Three Vital Tips for Success in Coaching

To add to this problem, every player is unique and progresses at a different pace. The genius of successful coaching is the ability to adapt coaching style to the differing needs of each player. This is the very foundation on which teams are built. Before a team is, players are. And what they are and how they will be coached individually will determine the team's performance.

Here are three tips that will help any coach to be successful not matter what the stats say at the end of the season. Skilled coaches use:

1. Patience: because less developed players will make more errors and their performance will be more erratic. Even if they fully understand what they are being asked to do it can be hard for them to translate instruction from the mind to the body. A goal of every coach should be to exercise unlimited patience. Players will respond positively in a non-threatening environment. An impatient coach will look back with guilt at episodes of misbehavior.

2. Understanding: because a primary role of every coach is to build the self confidence of their players. Research supports the theory that the mind is the most powerful determinant of player performance, not physical development. To the extent this is true, self-confidence is the X Factor that can level the playing field between more and less skilled players. A coach whose focus is on understanding each player individually will have a fulfilling and productive relationship, not only with each player, but the team as a whole.

3. Self control: we all know that coaches exert a large influence on the character development of their players. Because of the many fractured families in our culture, coach's often end up being the most influential adult in the lives of their players. This is a sobering reality and places a serious responsibility on the coach as a mentor to the kids whether the coach wants to be in this position or not.

   A coach who maintains self control shows by example the boundary between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Without self control a coach is likely to have a knee jerk reaction to player mistakes that kills confidence.

See You At the Top!!

Coach Matt

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