Behaviors of a Coach

How Do Your Behaviors Impact the Team?

Your behavior as a coach will obviously have an impact on your team. Decisions you make, how you respond to a given situation on or off the court, the actions you model to your players, your attitude in the gym, how you deal with stress, and your response after a win or a loss, are all significant behaviors that we know help formulate the culture of the team or program.

The past couple of weeks I have encouraged you to take advantage of various clinics and learning opportunities to provide a chance for you to grow as a coach. I would also like to add the challenge of reflecting on your own personal strengths and weaknesses. How are you using this time to grow as a person?

Reviewing match videos and stats can be a means to reflect on the season. The wins and losses, the highs, the lows, and, most importantly, the why’s. With a key “why” being you. How did you positively or negatively impact that match, that high, or that low. What will you do differently in the future? Will you recognize a similar situation and grab the opportunity to behave differently if that would provide a better outcome for the team or player?

An article from Forbes caught my attention recently. Though it is written from the viewpoint of Manager and Employee, I found that I could easily replace “Manager” with “Coach” and “Employee” with “Player”. The article was written by Kathy Caprino, who is a career and executive coach, writer, speaker, and trainer dedicated to the advancement of women. She presents six damaging behaviors that should be addressed.

Don’t dismiss this concept. No matter your background or experience as a coach, take a few minutes to read this article and reflect on your own behaviors. Again, throughout the article, put “Coach” in the place of “Manager” and “Player” where it reads “Employee”.

If You’re Engaging In Any Of These Actions, You Shouldn’t Be A Manager

Thanks to Kathy Caprino and Forbes for permission to reference her article.