Growing Into A Coach Worth Following

Coaching isn’t rocket science, but you can do some things right that increase your chances of succeeding at it. By finding ways to gain trust and build loyalty (charisma, empathy, faith, grace) you exhibit traits that are worth following. #DailyMight

I’ve seen dozens of coaches struggle at connecting with their athletes in youth sports. This becomes most critical near the end of a season when a coach may ask of their athletes to take the next step in preparing for a state or national tournament. It’s an epic culmination of a season growing into leadership for a youth coach and when the connection is tested the most. Sadly, not all are successful. And it’s usually because the coach hasn’t grown into a leader worth following.

Coaching isn’t rocket science. There have been coaches who have successfully navigated the job and have both gown as a coach, and helped their athletes grow – in a single season. I illustrate the point simply to let you know that it’s not impossible. In fact, after years of coaching and studying leadership, I’ve found that connection comes down to two main criteria: trust and loyalty.

Gaining trust from your athletes.

Trust is a two-way street between a coach and an athlete. In order to receive it, you have to give it. In that order. And the easiest way to trust someone, is to trust someone. Trust is an end game and is earned and given in a hundred small moments throughout the season. It’s why consistency as the coach is the right model for your players. Once a player receives a coach’s trust, over and over, they are more likely to reciprocate that trust. When an athlete trusts you as their coach, you’re a coach worth following.

Building loyalty from your athletes.

Building a strong feeling of support and allegiance – loyalty – between a coach and athlete is a needed and desired connection point throughout a season. Loyalty to a coach is a lot like loyalty to your favorite stick or skates. You’ve had success with your shot, or some new lighter skates made you quicker and smoother on the ice. Like equipment, there are some traits that make loyalty easier to generate. Most of these traits we’ve talked about before: charisma, empathy, faith, grace. By displaying and practicing these traits that you control, you become of character worthy of being followed. Your athletes have also become loyal to the goals you have set out for them, the same goals that they set out for themselves.

Trust and loyalty is built each season by a coach with one goal in mind: to be a leader worth following. Why? Because the best way to impart knowledge to athletes is to be worth following. And there is no goal greater to a coach then to develop athletes with the knowledge we get to pass along – through trust and loyalty.

Give everything your everything. And then some.

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