How to Coach a Standout Athlete

Coaching a standout athlete is definitely a big responsibility, but coaches should make sure to organize their time so that their attention doesn’t seem one-sided.

When it comes to coaching standout athletes, many coaches suggest the standard approach just won’t do. Instead, try these expert tips to get results.

Seemingly everyone has a specific style that they adhere to, but as far as coaching goes, many different styles have been used to achieve success in sports.

While I’d suggest coaches remain flexible and adhere their coaching style to the personalities of their athletes, former University of Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight would probably disagree with me — and he won three NCAA national championships while running a stern program with a combative coaching style.

But every once in a while, coaches and parents will come across standout athletes who simply are much more advanced than their peers. It’s a huge responsibility on coaches to have this kind of budding talent under their wing, as they will be to a large extent responsible for whether the athletes will be able to realize their full potential and go on to compete in college or even professionally.

It also seems logical that if advanced athletes are on different levels from their peers, they should receive a different level of coaching. The real question then becomes how they should be coached differently. Fortunately, Psychology Today offers some suggestions on coaching accomplished people. Here are a few methods to try out:

DON’T BE AFRAID TO OFFER SUGGESTIONS

Even when dealing with standout athletes who look like they’ve mastered the fundamentals, don’t be afraid to share what you see. You might think the athlete sees things better than even a coach would, but it’s likely that high-achieving athletes want to hear input as long as it’s presented in a manner they can accept, reject or customize.

Chances are they want to hear as much input as they can and develop their own methods. In fact, even champions such as Pat Riley, Andre Agassi and Chuck Liddell reach out to get input on their sports psychology — in this case to professional motivator Tony Robbins.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO INTERRUPT

Obviously, you don’t want to be rude. But many overachievers are also cognizant of their time and how efficiently they use it. So, if standout athletes are attempting to communicate something and you’ve grasped exactly what they’re talking about, feel free to go ahead and let them know in order to save time. More often than not, efficiency is appreciated.

DON’T DWELL ON NEGATIVE EVENTS

Experience a big loss? Go through a recent breakup? High achievers tend to focus on how to solve problems and get wins and the steps they need to take to get there. Point them in the right direction and let them get to work, rather than keep reminding them about losing the big game.

FOCUS ON POSITIVE FEEDBACK

This one comes from well-known sports writer David Epstein, author of the best-selling book The Sports Gene. In Time, he explains how “positive feedback is linked to higher performance.”

Citing Christian Cook’s sports psychology research, he shares how athletes are less likely to repeat mistakes when they’re given positive feedback. A coach’s natural inclination may be to correct an athlete’s mistakes, even if it’s done in a constructive and supportive way. But research shows that we pay too much attention to what’s wrong and should try focusing on what’s right by applauding proper execution.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE REST OF THE TEAM

Whether it’s coming from players or parents, it’s not uncommon for coaches to be accused of playing favorites. Coaching standout athletes is definitely a big responsibility, but coaches should make sure to organize their time so that their attention doesn’t seem one-sided.

It’s all about maintaining a positive environment where everyone can learn and continue to improve.