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Here's what's coming: Coaching isnโt just about strategyโitโs about leadership. In this issue, we break down 7 Steps to Coach With Impact, showing how your words, energy, and approach can build confidence, strengthen trust, and create a culture where players thrive.
Next week on Great Teams Better Leadersย PRO โ
The Winners Circle (Sunday): Patrick Mahomes
The EDGE (Tuesday): The Pareto Principle for Coaches
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Letโs dive inโฆ
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LINKS FOR COACHES
๐ญ ONE THOUGHT
7 Steps to Coaching With Impact
COACHES: Your words can build confidenceโor destroy it. Your energy can inspireโor deflate. Coaching isnโt just about Xโs and Oโs. Itโs about how you lead.
Positive coaching isnโt about sugarcoating the truth or avoiding tough conversations.
Itโs about creating an environment where players can thrive, grow, and perform at their best.
It shifts the focus from short-term wins to long-term growthโon and off the court.
When done right, positive coaching:
โ
Builds confidence in players.
โ
Creates a resilient, healthy mindset.
โ
Strengthens trust within a team.
โ
Promotes a โjoy in the journeyโ approach.
So, what does positive coaching look like in practice?
Here are 7 Steps to Coach With Impact:
1. Effort > Outcome
Great coaches focus on what players can control: effort and attitude. Positive coaching emphasizes rewarding hustle, grit, and commitment over just the scoreboard.
Ask Yourself: Are you celebrating effort in practice and games?
Example: Highlight a playerโs hustle on defense or their leadership on the benchโnot just the game-winning shot.
2. Bring Positive Energy
Positive energy is contagious. A coachโs tone sets the vibe for the team. When you model enthusiasm and positivity, players are more likely to mirror it.
Tip: Start each practice with high energy, a smile, and an encouraging tone.
Example: Use a positive mantra, such asย โNext play, best play!โ to keep your energy up after mistakes.
3. Focus on Relationships
Coaching is a people business. Players wonโt care how much you know until they know how much you care. Build trust through genuine connections.
Action Step: Spend one-on-one time with your players to learn their goals and motivations.
Example: Have weekly โcheck-insโ where players can share their highs and lows.
4. Focus on the Process
The process is where growth happens. Teach your players to love the grind because thatโs where champions are made.
Mindset Shift: Instead of focusing on winning the game, focus on winning the next play, next rep, or next drill.
Example: Celebrate small wins, like a player mastering a new skill or improving their focus during practice.
5. Create a Positive Culture
Culture is built every day, not just in preseason meetings. Positive coaches invest consistently in their culture, knowing that it pays dividends over time.
Tip: Define your team values and revisit them regularly.
Example: Start each week with a โCulture Momentโ to reinforce values like respect, effort, or teamwork.
6. Have a Healthy Approach to Failure
Failure isnโt fatal; itโs feedback. Teach your players to see mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
Phrase to Use: โWhat can we learn from this?โ instead of โWhy did this happen?โ
Example: After a loss, focus on growth areas instead of placing blame.
7. Give Clear and Honest Feedback
Positive coaching doesnโt mean avoiding tough conversations. It means delivering honest feedback in a constructive way.
Tip: Use the โCriticism Sandwichโ methodโstart with a positive, address the issue, and finish with encouragement.
Example: โYour effort in practice has been great. Letโs work on boxing out better on reboundsโI know you can do it.โ
The Bottom Line
Positive coaching is about growth, relationships, and creating an environment where players want to succeed - not just for the team but for themselves.
By following these seven steps, youโll not only become a better coach but also leave a lasting impact on your playersโ lives.
Positive coaching is contagious - start spreading it today!
Reflective Question: What is one step you can take this week to become a more positive coach?
Want more like this? Transform your coaching beyond the Xโs and Oโs with Better Coach OS - now 25% off!
๐ TWO QUOTES
"A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment". Wooden also said, "It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.โ
"Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked backโฆ play for her.โ
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