Get to know your athletes

"Athletes don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care!”

Plan

No matter what level you are coaching, plan your season and your sessions

Develop

and keep developing your communication skills

Good coaches

are always looking for learning opportunities. These can be within the sport/code, or outside/across codes

 

At the beginning of the season

work on culture and expectations with the athletes’ and their parents (if young athletes)

Role model

the type of behaviours and values you want your athletes’ to demonstrate

Coaches coach people first!

Have a ‘Growth Mindset’

Always look for different or better ways to do things. Take risks and allow your athletes’ to take risks and learn from the successes and failures

Make sure

you look after yourself. Take time to work on your own health and fitness

You don’t need to know it all

but you do need to know where to go to find out!

Allow

your athletes’ to figure things out themselves, with your guidance

Show

enthusiasm, encouragement and energy

Surround

yourself with positive people. They will keep you energised

Have fun

and allow your athletes’ to have fun

Challenge

yourself and your athletes

Know

where you sit in the athletes’ pathway and know when it is time for them to move on

Self-reflection

is a key to improvement in coaching

Provide

specific feedback to individual athlete’s wherever possible

Be firm and fair

Remember, it is not your job to be their friend, but to maintain a coach–athlete relationship

It is your responsibility

to ensure the safety of your athletes’ whilst they are in your care

Praise in public and criticise in private

Nobody likes to look bad in front of others

Ask

athletes questions as much as possible so they can work out the answers

When

you coach, there are 2 people learning!

Concentrate

on the performance, not the outcome.

Children

are not miniature All Blacks, Silver Ferns or Black Caps, so don’t expect them to be able to perform like them.

Learn

to effectively use social media and email

Steal

and utilise ideas from other sports

Believe

in your athletes, so they believe in themselves

Develop

a network and support structure

Plan, plan, plan!