Helping Athletes Grow

Not only is sport all about having fun in a welcoming environment, but it is about growing. Growing as a person, as an athlete, and as a mentor. When you compare yourself when you first started out in a sport to a few years later you will always notice a large difference. You have much better skills and are much more knowledgeable, but you are also a much different person. You can look back and see that you now, like those before you, can help the newer players, and that the younger players now look up to you. But as a coach, there are a number of ways that you can fast track this growth and help your players of all development stages get the best out of their sport and most importantly, them selves.

One of the most important things to achieving this is to encourage your athletes to set goals. This encourages all athletes to give their everything in trainings and games, and teaches them that small steps can lead to massive things. The main thing is that they are taught not to give up. Ensure that the goals they are setting are realistic and achievable, so as not to discourage them, and the sense of achievement when they realise their goal will be amazing for them. This will in turn encourage them to set more goals and grow and grow.

Not only does setting goals help the athlete to grow as a player, it also allows you, as the coach to individualise each person’s learning. Not all athletes respond to the same types of environments and learning experiences, so taking the time to set goals with your athletes allows you to explore what works for them and to design sessions around each team members requirements.

Also, engaging in social activities outside of training and games can help the confidence of players. If your team feels like friends that play sport together, it will turn training and games into another chance to spend time with their friends, rather than a chore or something they have to do. It is important to encourage the bonding over things that they have in common, such as trips to sporting events, watching it on television or helping out at other teams’ games. Also, having a vested interest in the sporting club helps the athlete to grow. Getting involved with the other teams and people around the club helps to create a culture that everyone wants to be around and where everyone can help each other and learn from each other.  From a personal experience, becoming involved in the club and teams outside of my own has made my playing experiences so much more fun and rewarding.

As a coach you have a major impact on the players that you coach, both their sporting abilities but also just their life in general. The more that you can help them develop in all aspects, is not only more beneficial for them, but you can be so rewarding for you too!