For over a decade now, I have been observing athletes and training programs, in an effort to distinguish the best in this industry. There is always that top 1%, which catches my eye. However, there are lots of other performers which sometimes go unnoticed, of which I’ve learned a great deal from. Through seminars and a life time of experiences, I have boiled down the traits that the best coaches have in common. Because there are many, I will focus on what I believe are the top three.
First, great coaches are great communicators. They are able to gather everyone onto the same page, and insure that everyone up and down the organization–from players, coaches, office staff, to physical therapists etc, are on the same page. Great coaches are able to tell you why they are doing what they are doing, in great detail at any given time. There is nothing left to chance. Many coaches that do not know what they are doing, overcompensate by yelling, making noise or demeaning the athletes. That may be effective in getting athletes excited, but that initial excitement wears off within a short time period. On the other hand, there are great coaches that have both. Pete Carroll for example, is extremely knowledgeable, and calculates everything his team does. However, his enthusiasm is controlled and he does not yell negative sentiments to his athletes.
The second characteristic of a great coach, is that they are always learning. The pursuit to improve themselves and their team, never ends. When someone thinks that they’ve got everything figured out–that is the moment that they begin to stop growing. Urban Myer–after studying the research, and consulting the experts–implemented a sports psychology program, for his whole team to follow. His team won the National Title. Despite several injuries throughout the season, they were able to stay mentally focused, in order to execute and improve.
The third top characteristic of the best coaches, is their ability to individualize things for people. Each player is different, and carries unique needs and motivations. A great coach is able to realize what each individual needs, in order to perform their best. Coach Wooden and Carroll would ask their players what they needed to work on–making adjustments in practice, for that need. It was small, but had a major impact. In most situations coaches have one program, which they use to fit everyone into–at any cost. With players coming from different backgrounds and cultures, an attempt to strip them and push them into a system, only results in a loss of identity. This further results in poor performance. Each person has different wants and needs. Great coaches are able to make the proper adjustments to meet the wants and needs of each player.
The first step in the process for us as coaches, is to know what we can do to get to the status of great coach. The next step is to implement what we have learned from these great coaches, and the last step is to use these tools to get the best results for the people we coach. The process of becoming our best is never ending. and exciting. What we used to do ten years ago, is drastically different from our approach now. We are always learning and growing in order to improve performance. Contact us now and let us help you take your game to the next level!
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