Billy Graham once said, “A Coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime.” Most coaches encourage someone on their team or the entire team to be leaders, but what they do not realize is that THEY are the leader!

Everything a coach does or says affects the team and their playing ability.

Sure it takes talent from each individual and the urgency to want to win to be a good team, but the biggest part of being that star team starts with the coach.

Coaches are a team’s biggest critic.

Regardless if you are in a high school, college, or even professional sport you care what people around you will say about your performance, and you care even more about what your coach will say.

The coach never wants to see his/her team lose. They take their time coming up with techniques and plays that will get the W. They put forth so much effort as if they were out there playing themselves.

It is a player’s job to respect their coach and form a healthy relationship with him/her. But, what is most commonly forgotten is that the coach MUST do the same with the player.

Respect is not a one way street.

No matter how much frustration or anger a coach is feeling, they should never take it out on the team or a single player. Coaches have bad days as well as the players, so it is important that both the coach and the player are respectful to each other.

I am not the only one who thinks this. A study done by Sports Psychology Today says that, “Youth coaches are critical to kids’ sport experiences. They can influence whether young athletes enjoy sports and want to continue playing. Some coaches can get kids excited about sports, while other coaches may discourage kids or take the fun out of the game…The kids are also afraid. They think, “Should I shoot the ball? Should I pass the ball? Should I get rid of the ball fast?” for example. They focus on the wrong things during sports because they are preoccupied with gaining approval from the coach. Often they are afraid of how the coach will react if they make the wrong decision.”

Coaches must learn to be a part of their team instead of just controlling it. They have to be all in it together to make good things happen.

Young teen athletes can be very competitive for sure, but they should never have to compete against their own team, or their coach, to feel like they belong.

Everyone deserves a chance.

Sports at a high school level are provided to us to get us involved, do something that interests us, and for us to have fun. No athlete should ever go home at night feeling depressed, or mad at themselves for making a mistake.

No one is perfect, and no one should have to be perfect to be accepted on a team.