Individual and team performances are often directly related to how an athlete feels about him or herself. The following techniques can help your athletes perform better with fewer problems during practice.
1) Athletes Deserve your respect.
Treat your athletes the way that you would like to be treated. If you show them respect they will respect you and they will learn from you openly and easily. Being a coach puts you in a unique and powerful position. Whether you realize it or not, you have the ability to make or break the self-esteem of a young athlete. When a coach humiliates or demeans a young athlete, they will begin to fear you, dislike you, and ultimately grow to hate the sport. Athletes tend to remember their coaches forever. How would you like to be remembered?
2) Avoid Comparisons.
Many coaches make the mistake of comparing athletes to one another. This almost always makes the athletes feel badly and they begin inter-squad rivalries and unhealthy competition. When comparing athletes make sure you are only doing so to model a certain technique or position.
3) Coach the Whole Athlete
Take an active interest in your athlete beyond their athletic abilities. This will go a long way toward making your athlete feel special and valuable. When an athlete knows that you care about them as a person, not just what they can do for your team, they will return the favor with increased motivation and higher intensity. The feeling of being valuable is extremely powerful.
4) Do not compare your athletes worth with their athletic performance
Athletes are valuable whether they win or lose. Be sure to re-assure them of this often. Athletes do not need any help to feel worse when they perform badly. What they need from you most is a self-esteem boost. No matter how poor the performance, there are always things the athlete did well. Find these, and point them out. Save criticism for another day. Keep in mind young athletes are always trying their best.
5) Challenge your athletes without threats
When you really want your athletes to push themselves to the next level, challenge them. Encourage them to go for it and let them know that you believe they can do it. A challenge is a great way to interact with your athletes. It also raises their self esteem. Threats are negative and potentially diminish confidence that will lead to an ineffective coaching relationship.
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