Coach or manager, whatever the word you use for it, it means head honcho for teams at most levels. It means that you’re the person the team looks up to, who gets the authority and respect. But it’s not a position about being above other people. It’s about getting the best out of them. Which means you have to give plenty back. Without putting in the right factors, you’re not going to be successful. Meaning they’re less likely to be successful, too. If you want to get the best out of your team, and yourself, here’s what you need to give as their coach.
Organisation
Anyone running a team needs to know that they’re doing more than getting people together to form a team. You’re going to need to take care of a lot of the little organisational jobs that comes with it. If you’re coaching a rugby team, it might mean securing them rugby kits and getting them into a league. Be prepared for a lot of administrative work with the team as well as physical and verbal work with them.
Knowledge
For a lot of teams, they don’t have split managers and coaches. So they certainly don’t have strength and conditioning trainers. If you’re coaching a team of young people to excel at a sport, you need to share your knowledge with them, too. Not just in terms of tactics and why they need to do what you tell them. You need to show them how to do the right workouts and help them build a knowledge of nutrition, too.
Motivation
One of the biggest keys to success is any sport is motivation. Especially when coaching young people. Many of these young sportsmen and women might not have the confidence and motivation to do their best. You don’t abandon these people. Instead you teach them how to appreciate their efforts, not the results. You help them find the role that suits them and ensure they understand how it gives to the team.
Awareness
You also need to be careful and considerate with your players. You need to know and acknowledge the risks that come with the sport. Especially if it’s particularly physical. This goes for whatever you teach them about working out, as well. The more focus you put on health and risk, the better their chances at avoiding injury. You need to be able to read the physical health, as well as the emotional, of the team. A coach who doesn’t pay their team the proper awareness won’t be able to get the results they need out of them.
Discipline
You’re the one who helps them get motivated and learn. You need to be the one who teaches them the importance of values on the pitch, too. You need to show discipline and ensure your team does, too. Understand that no player is too important to get benched. Respect, discipline and sportsmanship are important parts of building a good team member and a good sportsman. Always keep that in mind.
