your ability to coach, or simply making life difficult, speak to a member of the leadership team you feel comfortable with.
Depending on what you need, support could be as simple as talking something through or could include looking at workload, sessions, breaks, responsibilities or temporary adjustments.
You can also speak to another trusted senior member of staff if that feels easier. The important thing is that you don't feel you have to carry something alone.
Some coaching moments stay with you.
Injuries, safeguarding disclosures, athlete distress, conflict, difficult conversations and incidents with parents can affect coaches too.
After something difficult:
- Deal with the immediate situation first. Follow the relevant Hotshots safeguarding, accident or incident procedure.
- Don't carry it by yourself. Speak to the appropriate senior member of staff.
- Debrief appropriately. Talk about what happened with somebody authorised to know rather than carrying the emotional weight alone.
- Check in with yourself afterwards. An incident being resolved does not automatically mean its effect on you has disappeared.
- Ask for further support. Particularly if an incident continues to affect your sleep, mood, confidence or ability to coach.
Coaching is physical work too.
Spotting, demonstrating, moving equipment and spending hours on your feet all place demands on your body. Looking after yourself helps you coach safely and sustainably.
Warm up
If you're going to demonstrate skills or physically participate, give your own body time to prepare too.
Hydrate
Bring water and drink throughout long coaching blocks rather than waiting until the end of the day.
Eat properly
Long competition and choreography days still require proper meals and opportunities to refuel.
Protect your back
Use sensible lifting technique when moving equipment and avoid repeatedly taking unnecessary load when spotting.
Recover
Sleep and recovery matter. Consecutive long coaching days can accumulate fatigue quickly.
Don't coach through injury
Tell us when pain or injury affects what you can safely demonstrate, lift or spot. Seek appropriate medical advice where needed.
Being a great coach doesn't mean being available 24/7.
It's okay to...
- Switch off from Hotshots when you're not working.
- Ask another coach for help.
- Say that your workload is becoming too much.
- Take your break.
- Not have the answer immediately.
- Escalate difficult parent conversations.
- Ask leadership to step into a situation.
- Have a bad day.
Remember
Caring deeply about our athletes is one of the things that makes Hotshots special. But you are their coach — you are not expected to personally solve every problem an athlete or family experiences.
Safeguarding concerns, serious welfare concerns and difficult situations should always be shared through the correct Hotshots procedures.
Helpful organisations & resources
Sometimes the right support needs to come from outside Hotshots. These organisations provide professional information and support.
If you need help right now.
You don't have to deal with a mental health crisis alone. If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent mental health support that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 and select the mental health option.
You can also call Samaritans free, at any time of day or night, on 116 123.
You matter beyond the session.
Hotshots wouldn't be Hotshots without the people who give their time, energy and care to our athletes every week. Looking after yourself isn't separate from being a good coach — it's part of it.
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