Coaches have a huge responsibility. Not only are they training individuals in a particular sport, but they are also in charge of being life mentors for their athletes. Something I noticed in my hockey career is that athletes often become restricted in their ability due to their coaches implementing a fear of failing in their team dynamic. Too many times coaches threaten playing time due to a mistake, or give up on their players when they are struggling with an area of weakness.

The truth is coaching is a process. Growing your team and improving your athletes’ abilities to compete, takes time. As a coach you MUST understand that failure is inevitable. YOU have the ability to make or break your team’s growth. Instead of crippling your athletes with fear of failing, help them understand that they ARE going to fail at some point and that it’s okay if they do.

Recognizing areas in which your athletes need work and developing drills to focus on these areas will be extremely helpful to the growth of your team. It will also make your athletes feel as though you have their best interest in mind and give them the perspective to work harder to strengthen areas they otherwise would not have focused on. Instead of feeling discouraged by the failure, they’ll recognize it as an opportunity to improve.

For more on this topic and for more coaching tips, be sure to listen to Episode 13 of my True Grit Life Podcast as shown above!