Coaching a team in sports requires trust – not just among teammates, but between the coaches and the players too. As a coach, you are always looking for ways to be more effective and create buy-in.
It’s a tricky process, especially at the high school level, as you need to convince administration, coaches, athletes and parents to commit 100%. Here’s how you can do it –
- Self-awareness
Understanding yourself is the first step to creating buy-in. You need to know how people perceive you before you get them to trust you. Your attitude and responses to them lead to them acting in the way you want to, so you can develop a positive, consistent and selfless program.
- Coaching styles
Individualize your one-on-one coaching style since each athlete absorbs information and learns differently. Some are kinesthetic learners (put in a position), some are auditory (need to be told what to do) and some are visual (need to watch you demonstrate).
- Explain why
If you’re a coach, you’re an educator. One of the best ways to generate buy-in is to explain the “why.” Explain enough so the core philosophy is simplified for the players to understand. Sometimes that means sitting a player down and explaining how your plan for them, or desired technique can improve their performance and benefit their team.
With these approaches, you can create effective buy-in for your team. Don’t forget that you’re on their side, and sometimes they just need a little help to know that.