Reputation, Rapport, and Readiness
The Tactical Coach’s Role as a CultureShaper
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In the world of tactical human performance, there's a tendency to measure everything. From AFT scores and VO2 max to sleep hours and injury rates, data is king. But not all the most important performance variables can be measured. Some of the most powerful drivers of readiness, trust, belief, and acceptance can’t be captured on a spreadsheet, but they shape every part of your program. In my experience, these intangibles aren’t soft. They’re strategic. And if we want to improve human performance in military populations, we need to put just as much effort into shaping culture as we do programming workouts.
That starts with the coaches and human performance staff.
I’ve served in the military, worked in the collegiate environment, and now coach in the tactical setting. I’ve seen firsthand that a tactical coach’s influence extends far beyond sets and reps. You have the power to build trust in a system that often lacks it. You have the opportunity to be a consistent presence in a unit where leaders rotate out every few years. And you have a responsibility to shape the culture in a way that promotes lasting readiness, not just short-term improvement. So how do we do that?
Reputation: Your Credibility Is Your Currency
In the tactical setting, your reputation moves faster than your emails. By your second or third week at a unit, people already know who you are and whether you’re someone worth working with. In an environment where trust is earned, not assigned, your credibility is everything.
Reputation doesn’t come from your resume. Soldiers don’t care what logo was on your last polo. They care about whether you show up, do what you say you’re going to do, and carry yourself with consistency and professionalism. Are you early? Are you set up before the session? Are you confident in front of a group? Can you teach? Can you adapt on the fly?
And just as importantly, are you in the fight with them? A coaching staff I led once went out to support a unit doing the Norwegian Foot March at midnight. We weren’t required to be there; we wanted to be there for the soldiers. We wrapped feet, passed out candy as endurance fuel, and encouraged them. That event earned more trust and long-term buy-in than any PowerPoint or training plan ever could. It brought the coaching staff into the fight and shared some of the experience the soldiers were having.
Your reputation opens doors. It follows you from unit to unit. And it determines whether people give you a chance to coach them. Now, I work with the Army Reserve. When soldiers come from active duty and have a good experience with a strength and conditioning coach, my job gets way easier. The previous coaches’ reputations help me build trust. The best coaches build a reputation not just in themselves but across the program.
Rapport: The Gateway to Behavior Change
Once you've built a solid reputation, the next step is rapport, the day-to-day relationships that turn access into influence.
We’re not coaching blank slates. Most of the soldiers we work with have been in the military for years. They’ve got wear and tear, ingrained habits, prior injuries, and experience with coaches, good and bad. They don’t need someone barking orders or showing off expertise. They need someone who listens, who meets them where they are, and who treats them like a person, not a data point.
Building rapport means asking real questions. About goals. About family. About stressors outside the military. About what they’re proud of. Then it means using what they give you to build better, more personalized guidance.
It also means putting your ego away. We may be the experts in strength and conditioning, but when we sit with a soldier who just got back from a deployment or who’s about to qualify on the range, ask them to teach you something. That role reversal goes a long way. It shows respect. And it builds trust.
Without rapport, your programs won’t stick. With it, you become the coach soldiers seek out, not because they have to, but because they want to.
Readiness: The Outcome of Relational Coaching
What we’re really chasing here isn’t just improved AFT scores, it’s sustained readiness.
The Army understands readiness as the ability to execute your mission and deploy when needed. That includes measurable factors like body composition, fitness test scores, and medical status. Ask NCOs or commanders from high-performing units what truly makes a unit “ready,” and you’ll hear things like morale, cohesion, and trust. You hear the same from successful sports teams. Indiana just won the college football national championship, and in interviews, the players credited the culture established by the program; never once did they mention their 1RM back squat. This is a common theme with every successful team I have worked with.
As a tactical coach, you influence more than you realize. When a soldier feels comfortable talking to you about pain, fatigue, or poor sleep, you can adjust training to reduce risk and keep them mission capable. When a squad sees you as approachable, consistent, and solution-oriented, you start to build a performance culture that reinforces itself.
Drew has mentioned on the podcast that a measure of success is how many soldiers wave, say hi, or stop to talk when coaches walk across the AO. That’s when you know you’ve made it into the culture. They don’t see you as a checkbox or a visitor. They see you as part of the team. That’s when you know you’re creating real impact.
Culture: The True Force Multiplier
Everything we do builds or breaks culture. The way we show up, speak, and respond to soldiers sends a message. You are either reinforcing a performance environment or undermining it.
Do you roll your eyes when someone asks a question you’ve answered ten times? Or do you take the time to engage because they’re still trying to learn? Are you sarcastic and cynical? Or do you model professionalism and positivity? Soldiers are watching. So are leaders.
Our job is to be force multipliers, not friction points. We should be eliminating barriers to entry, adjusting timelines, meeting soldiers at their level, and modifying sessions based on sleep, stress, and life outside the gym. When we do that, we send a clear message: this program is for you, not for us.
And that’s how we build cultures that last. I always say: the goal is to become "the way it’s always been done." If two years after you leave a unit, soldiers are still telling new arrivals, "Go see coach, that’s just what we do here," then you’ve shaped something that endures.
Influence Without Rank: How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge
Unlike squad leaders or platoon sergeants, coaches don’t have rank. Our ability to lead comes from influence, not authority. And that means everything we do needs to be intentional. Start by being consistent. Show up early. Be prepared. Communicate clearly. Dress like a professional. You can still laugh, joke, and build camaraderie, but don’t confuse that with being casual about your presence. Tactical organizations are full of professionals. You need to be one of them.
Use motivational interviewing. Ask questions that help soldiers find their own why. Build partnerships with leaders by solving problems, not creating them. Track small wins and share success stories, not just numbers, but testimonials. A well-timed story from a trusted soldier often carries more weight than a spreadsheet.
If you can do these things consistently, your impact will grow. You’ll get time in training meetings. You’ll earn access to QTBs and YTBs. You’ll shape policy without needing a title. This is what fully integrated looks like.
Final Thoughts: Legacy Over Workouts
Anyone can write a good program. But not everyone can make it stick. And that’s the difference. Your legacy as a tactical coach isn’t defined by your Excel sheet. It’s defined by how soldiers remember you after you’re gone. Were you helpful? Were you a professional? Did you show up? Did you listen? Did you make their life better?
If you did, then your influence will outlast your presence. You will have shaped a culture where readiness isn’t just a goal, it’s the standard. That is the true ROI of tactical coaching.
Mark A. Christiani is a Tactical Strength, and Special Operations Army Veteran. He has human performance experience in the worksite wellness, collegiate and tactical settings. Mark holds a Master of Science in Sports Medicine from Georgia Southern University and several certifications, including CSCS and RSCC. Currently, he serves as an on-site Human Performance Specialist with the US Army Reserves. Mark's extensive background in research, coaching, and injury rehabilitation underscores his commitment to advancing the field of sports science and human performance.