Only when they trust you, have you earned the opportunity to push them.
“There is nothing more important than building trust with your athletes.
Not some superficial nonsense, but real trust.
Only when trust is established do you earn the opportunity to push them to the levels required to get the most out of them.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
Here’s the fact of the matter:
Most kid’s do not reach their potential not because of lack of desire, but because their coaches don’t take the time to develop a healthy relationship built on rock solid trust.
Because real trust, which as we know is extraordinarily sacred, isn’t typically established, coaches have not earned the right to push and get the most out of their athletes.
Of course many try to ignore the relationship side and Billy Badass their way through kids, falsely believing their cheap, simple mindedness tactic will work, but I can assure you most of the time not only does this tactic not work, it’s highly counterproductive.
You can scream them into temporary conformity while wielding your “listen to me, I’m your superior” badge, but I can assure you, your lack of self-awareness of how you project yourself is exactly why you’ll never get the most out of them.
This is a big deal because this whole sports, athletes, coaching thing isn’t about adults.
It’s about the kids.
If you give the kids everything you can possibly give them and they don’t pan out to reach their potential (this happens), that’s fine.
But if a kid doesn’t reach their potential because an adult doesn’t take the time to be an adult, a real coach, a real leader, then I’ve got a major problem with this.
In my opinion these people don’t deserve the ‘Coach’ title.
If you want to get the most out of the kids, you have to EARN the right to push them to the required lengths to get the most out of them.
This isn’t a RIGHT you’re granted just because you decided to get into coaching.
You must earn the right and that starts with a relationship that is built and grows on trust.
Without trust, your intentions don’t matter. Your handbook doesn’t matter. Your coaching style and philosophy doesn’t matter.
Why not?
Because this isn’t about you.
It’s about them.
EARN their trust.
Develop deep relationships.
Watch your athletes soar.
If you’re unwilling to take the (real) time to do this, you’re better off out of their way.
