How Coaches Can Empower Young Athletes

I have coached multiple sports for over 30 years, and in that time, I have been able to reflect upon my own coaching strategies, tactics, and behaviors. When I was a young coach, I was very tough and some of my players would fear me. I am not sure if it was because of my immaturity, my ego, or just because I wanted my athletes to be great. But I also was able to develop a great relationship with my players that allowed me to be approachable. They would work hard for me and would laugh with me. The fact that I was able to speak to them and joke with them made a world of difference. They knew there was a fine line between coach and player as there must always be a balance in the coach-athlete relationship.

Source: Laura Miele, PhD

This does not mean you cannot still coach and be tough. When you build a rapport with your players, you build player confidence. When belief is instilled, they are inspired. Communication opens and players begin to speak up because they feel comfortable asking questions.

Governing by Fear Can Hamper Success

Young athletes should be encouraged to ask questions no matter what. Young athletes should never be afraid to ask questions in practice or during games. Mistakes are going to be made in a game, but how your players rebound from that mistake is up to you as the coach. There should never be an issue where young athletes are too nervous to make a play, too nervous to ask the coach a question, or be so consumed with anxiety that all they do is make one mistake after another. A good coach should be able to identify what is happening with their team, and reflect on their coaching behaviors and what they can do to better empower their athletes. There are many ways a great coach can pull the best out of a player, but leading in a manner that creates fear is not one of them. Having some fun does not mean that your athletes will not continue to follow your lead.

As a coach, you set parameters for your athletes to follow, but governing by fear can be detrimental to a team’s growth and success. This is why athletes participating on a team that is athlete-centered as opposed to coach-centered is more advantageous because learning outcomes can be improved. When players feel that they are part of the process, they respond accordingly. Considering how to elevate athlete responsibility and accountability through the application of the positive principles of coaching can open up the minds of the athletes and create positivity, hence improving productivity.

Cohesiveness

Source: Vanessa Sarmuksnis used with permission

Over the last few years, I have observed team behaviors in sports such as basketball, softball, football, baseball, and volleyball. I noticed teams that looked nervous, spoke less on the field/court, and were less supportive to one another. They become too consumed about their own performance. These teams seemed to make simple mistakes. Then, there were teams that looked focused and relaxed. Although errors were still made, you would not see one mistake after the next like the team that looked like they were playing scared. The issue with the nervous team is that it will ultimately break down. Teams that play scared often become tense, which can hinder the ability to perform well and can increase the likelihood of injury.

This will ultimately affect the team’s behavior, adherence, communication, and cohesiveness. The relaxed team that has fun on and off of the field/court is the team that has achieved balance, which will be an advantage toward long-term cohesiveness and success.

Another observation has been that a coach’s age can sometimes be a limitation in terms of maturity, experience, and how they handle their athletes. I am not certain if all coaches realize that they can adversely affect their team dynamics, but failing to realize the influence a coach has over their team can be detrimental to its growth and efficiency. In my blog, Building Character in Youth Sports (2018), I asked these questions: Does this coach have enough discipline to be able to determine the personality traits that will affect his/her athletes in these situations? Does he/she know each player individually enough to know who will step up and rise to the occasion? At this age, does circumstance determine certain behaviors?

Coaching to Bring the Best Out of a Team

Today, youth sports carry more pressure. There are travel teams which limit children at an early age to choose one sport over the other. These teams practice year-round to gain an advantage for their upcoming seasons. They are created to assist athletes to find their way to play a collegiate sport. The issue with this is that many of these coaches are losing sight that they are coaching and teaching children who are still learning and growing both mentally and physically.

Young athletes understand what it takes to win; they understand the skills necessary and the work they need to put in, but they also need to know that, as a coach, you are human with real emotions and that you make mistakes too. All too often, coaches let that fall to the wayside and as time goes on, their team will fall down like a house of cards. It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when. It is imperative for all coaches to learn positive pedagogy; it is the best way to go. You should want your athletes to ask you questions when they get confused or missed something; you want them to ask if they forgot something. It is okay. Wouldn’t you rather they ask you a question now, so they do not make a mistake later? I have seen coaches place such high expectations upon their young athletes that these kids are afraid to ask questions, and then when they make a mistake, the coach holds them accountable. A coach should never punish/penalize them for making an error as the primary purpose of a coach is to teach the athlete about the game and how to improve skill. Mistakes will happen. Even professional athletes make mistakes.

When athletes are just talked or yelled at and ignored, they get lost and sometimes shut down mentally. This can influence the way they see themselves as athletes, promoting self-doubt and negative self-talk. Screaming and yelling at players is not going to bring out the best in them. Young athletes need to develop an understanding of why something they might have done is fundamentally wrong. If they cannot learn and feel unable to communicate, then chances are these athletes may begin to lose the love for their sport. I have worked with many athletes who had big dreams to play in college and walked away after experiencing a coach that took the fun out of the game.

Coaching Essential Reads

What Gets Results: Insults or External Cues?

Why Does Coaching Work? An Evidence-Based Perspective

Being Real and Approachable

My message to the youth coaches out there is to be real and be approachable; let your athletes know that you are human, you have emotion, and that you also make mistakes. You can still be competitive and have fun with your players.

The great John Wooden stated, “A leader, particularly a teacher or a coach, has the most powerful influence on those he or she leads. I consider it a sacred trust; helping to mold character, instill productive principles and values, and provide positive examples to those under my supervision. It is a privilege to have that responsibility, opportunity, and obligation, one that should never be taken lightly.”