If you’re a combat gym owner, there’s no doubt that you’ve had athletes come and go. It’s just a natural part of the business.
It can be tough to know when an athlete or gym member is considering moving on, but there are a few early warning signs to look for.
Keep these signs in mind, and you’ll be able to act quickly if one of your athletes or gym members looks like they might be leaving.
10 Early Warning Signs An Athlete Is About To Leave Your Combat Gym
Sign #1: They’re Not Focused In Class
Athletes who are about to leave your gym may start to lose focus in class. This can manifest itself in a number of ways, from not paying attention during drills to falling behind on combinations.
Sign #2: They Look Bored And Uninterested During Classes
Boredom can often be mistaken for a lack of focus, but it’s important to distinguish between the two. An athlete who is bored will often look uninterested and disengaged during class, even when they’re paying attention.
Sign #3: They Stop Making Progress
One of the biggest reasons athletes join a combat gym is to see progress in their skills and fitness levels. So if you notice that an athlete suddenly stops making progress or stops pushing themselves, it could be a sign that they’re no longer motivated.
Sign #4: They’re Not Having Fun
Athletes who are about to leave your gym may no longer be enjoying the classes and workouts. This can be a tough one to spot, because some athletes will push through even when they’re not having fun. But if you notice that an athlete seems unenthused about coming to class, or they make comments about not enjoying the workouts, it’s worth investigating.
Sign #5: They Stop Showing Up For Training
One of the first signs that an athlete is about to leave your gym is when they stop showing up for training. If they’re suddenly skipping workouts or not coming to class as often as they used to, it’s a sign that something might be up.
Sign #6: They Stop Socializing With Other Members
If an athlete suddenly stops socializing with other members of your gym, it could be a sign that they’re no longer interested in the community. This is often one of the first signs that an athlete is about to leave.
Sign #7: They Start Whinging And Complaining About Everything
If an athlete suddenly starts complaining about everything, from the workouts to the other members, it’s a sign that they’re no longer happy at your gym. This is often one of the first signs that an athlete is about to leave.
Sign #8: They Stop Participating In Competition
Another early warning sign that an athlete is about to leave your gym is when they stop participating in competitions. If they suddenly drop out of tournaments or backed out of matches, it could be a sign that they’re no longer interested in fighting.
Sign #9: They Start Missing Payments
If an athlete starts missing payments or falls behind on their dues, it’s a sign that they might be having financial trouble. This could be a sign that they’re about to leave your gym – and not because of something you did.
Sign #10: They Start Training at Other Gyms
This one hurts the most as a gym owner. If an athlete starts training at other gyms, it’s a sure sign that they’re about to leave your gym. If you see them posting about training at other gyms or attending events at other gyms, it might be time to let them go.
These are just a few of the early warning signs that an athlete is about to leave your gym. Keep an eye out for these signs, and you’ll be able to act quickly if one of your athletes looks like they might be leaving.
What To Do When You Recognise Early Warning Signs of Athletes About To Leave
If you see any of these early warning signs in your athletes, and it’s becoming a recurring thing, the best thing you can do is reach out to them and have a conversation. See what’s going on in their life and if there’s anything you can do to help them.
There are 5 things to assess and find out when you pull them aside for a chat:
1. What value or goals are they working towards?
Rather than straight up addressing what you’ve noticed in your athlete’s behaviour, start off the conversation by asking them what their motivation for training is.
What’s motivating them to train? Are they training for a specific goal?
Some common reasons are:
- To get in shape
- To lose weight
- To gain muscle
- To improve their technique
- To compete
- To gain confidence
- To relieve stress
2. Are they seeing progress with those goals / values?
Once you know what their goals are, find out how they’re progressing and whether they enjoy the process of training.
Do they think their values and goals are being met with their current training regime? Are they happy with their progress? Do they feel like they’re learning and improving?
A lot of athletes will push through even when they’re not enjoying themselves. If you can find out whether or not they’re still having fun with their training, it’ll give you a good idea of whether or not they’re still invested in the process.
3. Do they have the problem that you think they have?
After asking the two previous questions, you’ll have a good idea of whether they actually have the problem you think they might have had based on one of the 10 early warning signs (e.g. Are they actually bored/uninterested during class?)
If they don’t, then see if there is anything you can do to further improve their experience and remind them that if there’s anything that they’d like to know or want to bring up with you, they can speak with you any time. This is a good opportunity to learn about anything else that might be affecting their experience at your gym.
If they do have the problem you think they do, however, then you’ll need to dig deeper. For example:
- Is there anything going on in their personal life that’s affecting their training?
- Have they lost interest in the type of training they’re doing?
- Are they not seeing the results they want, and is that demotivating them?
- Do they have any financial trouble that’s preventing them from paying their dues?
An athlete will usually tell you what the issue is when you show them you care, and they feel like they’re in a safe place to share.
4. What is the root cause of the problem? What psychological needs aren’t being met?
Once the athlete has told you what issues they’re experiencing, you can take things to the next level by identifying what psychological needs aren’t being met.
This is an important extra step to take because the root cause of the problem is usually psychological.
Often it boils down to two psychological needs not being met: Power and Belonging.
The Power Need
The Power Need is something I regularly talk about in CounterPunch. It refers to the need to feel in control, to feel a sense of agency and purpose.
When an athlete feels like they’re not in control of their training, when they feel like they’re just going through the motions without any real purpose or goal, it’s very demotivating.
This is why it’s so important to make sure your athletes and gym members have a clear goal to work towards (usually something that’s the right amount of challenging), and that they feel like they’re making progress towards that goal.
If an athlete feels like they’re stuck in a rut, it’s your job as a coach to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel and give them the motivation to keep going.
The Belonging Need
The Belonging Need is the need to feel connected to something larger than oneself.
It’s the feeling of being part of a community, of feeling like you’re a valuable member of a team.
When an athlete feels like they don’t belong at your gym, it’s a big red flag. It means they don’t feel like they fit in, that they’re not being accepted, and that they don’t feel like they have a place there.
This is why it’s so important to create a supportive and inclusive environment at your gym. Make sure everyone feels welcome, and that everyone knows that they’re valued members of the community.
If an athlete feels like they don’t belong, it’s your job to help them find their place. Show them how they fit into the big picture, and how they can contribute to the gym in their own unique way.
5. What can you do to help?
Once you’ve identified the problem and the root cause, it’s time to take action.
The first step is to come up with a plan to address the issue. This will usually involve some combination of the following:
- Having a further conversation with the athlete / gym member
- Giving them suggestions on how to change their training program
- Giving them additional support outside of the gym
- Helping them find a new purpose or goal
Once you have a plan, it’s time to execute it. The key here is to be proactive and take action before the athlete leaves your gym.
If you wait until they’ve already made the decision to leave, it will be too late. You need to reach out to them and show them that you care before it’s too late.
Summary
The best way to prevent athletes from leaving your gym is to be proactive and address any issues as soon as they arise.
Make sure you have a clear goal for each athlete, and that they feel like they’re making progress towards that goal. Create a supportive and inclusive environment at your gym, and make sure everyone feels like they belong.
And finally, reach out to athletes as soon as you see any warning signs that they might be considering leaving. Show them that you care, and help them find a way to stay at your gym.
If you follow these steps, you’ll be able to nip the problem in the bud and keep your athletes and gym members happy, motivated, and engaged.
Sláinte,
Merc
P.S. If you enjoyed this post and you’d like to learn more effective ways to keep your athletes and gym members engaged and coming back to your gym again and again, I’d like to share with you something I’ve been working on the last 10 years.
It’s called the CounterPunch™ Facilitator Training program, and as part of it, you’ll learn about the psychological needs of adolescents and how you can ensure your combat training programs meet them.
The program is delivered over 3 days and basically gives you all the tools to be able to market your combat gym as not just a place to train physically – but also mentally and emotionally as well.
So if you’re a combat gym owner who:
- wants to learn how to charge what you’re worth
- is passionate about making a difference in your community
- is looking for a way to grow your gym without resorting to sleazy marketing tactics
Then I’d like to invite you to check out my CounterPunch™ Facilitator Training program.
If learning about that makes sense with you as well, then we can have a chat about how we can implement that into your gym.