Tips To Help You Lead Your Team More Effectively

• It is not about you, it is about the team. When you are going to lead others in a positive direction, always understand that you are not the star. It is not about you. It is about the good of the program and the players you are trying to lead.
• Study the game and your players. Great coaches are students of the game and their players. Knowledge is power!
• Players will only take risks when coaches create a safe environment. It is very important for you to create an environment where there is a sense of security for your players to grow and develop. When the environment is safe, players play with more confidence, more energy, and more passion. 
• Great coaches exude passion as well as purpose. Signs of passion are love, enthusiasm, excitement, energy, and going the extra mile.
• Keep your playbook simple and clear. The essence of coaching is communication. The first issue of communication is whether or not your players understand and know what you are asking them to do. 
• Repetition is the key to learning. If you want your players to learn the fundamentals then practice them daily, and use a variety of different drills to teach a specific skill.
• Let your players teach each other. Great coaches understand that their players have the ability to communicate and teach each other. Players relate to teammates much better than players do to coaches.
• Avoid using the same motivational method for each player. Good coaches know that every player can be motivated, but every player is motivated differently. 
• Never stop coaching. Effective coaching is about the quality of the relationship between the coach and the player, and it does not end when the practice is over. It is an ongoing process.

—Adapted from The Coaching and Leadership Journal, May 2013

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