Coach Feedback Tool — Triarch Agency

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Session Setup

Coach and class information

Coach Name

Class Type

Observer

Date

Class Size

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

1

Pre-Class Presence

Arrival, setup, welcome, command

Coach arrived ready before class started

Look for: coach already on the floor before members arrive, not walking in with the group or setting up as people show up

Room and equipment set up — full live demo in place

Look for: actual workout equipment staged and ready, a real demo set up — not a whiteboard reference or PVC standing in for a barbell

Authentic welcome — went out of their way to greet members

Look for: coach moves toward people, uses names, makes eye contact — not a wave from across the room or a nod from behind the whiteboard

Well-presented and intentional appearance

Look for: appropriate attire, no coffee cup in hand, doesn't look like they just woke up — not perfect, but deliberate

Took firm, kind control of the floor

Look for: coach calls the group to attention clearly and class starts on their terms — not waiting for everyone to notice them or drifting into it

Observations

2

Briefing

Demonstration, intent, scaling, empathy

Full movement demonstration — correct equipment, full effort

Look for: actual barbell not PVC, coach performs the full rep at intended range — not a half-rep gesture or a description without showing

Coach physically moved to demonstrate — did not point at the wall

Look for: coach walks to the equipment and shows it themselves — does not point at a poster, whiteboard, or another athlete doing it from across the room

Programming intent explained — why these movements together

Look for: coach explains what the workout is training, not just what the workout is — "this combination is designed to…" rather than just reading the whiteboard

Described workout feel — where the struggle occurs

Look for: coach tells athletes what to expect physically — where it gets hard, what the surprise is, what will be tempting to rush

Loading and pacing criteria given (not just "go heavy")

Look for: specific guidance — "a weight you can move for 10 unbroken", "85% of your 1RM", "pace the first two rounds" — not vague encouragement

Scaling options for capacity presented clearly

Look for: at least two clear alternatives for athletes who can't do the prescribed version — presented before anyone has to ask

Scaling for injury — athletes with limitations heard and accounted for

Look for: coach proactively addresses common injury modifications (shoulders, knees, back) — athletes with limitations feel included before they have to raise their hand

Used athlete names during the brief

Look for: coach addresses individuals by name — not just "guys", "everyone", or "you in the back"

Observations

3

Skill Warm-Up

The primary coaching window

Skill-specific warm-up section present

Look for: dedicated time before the workout where the coach teaches the movement — not just a generic warm-up run or row.

Coach actively coached during warm-up — not passive or waiting

Look for: the coach is moving, talking, correcting. Not standing to the side watching or checking their phone. They are in it.

Movement progressions used — static to dynamic, part to whole

Look for: coach breaks the movement into stages — a pause at the bottom, a slow lower, an isolated hip hinge — before putting it all together at speed.

Cues established in warm-up for recycling during the workout

Look for: a short phrase ("chest up", "drive the floor away") used in the warm-up that you then hear again during the workout. Same words, same meaning — builds under fatigue.

Corrections delivered under low load and low fatigue

Look for: coach addresses technique issues during warm-up, not halfway through a hard set. If the first correction comes during the workout, they've missed the window.

Cue Types Used

Observations

4

Workout Floor Management

Coverage, engagement, thematic coaching

Systematic room coverage — not reactive, not stuck in one spot

Look for: the coach moves around the whole room deliberately — not just walking to whoever is loudest or looks most in trouble. Every corner of the room gets visited.

Advanced athletes received coaching attention

Look for: the coach spending time with the fittest people in the room — not just the beginners. Advanced athletes often get ignored because they look fine. They deserve a cue too.

Beginner athletes received coaching attention

Look for: the coach checking in with the least experienced people — not just leaving them to it. A quick word, a position check, a name used. They notice when the coach comes to them.

Constant engagement — acknowledgment or correction, never silent

Look for: the coach is always doing something — talking, nodding, giving a thumbs up, naming what they see. If they go quiet for more than 20-30 seconds, they've gone invisible.

Thematic coaching approach — coached to priorities, not just reacting

Look for: the coach focusing on one thing per pass around the room (e.g. breathing, then position, then pacing) — not just chasing problems. Their cues have a consistent thread, not random comments.

Used athlete names throughout the workout

Look for: the coach using first names when cueing or encouraging — "good position, Sarah", "keep that chest up, James". Not just generic "good work everyone".

Cue Types Used

Cue Volume

Cue Effectiveness

Athletes Coached (approximate count)

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Observations

5

Class Close

Rally, debrief, scores, self-assessment

Actively rallied the group — class ended together, not dissolved

Look for: the coach calling everyone in when the last person finishes — not letting athletes drift to their bags while others are still working. The class ends as a unit.

Scores gathered

Look for: the coach actively asking for scores — not just assuming people will log them. They write them on the board, call them out, or walk around collecting them.

Debrief happened — conversation, not a monologue

Look for: the coach asking questions and listening to answers — "how did that feel?", "did anyone go out too fast?". Athletes are talking back, not just nodding. It's two-way.

Athletes guided to self-assess their scaling choice

Look for: the coach asking athletes whether their weight or scaling actually matched the intended stimulus — "if it said 'sprint effort', did you sprint?" Closing the loop they opened in the briefing.

Cool-down used as a gathering moment — not rushed to tick a box

Look for: the cool-down happens with the group together, not athletes scattered and already half-changed. It's unhurried. The coach uses it to bring the energy down and connect, not just check a box.

Observations