If you have been coaching or researching this industry for a while, you have seen all of these organizations constantly revising their definitions. Some even have several definitions. The sad truth is that you could ask 100 existing coaches for a definition, and you will receive 90 different responses due to their training.

So what exactly IS a coach? Well, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a coach as: "one who instructs or trains a performer or a team of performers; specifically : one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy." The Merriam-Webster thesaurus lists the following words as synonyms: "trainer, instructor, teacher; driller, drillmaster; adviser (or advisor), counselor (or counsellor), mentor." Every other dictionary we researched said the same basic thing.

Therefore, it is NOT the public who misunderstands the term - but rather the "coaching" industry itself! The problem is NOT in "defining" the term "coach" - the problem is that the industry and training organizations are trying to "RE-define" a commonly used and easily understood term! Obviously, any message that confuses its target audience will have negative effects!

A "coach" is an expert in their field who strategizes, instructs, trains, and pushes the client/team to achieve more than they would achieve alone. That's just what a coach does!