Sports coaching is a unique field. The sad thing is that it is often misunderstood and under-estimated. Do you really know what makes a sports coach tick? What drives him? Or Her? Here’s how to understand sports coaching (and find a new appreciation for this career too!).
They’ve GOT to have a thick skin
Think about it: When your favourite sporting team is on a losing streak, you’re quick to pick apart the coach. So it’s not surprising that the best sports coaches have a thick skin!
A recent study was undertaken by the University of Gloucestershire’s Dr. Denise M Hill, Dr. Mustafa Sarkar, Dr. Anita Navin, Professor Andrew Parker, Professor Jean Côté, and Alison Croad to investigate how the theory of self-determination can be used by sports coaches in the way that they develop sports coaching sessions:
“The satisfaction of all three psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness) is required to engender a positive motivational climate that encourages effort, persistence, enjoyment, satisfaction, prolonged engagement with sport and, critically, enhanced self-confidence within and outside of the sporting domain.”
They’re the best of your mom, rolled up into a coach
Your mom is your biggest fan. She always has your back. But she loves your brothers and sisters too. She makes time for them as well. Oh, and she makes sure you’re always safe and healthy (and always follow the rules).
Sports coaches are like that too: They “see” every player on their team, nurturing their strengths and addressing their weaknesses. But they don’t neglect the weaker or less experienced team players – they make time for everyone.
And they prioritise the health and well-being of everyone on the team.
Plus, they make sure the rules of the sport are observed, and focus on professionalism.
Sports coaches make sure that their players exercise safely
We all know that exercise is good for us. The more the better, right?
For exercise to be beneficial, you need to exercise safely. If you don’t do this, you’ll do yourself untold harm that you will find it difficult to heal from for years afterward.
Take, for instance, exercising with the common cold. When you are sick and your immune system is compromised, your body’s systems have to work that much harder to get better and keep you functioning.
When you exercise, and you are in top health, you put your system under strain. So, if you exercise when you’re sick, you put your system under even more pressure. This means that your essential systems – such as your respiratory and cardiac systems – need to work twice as hard to function properly. And when they are put under that much pressure, the likelihood of them breaking down is that much higher…
Watch this video for more information about how to exercise safely.
They’re experts in their sport
The best sports coaches grew up in their sport. They have an intuition about it and have the ability to make others better at it too. They see talent and skill, and can cultivate it further, turning a good sportsman into an amazing sportsman.
Dr Stan Kovich elaborates:
“For many athletes attempting to maximize their athletic abilities, skill acquisition seems to be a much easier proposition than having the motivation and resiliency needed to succeed. In simpler terms, it seems much easier for an athlete to learn a sport skill (i.e. to throw a curveball or accurately shoot a soccer ball) than it does to be motivated every day, as well as successfully deal with frustration and adversity (that usually happens quite regularly in the pursuit of greatness). Mental toughness, while sometimes overlooked, is perhaps the most important sport psychology skill an athlete can develop in order to reach athletic greatness.”
They are excellent educators, and passionate about their sport.
They are master motivators
The world’s best sports coaches are also the best motivators, able to get the best out of everyone they coach. They know when to push an athlete or sportsman, and how far so that the athlete thrives. (Read one of the articles on our sister company’s website – Trifocus Fitness Academy India – entitled How to become a motivator for others, to pick up hints and tips about how to motivate yourself as well as your other personal training clients. Click here to go to the article.)
We’re sure you agree – sports coaches have mad skills, right?
Want to get mad skills – yourself – as a sports coach? Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Sports Coaching Science Certification will set you up as the best sports coach out there – guaranteed. Click here to find out more.