One of the most important things to me as a coach and a former athlete, is the bond that the two will have. I can remember my first volleyball coach and how she not only made me fall in love with the sport, but I trusted her to teach me things that was more than just volleyball. There were times that I was not sure of what I wanted to do with my athletic career and school, but the bond that she had with us made it easy to seek advice through her. That coach is the reason why I coach and push to be a mentor to those that I do coach.
So many times we as coaches can get “lost” or “caught up” in the athletes just being our players. We do not get to see them when they leave the gym and conquer every day life. So that means the time we do have with them needs to leave a positive imprint on their lives. By doing this, the athlete will want to do whatever it takes to not disappoint you as a coach and mentor.
Another important reason to build a bond with your players is, you will receive optimal performance. There should be a balance between how you coach them technique wise and your relationship with them.
- Good production + good relationships = peak performance
- Good production + poor relationships = potential to win but little commitment
- Poor production + good relationships = commitment to win but little ability
Keeping that balance requires that professional boundary. However, be open and human to your players’ needs. Which brings me to my final thought that I want to leave you with. There are six key elements that a coach- player relationship needs: Trust, Faith, Boundaries, Perspective, Toughness, and Knowledge.References
Adidas Tennis Camps. (2015, July 8). Retrieved from http://tenniscamper.com/12-important-things-in-a-good-coach-to-player-relationship-part-1/
Beswick, B. (n.d.). Focused for Soccer. Retrieved from Human Kinetics: http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/building-relationships-is-important-in-coaching
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