How Coaches Can Build Trust with Their Athletes

In a recent speaking engagement I had, another coach asked me, "With all the responsibilities that you have as a youth sports coach, how do you build trust with your young athletes?" It took me a while before I could answer the question, and what came to my mind were the things I learned from my mentor.

By being fair to everyone...

"There's no way you can treat everyone equally, but you have to make sure you treat everyone fairly."

There was one parent who approached me a few years back to tell me that when her son became part of my team, he initially didn't like me so much as his coach. He felt that I was always picking on him and calling him out. But a few weeks later, her son realized that I treated every single player on the team fairly depending on the situation, and that I didn't play favorites. It was then that he realized I was okay as a coach. In fact, I had a good relationship with that boy the entire time he was on my team.

By being organized...

Another thing that helps me build trust with my athletes is being organized. I believe that coaches need to have a specific practice plan before the practice, and they need to make sure the training area is ready before the players come in. Practice sessions need to flow smoothly from one activity to another, and they need to be effective and efficient at the same time. By being well organized, players can feel that their coaches are making an extra effort to be well-prepared for them. In return, players double their effort to perform well during the sessions.

By being enthusiastic...

Enthusiasm is another thing that shouldn't go missing in any sport. As a coach, my job is not only to teach players how to play the game. More importantly, I need to teach them how to LOVE the game, and the only way I can do that is to show them my passion for the game. It's important for coaches to make practices and training sessions as exciting, challenging, and fun at the same time. 

By valuing integrity...

I believe that having an attitude of integrity over winning is one of the most important factors that help build trust between players and their coaches. For me, it's important that my players see how unwilling I am to sacrifice my team's integrity just to win games. Players need to see their coaches not trying to bend the rules or cheat in order to win a game. This attitude of a coach teaches young players the importance of respect for the game and the ability to accept defeat.