These days a coach's responsibilities go way beyond teaching physical skills. Get advice from sports professionals on how to establish credibility, encourage personal responsibility and get to know your players as individuals. These two factors alone can make the difference between a winning season and a losing one. It is extremely important that a new coach establish credibility with his players at the beginning of the season. This is especially true with older players, who tend to be skeptical and less trusting than younger players.
Nothing destroys communication more than a coach who isn t believable.
For example, if you tell your team to keep their emotions in check on the playing field and not to fight, and then you get into a screaming match with a referee, you will lose your players' trust. You can establish yourself through consistency, by giving constructive criticism fairly, and by showing your players that your actions are just as valid as your words. By setting yourself up as a coach who can be approached and believed, you build a strong foundation for motivating your team to perform. Just as it is important that your athletes are motivated, you must also understand what inspires you as a coach. One of the most important factors influencing an athlete s motivation is the style of his or her coach.