How Athletes Can Succeed With Online Coaching: Get Faster, Stronger, and More Explosive

When most athletes hear online coaching, they may picture a generic workout PDF, a few exercise videos, and a coach who checks in once every couple of weeks.

That isn’t what real online athlete coaching should look like.

When done correctly, online coaching can give serious athletes a completely customized training system designed around their sport, goals, schedule, strengths, weaknesses, and current level of development.

We’ve seen firsthand just how effective remote coaching can be when the athlete is willing to put in the work.

We’ve had athletes use online programming to make massive jumps in strength, speed, explosiveness, and overall athletic performance, and ultimately take the next step toward playing at the collegiate level and beyond.

Online Coaching Can Produce Elite Results

One of the biggest misconceptions about online coaching is that you have to physically train with your coach every session to get great results.

That’s simply not true.

We’ve worked with athletes remotely who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Colin worked with us one-on-one online for four years. Throughout that process, he committed himself to the program, consistently communicated with his coach, and put in the work. He ultimately committed to play Division I soccer at Navy.

Maira trained with us online from overseas for more than a year. Despite being thousands of miles away, she followed her individualized programming and stayed committed to the process. She ultimately earned her opportunity to commit to Memphis University to play Division I soccer.

Then there’s Brady, who worked with us online for a summer. He entered that training period as a 3-star linebacker prospect and finished it as a 4-star prospect, eventually committing to Michigan State University for Division I football.

These athletes had different sports, different goals, different circumstances, and different starting points.

But they all had one thing in common:

They committed to the process.

Online coaching doesn’t magically make an athlete better. The programming provides the roadmap. The athlete still has to drive the car.

Online Coaching Can Actually Have Advantages

For the right athlete, online coaching can offer several advantages over traditional in-person training.

The first is cost.

When you look at the long-term investment, online coaching can often be more affordable than paying for multiple in-person sessions every week. You still get individualized programming and coaching without having to pay for every hour of face-to-face training.

The second is flexibility.

Your training needs to fit your life—not the other way around.

Athletes have school, practices, games, travel, lifting requirements, family responsibilities, and constantly changing schedules. With remote coaching, your program can be built around your schedule and available equipment rather than forcing you to schedule every workout around your coach’s availability.

And perhaps most importantly, online coaching teaches athletes to take ownership of their development.

You aren’t relying on someone standing next to you every second telling you what to do.

You’re learning how to train.

But for online coaching to work, you have to do your part.

3 Things Athletes Must Do to Succeed With Online Coaching

1. Communicate

This is probably the biggest factor separating athletes who succeed with online coaching from those who don’t.

Your coach can’t see everything happening in your life.

You need to communicate.

Tell your coach how you’re feeling. If you’re sore. That you have a game coming up. Your practice schedule changed. Tell them if an exercise doesn’t feel right. Let them know when you’re crushing your workouts, and when you’re struggling.

The more information your coach has, the better they can adjust your training.

Communication allows the program to become truly individualized.

2. Commit

The best program in the world won’t produce results if you don’t follow it.

You can’t complete two workouts, skip the next three, change half the exercises yourself, and expect elite results.

Your program is designed with a purpose. The exercises, volume, intensity, progressions, and recovery are all part of a bigger picture.

Give the process time.

Consistency compounds.

You don’t need to be perfect every single day. But you do need to consistently show up and execute.

3. Train With High Intensity and Effort

Having a great program isn’t enough.

You have to attack it.

Athletes don’t become faster, stronger, and more explosive by going through the motions.

When it’s time to sprint, sprint with max effort.

If we’re jumping, attack the ground and jump with high intensity.

When it’s time to lift and develop strength, lift with max intent.

If the workout gets hard, don’t mentally check out.

Your coach can give you the blueprint, but you have to bring the intensity.

That’s where athletic development happens.

Final Thoughts

Online coaching isn’t a shortcut.

It’s a highly effective way to get a customized training system, expert coaching, accountability, and a clear roadmap for athletic development, without being limited by geography or a coach’s schedule.

We’ve watched athletes train with us from across the country and even across the world and go on to earn opportunities at the highest levels of college athletics.

Different athletes from different sports and journeys. Same fundamental principle:

They committed to becoming better.

If you’re serious about becoming faster, stronger, more explosive, and maximizing your potential as an athlete, you don’t need another random workout.

You need a plan and need coaching.

And most importantly, you need to execute.

Apply for OTA Elite Online Remote Coaching and book a call with our team today by clicking the image below. Let’s build a customized training program around your goals and give you the roadmap to become the athlete you’re capable of becoming.