Becoming A More Effective Coach Essay

There are many characteristics a coach should have, such as, character, commitment, consistencies, caring, motivation and most importantly, communication. According to Jeff Janssen, M.S., in his article, Five Steps to Becoming a More Effective Coach, he states that coaches need to assess their credibility and the best question to ask is “Would you want to play for you?” That probably is a tough question for a coach. Most coaches believe they are the best at what they do, yet if they ask their players, they could learn that their credibility is failing. The importance of a coach establishing credibility with their athletes is being able to effectively develop the ability and potential of their athletes. To do that, they need to apply their

Being able to choose your words correctly so that you are not immediately negative or shut down your communication with your players is not easy. Hargreaves, et al believes that everyone makes mistakes, by first letting the players know that they gave it their best and then explaining what mistakes were made, will have players feeling secure and “respected.” They will respond better to encouraging comments rather than negative ones. When a player makes a mistake, they are immediately discouraged and may feel that they let their team down. By having mutual and positive respect for each other, a player is more likely to listen to what the coach has to say and be receptive.

Communication is Key to Coaching outlines many different characteristics a coach should have, but having a two-way communication, is the most important. There can never be a mutual respect between player and coach without that. There would be no credibility in the coach/player relationship. This relationship includes a coach not talking down to his players. Being able to give positive reinforcement, by listening to your players, by allowing the players to develop their skills and encouraging them to ask questions is all part of being a good