At the start of every season, I always think about how I want my players and parents to view me as a coach, and what should they expect from me throughout the season. Like all coaches, I want to serve my players to the best of my ability and provide them with opportunities to grow and develop, but just wanting those things is not enough. There are certain behaviors and qualities of a coach that are required to create that type of competitive learning environment for the players. With this in mind, there are certain things we should all expect from coaches throughout the season.

 

 

This is a broad term and can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but I think it is important to try to define. I think of it this way… If I having surgery, how would I expect my doctor to behave and communicate with me in order for me to feel confident being under the doctor’s care?

 

When we think of professionalism with youth coaches, I think we should define it by how we expect a coach to behave and communicate to entrust the players under the coach’s care. Professionalism is the foundation of building trust with the players and parents, and it needs to be at the forefront of what coaches think about in regards to the approach of the season.

 

Simple things like being on time, being dressed in proper training gear, having a practice plan, wearing a watch, being early, having practice set up before the players arrive are all things that I would define as “professional.” Greeting the players as they arrive at training, saying good-bye as they leave, and looking your players in the eye when speaking to them are other examples.

 

How a coach speaks to players during a training session and game are important as well. What is coming out of the coach’s mouth? Not necessarily tone and inflection,  (although very important), but the content of what is being said. Is it informational or does it lack substance? Does it inform or demean?  Is it how you would expect a “professional” to speak?

 

 

A coach by definition must care about the players. Without empathy for your player’s current ability level, mental and physical state, and needs to grow and develop, there is no way for a coach to reach the players. You must know your players in order to help them through the tough phases of growth that require a sincere understanding of what they are going through.

 

When players know that the coach cares for them as an individual and genuinely wants them to be successful, even if they disagree with the coach, trust can be built in the player-coach relationship that is necessary for the relationship to work. A coach who has empathy towards the players does not ever assume anything about the players. When a kid struggles, it is not just determined that he or she will never be good enough or just does not have what it takes to move forward. Coaches who have empathy, take responsibility to find a way to reach the player and help the player through struggles by empowering the player through targeted, empathetic, coaching techniques.

 

 

May seem obvious, but honesty is something we should expect from a coach. Although most would agree with this on the surface, they do not really mean it. Honesty means telling the truth to your players EVEN when it is something they do not want to hear. Honestly from a coach can be very difficult for a player, and parent, to hear. Often, it is not what we WANT to hear, but it is what we NEED to hear. In the moment, it may “sting” a little and be uncomfortable, but great coaches know it is necessary to help a player grow and learn.

 

Another side of this that is not talked about a lot is honestly from coaches about their own actions and behaviors. How often have you heard a coach tell a player, “I was wrong” throughout the season? Probably, not very often. Now, does that mean coaches are infallible? Of course not, coaches make mistakes as often as the players. With that in mind, it shows an incredible amount of professionalism and honesty when a coach can tell a player when he or she was wrong.

 

As we ask the players to be able handle honest feedback from coaches, coaches need to be able to handle honest feedback from their players, parents, and themselves.  

 

 

I have not worked with a player who does not want to learn. Players expect and want coaches to teach them throughout the year.  During training and games, the players want and need information that can help them learn, develop, and continuously perform at a higher level. Players want to be better! They need the information to be better.

 

Corrections during training and games need to contain that information. Too often it does not. It is either more of a command (MOVE! GET OPEN!) or a sarcastic question (What was that?!). Although commonly heard, what information can the player take from those statements? More importantly, how does saying that make the player better?

 

When coaches provide insight and key points and ideas about how to play the game, and the players can see that it helps their level of play, players become even more receptive to the information. When coaches say players have “shut down,” I often think about why a player would do that. I feel players “shut down” when they feel the information coming to them is not helping them improve so it is not longer worth the effort of trying to understand or apply it.

 

 

Although a coach’s ability to demonstrate may vary due to their playing experience and level, I do think this is a key element of effective coaching. Being able to show your players how to perform a skill or do what is being asked, paints a better picture than trying to describe it with words.  I think players appreciate their coach trying to demonstrate what is being asked. Even if it is not the best example, it shows the players two things: 1) The coach is engaged and fully committed to trying to help them understand the concept being taught. 2) When the coach does not do it perfectly, it gives the players permission, without saying it, that it is ok to make mistakes.

 

Many coaches are nervous to demonstrate in fear of making a mistake or not painting a good picture. What kind of message does that send to the kids? Aren’t we asking them to do the same thing at training? In order to get better, coaches are consistently asking players to do things outside their current level, and in doing so, are putting them in a situation where they will struggle and fail at times.  One of the best things, we can do as coaches is to physically show the players that it is OK by our willingness to try.

 

 

If you do not want your coach to push you, than you should probably not play sports.  One of the driving goals of all coaches is to PUSH kids out of their comfort zone and ask them to do more than they thought possible. It is one of a coach’s primary responsibilities. You should never expect your coach to allow a player to just be satisfied what they can currently do.

 

We all need that push and shove some time to move us past the friction of fear of failing or complacency’s glue. Every day at training and in games, coaches should be expected to help their players demand more from themselves and never be satisfied.

 

Great competitors want to be challenged. Not just by an opponent, but by those who are entrusted to teach and mentor them. They do not want to be handled with velvet gloves and feed off the excitement of the push from a coach.

 

 

The “Push” only works when players feel safe. When players know coaches care about their best interest and they know they will never be put in a situation that is dangerous, physically or mentally, the player is more likely to respond and benefit from the “push” of a coach.

 

When players fear being ridiculed or humiliated, they are much less likely to put themselves “out there” and try to reach beyond their current limits. Reaching beyond your limits makes you more susceptible to mistakes, so for a player in an unsafe environment, the risk outweighs the reward.  If a player does not feel a coach cares about his physical state, the player is much less likely to give his all on another sprint or work as hard during training with the fear of the amount of fitness punishment is coming at the end.

 

Like all of us, players are going to perform better and enjoy playing the game in an environment that they feel is safe. That does not mean the environment is not challenging or hard. It just means that the well-being of the player is always the primary concern in every action taken and word spoken by the coach.

 

There are an endless number of things we should expect from a coach throughout the season. The list is never ending and should always be evolving. With each team being a little different, every player a little different, every situation a little different, a coach should constantly be evaluating what he needs to do best serve his players. It constantly changes, but there are always a few underlying principles that coaches place at the foundation of their approach.