What is a Coach?

In the 1500s the word coach described a horse-drawn vehicle that would take people from one place to another. Many years later, in the 1880s, coach was given an athletic meaning, identifying the person who tutored university students in their rowing on the Cam River in Cambridge. This use of the word remained and coaches became known as people who help athletes move from one place to another. Over time the word also became associated with musicians, public speakers, and actors who rely on coaches to improve their skills, overcome obstacles, remain focused, and get to where they want to be. Coaching might have stayed in the realm of sports and entertainment, but it made its presence known in the corporate world too. The coaching principles that athletes and performers used soon became relevant to the business community. According to Fortune magazine, coaching has become the "hottest thing in management" today. However, coaching now goes beyond the business world and people are turning to nutritional coaches, fitness coaches, financial coaches, public speaking coaches, relationship coaches, family coaches, and what have become known as "life coaches". At its core coaching is the art and practice of guiding a person or group from where they are toward the greater competence and fulfillment they desire.