Name: Rick Geenen
Age: 28 years old
Residence: Geleen
Specializations: Behavior Change
When and how did your interest in fitness arise?
It’s not so much that my interest immediately went to “fitness” itself. My personal interest lies more in the personal guidance of people in the areas of weight loss or adopting a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, my focus is mainly on the behavior change that accompanies this. I see “fitness” as an excellent means to achieve that goal.
Do you have any other athletic background?
In the past, I played professional soccer for 8 years with teams such as Fortuna Sittard and MVV Maastricht. Currently, I am active in the 3rd division as an amateur with E.V.V. in Echt. Additionally, I engage in strength training at least 3 times a week and in the summer, I do running or cycling.
Why does fitness play an important role in your life?
Fitness itself I see as an ideal means to achieve my goals. Through all the benefits that “fitness” brings, I have come to realize that this is an indispensable factor. I put the term “fitness” in quotation marks because in my opinion, this word does not fully cover it. I would rather think of strength training or movement education.
When and why did you start coaching and how did you develop yourself for this?
In my time as a professional soccer player, I experienced how important it is to have a good coach in your life. I believe that everyone at a certain point in their life needs a coach in some area/period. Personally, however, I always missed this in my time as a footballer. As a coach/trainer, you can often make tremendous progress if someone is motivated. However, that person often lacks the right tools to achieve the optimal result. That’s why I specialized in motivating people, especially in the areas of nutrition, training, and behavior. After my football career, I completed my education at Fontys Sports University with a specialization in behavior change. After that, I started working at a gym, mainly with people who had obesity. I quickly wanted to be independent and guide people the way I wanted. That was actually the start of Fitnet. People come to us with different goals, and based on a personal plan, we look at the optimal guidance for that person. The people we guide work on their behavior, nutrition, and training. I mention behavior first because we focus on the long term, and this is the most important aspect within Fitnet. We coach people “online,” but also at our location in Geleen.
Why choose behavior change as a specialization?
My specialization in behavior change came because I see this as the basis for long-term success. How often do you see people opting for quick, easy solutions when they want to lose weight or get fitter? In my opinion, you can only change/maintain something if the client is motivated to do so. As a coach, you can help people change.
What are the most important qualities of good coaching for you?
A good coach is like a guide who responsibly leads the client through all the mountains/obstacles encountered in the process of behavior change.
When are you satisfied as a coach?
You can only be satisfied when the client has achieved the optimum from his/her situation. This must be as personal and customer-oriented as possible in my opinion. As a coach, I will have to provide the right tools for each person, but the client will have to put it into practice.
