Coaching involves building positive relationships with a wide range of people who contribute to the success of your coaching practice.
While relationships are not a one-way street, it’s important to remember that coaches hold a position of great influence.
It is your responsibility to lead by example, reinforce good habits, and model positive behaviour.
This is essential in coaching all participants, and particularly when coaching youth sport.
Positive relationships combined with a holistic approach to coaching not only increase individual progress and development but also support the growth of participants as people.
Developing the coach-athlete relationship
The coach-athlete relationship is at the heart of coaching, playing a central role in ensuring both athletes' and coaches’ needs are being met.
Importantly, the quality of the coach-athlete relationship can determine both the effectiveness and success of your coaching.
In How to Build Stronger Relationships with Your Athletes, Professor of Psychology at Loughborough University Sophia Jowett highlights that a good quality coach-athlete relationship comprises of four key dimensions:
- Closeness.
- Commitment.
- Complementarity.
- Co-orientation.