Coaching teams and coaching individual athletes one-on-one can seem different but it many contexts, it is very similar. The main commonalities is that everyone wants to be heard, feel like you have their best interest, and have a sense of belonging.

The challenge is that it seems easier to do this with an individual athlete than it does when coaching teams, right? How on earth can you spend enough time making everyone feel special and important? It does take some added quality time, but that time and effort is paid back with more success and more wins.

Get to know each athlete

The first thing I do with my clients is assess who they are as an athlete and also as a person. Start the season setting up brief meetings with each of your athletes. Get to know them and their expectations, their history, etc. Below are some different categories that can offer you some valuable information and some suggested questions:

Athletic History

• Describe your athletic development.
• How did you get involved in your sport?
• How did you get to the level you are at now?
• What were some of the high points of your career?
• What were some of the low points of your career?
• Who have been the most significant people in your sport experience?
• How did they impact your development?
• What were your goals when you began your sport?
• What are your present goals?

Family

• Parents: married or divorced.
• Siblings.
• Family involvement in sports participation.
• Siblings’ participation in sports.

Support system

• Number and quality of friendships within sport.
• Number and quality of friendships outside of sport.
• What is your relationship with your teammates?
• What are other sources of support you have?

Injuries

• What injuries have you had in the past and when?
• Do you have any injuries at present?
• If so, how do these injuries affect your training and competitive performances?

Eating

• Describe your eating habits.
• Have you had any recent changes in your body weight?
• How has your appetite been?
• Have your eating habits changed?
• Has your eating influenced your training and competitive performances?

Important life events

• What do you recall as the most important events in your athletic career, e.g., events that influenced you a great deal?
• What do you recall as the most important events in your general life?
• Has anything important happened to you recently in your athletic life?
• Has anything important happened to you recently in your general life?

Mental skills

Please rate your level of each of the following and be realistic.

• Confidence.
• Anxiety
• Concentration.
• Motivation.
• Mental preparation.
• Precompetitive and competitive thoughts and feelings.

It is ok for each athlete to be different

The fact is everyone on your team is different, but those differences are what make up every team’s culture and personality. It’s what makes a team unique. And it’s what makes coaching teams unique.

As the coach, you have the tough job figuring out how to utilize each individual’s talents to the best of their ability and the team’s ability. It is important that each individual understands their role on the team. For example, an extroverted athlete’s role may be to keep the energy of the team up particularly during stressful times which is important. That would not be a good role for an introverted athlete. An introverted athlete’s role might be to make sure the shot maker is free and clear of a defender.

Another aspect of your role is to help athletes understand that the differences in personality are a positive and not seen as a negative. We are all different but we all bring certain things to the table that others don’t. Emphasize the positive and figure out how to put the puzzle pieces together. The more you do this, the better your team will function.

***Important note – this also means that some athletes will be more competitive than others. This is not a bad thing. Some athletes want to have fun, be social and learn new skills. PERIOD. The best, most competitive athletes also have fun, are social, and learn new skills, and in addition they are more enthusiastic and competitive. Find out what the goals of your athletes are. Don’t assume.

Communication

There are two keys to communication – listen more and ask questions. Athletes want to be heard and be included in the decisions. They feel a deeper sense of belonging when they are heard and included versus always being told what and how to do it. These two keys to communication also empower them to be part of the process and figure things out. Caveat, if you are going to ask, listen to the answer and incorporate into the routines as appropriate.

Plan social events

Who do you want to be as a coach? What do you want athletes to know and not know about you? Social events allow athletes to see you in a different context. They get to know you and their other teammates at a deeper level. This does not mean you have to divulge information you are not comfortable with. Increased trust and respect comes from having a relationship with your athletes that’s beyond just the performance environment. They get to see you being human. This opens the possibility for athletes to ask questions and offer opinions.

***Important note – as a role model in social situations, you have the opportunity to teach kids what it means to be human – positivity, communication, fun and mistakes are OK.

Mental training elements for coaching teams

Coaches often think that their athletes don’t need to know the ‘back story’ but the truth is, they do. Schedule weekly team meetings and discuss how the following factors play in to their game, their practice and their competitions. Here are some mental coaching elements that are important for athletes to know:

• Your coaching philosophy.
• Your goals and expectations of them.
• The mission of the team.
• How the team works together.
• Feedback and input – how and whe
• What’s working – physically & mentally.
• What’s not working – physically & mentally.
• How to improve – physically & mentally.
• How you will communicate with them.
• Effort is always better trying to be perfect.
• Winning isn’t everything.
• Fun & hard work = success

Strong foundations build strong teams

Teams like individuals don’t know what they should be doing until they are guided in the right direction. Athletes tend to go along with the program but get confused when they don’t have enough information and are afraid to ask. Frustration and anxiety set in when they feel like they aren’t heard, someone doesn’t have their best interest and they don’t feel a sense of belonging. These are all things we all feel like we are guaranteed and when we don’t get them, we don’t know exactly what to do.

You will not have all the answers but continue to build on this foundation and I guarantee you’ll see results – a happier and better performing team. As a coach, you can help bridge that gap.