Do You Have an Angry Coach?

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No two coaches are alike. There is the good, the bad and everything in between. It takes more than knowledge, skills and experience to coach effectively. A coach’s style develops with time. Some are excellent at motivating their athletes. And others can turn into an athlete’s worst nightmare.

It is very sad to see talented athletes change sports, or even quit, due to their coach. No one joins a team because they are looking to be abused. Coaching by fear is a weak motivator. Intimidation does provide short term results, but it also has long lasting consequences. Motivation is the key, not intimidation.

Athletes want to be encouraged. Effective coaches know how to push athletes beyond their comfort zone. Great coaches feel a strong duty to help their athletes strive for more.

You cannot push people until you have honored them. Coaches have greater influence over their team when they are respected. A militant style, on the other hand, leads to rebellious players.

Coaches distract an athlete by …

• Publicly berating athletes
• Losing composure
• Telling players what to avoid
• Solely focusing on the negative

The militaristic approach is not the best style for many athletes. It just isn’t a good fit for motivation. You might get your athletes to move, but at what price?

Coaching is not a “one size fits all” concept. No single approach works all the time. Some styles are more effective than others.

Effective coaching is a skill to master. The best coaches are coachable, always seeking to learn the best approach to lead their athletes. The best coaches strive for excellence by teaching and modeling those skills and strategies.  Do you accept the challenge to learn to inspire and aspire to be great?

Resourceful coaches continually add to their bag of tools which they can use to motivate their athletes. They recognize athlete’s have a variety of learning styles. The approach used to motivate one athlete might not work for another.

The goal is to help an athlete succeed. Recognize where each athlete is and then provide that individual with the tools to succeed. Motivate each team member to be a high performing athlete. Teach them how to focus when competing.

• Teach players mental and physical training skills
• Encourage athletes to stretch themselves, making it acceptable to take risks
• Redefine failure. Use it as a learning tool. 
• Use performance goals

Effective coaches support, reward and teach. Don’t make it all hard work. Having fun is important. Experiment to find the right balance.

Master the ability to identify the different learning styles of your athletes. Each athlete has a reason for being on the team. Understand what motivates them to dig deep, striving for excellence.

Athletes want their coaches to be realistic, honest and direct about what is possible. Be a role model. Develop a winning mindset. Strive for excellence instead of mediocrity. Take a stand for what is possible. Teach how thought patterns, feelings and images influence performance. Respect your players and they will respect you.

Ever have a difficult coach? We all have an opportunity to learn from one another. Share the strategies you used to make the best of the situation.

Activity: The team’s attitude is a reflection of its coach. Is there rapport and respect or do you feel a division between coach and players? The best way to learn what motivates players is to ask them. Have an assistant do a quick anonymous survey. Be open to the feedback. Sometimes athletes need to know what they are doing well. Successful coaches find the right balance of praise along with constructive criticism.

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