My Coaching Philosophy, Chee Bates

  

My coaching philosophy has been developed and refined through coaching athletes of all ages and genders.  I raised both a daughter and son who were high level Taekwondo athletes and had the opportunity to coach them on their journey, further developing my coaching philosophy. I have coached all over the world and I even coached my daughter to a bronze in the Youth Olympic Games!

 

Fitness is a key element I focus on and I am effective in doing this due to my MMA, boxing, basketball, soccer, track and fitness background.  The reason fitness is so important when competing in Taekwondo is because a sparring match is typically 3 rounds. When two athletes, with supreme technique, are fighting their final round and their fitness fails them, their technique goes out the window.  They will lose not because they lack technique, but because the other athlete had the strength and stamina in their body to maintain their technique to the end.  That is why I have a 6,000 sq. ft. facility with Fitlights, 20/20 Armor, 3 electronic scoring systems, Vertimax, TRX’s. Pilates circles, battle ropes, rings, medicine balls, turf and sleds etc. to train my athletes to have that physical advantage over their opponents.

 

The other element that sets me apart from other coaches is my ability to see each athlete's strengths and to develop them so they become their best unique athlete. As I travel around the country with our competition team, I can see an athlete from a specific school and I can predict exactly how they are going to fight because that school teaches the same thing to everyone.  I am proud to say that not one of my athletes are cookie cutters of me, they each have been given the freedom to find their own style. When our opponents go up against a Bates athlete, they never know what to expect.  

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Lastly, I emphasize hard work.  If a child is taught at an early age what it means to work hard, they will become successful in life no matter what they do.  If they are taught to never give up, they will meet life's hardships with an attitude that will create success and positivity.  Sometimes one has to be taught how to work hard and never give up and that is what I try to do with my students even starting from age 3.

 

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