Preparing Your Players to Perform

Not all timidity comes from being unprepared, but most of it does. If athletes lack courage and self-confidence, preparedness is your likely culprit. A coach’s responsibility is to help athletes properly prepare (mentally, emotionally, and physically) – and the athlete is to desire to be prepared. #DailyMight

Every year I experience a phenomenon in youth sports that I can’t explain any other way than a player suddenly forgetting to play with confidence. I mostly coach travel teams, so there is a certain skill that has to be present to be selected to play on the team. A player’s sport specific skillset gets them on the team, but when practices start they appear timid and unskilled. I’ve come to learn that this timidness is from a lack of confidence, and if a player is lacking self-confidence, preparedness is your likely culprit.

As a youth sports coach, it is your responsibility to get athletes ready to play. Getting athletes mentally (their knowledge of the game) and physically (their skill to play the game) prepared are the easier of the three preparedness tasks that a coach much train athletes in. The third, emotional charged readiness, is the most exhausting from a coaching standpoint. It’s not as easy as following along on a slide deck or video review. Emotional preparedness is all about confidence and building that in athletes.

I have good news for you however. Players are hungry for your confidence building objectives which means all you have to do it stoke the fire a little. I’m reminded in Hebrews where the author tells of Noah and his obedience to God’s call to build the arc in the middle of the desert. Sure, he thought it was weird at the time, but he was hungry to hear from God. Noah’s obedience to build the arc prepared him and his family for the impending flood. Athletes don’t know what’s coming their way emotionally, but you do as the coach. You give them confidence by properly preparing them.

Tread lightly though. Emotionally prepared athletes will be easy to spot. They have confidence in your skills that have prepared them to play. A player’s preparedness (or process to get prepared) will make their teammate’s unpreparedness stand out and their desire to get prepared could be called out. As the coach, that’s when you need to step in and provide the model that God took with Noah. When an athlete’s desire to be prepared is greater than their desire not to be, that’s when you can build their confidence back up.

Give everything your everything. And then some.

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