In all these years working with football coaches we have made one thing very clear and we want to bring it out of the inkwell for all of you, to be one step further in terms of your training, a coach must understand that he is one more piece of the whole team. We know that it may sound cliché or something absurdly logical, but we do not have to take it for granted and we must always keep it in mind when communicating and interacting with our team.
So let's talk about the relationship we have with our players and how to improve it. In this way we will shed a little light on one of the keys to a successful team: The Union and the camaraderie between the players and with the coach.
1. Prioritize our players, empathize with them. For this, some of our tips are:
- Start the relationship on a friendly note. The first impression matters. If we build trust with the other person the first time, with a good treatment, a positive attitude and being cordial, it will make the position in front of us closer and more predisposed to work together. As coaches we must give importance to this section and get the players to identify the fact that the union of pieces within the team has to be fundamental to achieve the objectives.
- Praise small progress. Being able to generate self-confidence in our players is fundamental so that they do not get discouraged and can improve their game, since the more confidence that is generated, the more positive thoughts and better attitudes that will be used when making decisions in the field of football. play.
- Take your ideas into account with active listening. Respecting and listening to the other helps us recognize their merits and build trust. The coach is not only there to provide immediate answers based on his knowledge and experience, but must also listen and understand his team and take into account the experiences and ideas of his players.
- Call them by their name, so that they feel that you remember them. This will help build trust as calling them by name means we know them and will create a closer relationship.
2. Show us cordial and receptive:
- Admit our mistakes quickly and forcefully. Admitting a mistake helps players to relax and look at us differently. In the end, we are all human and we can make mistakes.
- Smile. Something as simple as smiling will create a good atmosphere and help encourage the team when it comes to training.
- Take an interest in others. If as coaches we show sincere interest in each of our players, even with small gestures, we will make our players feel better within the group and consolidate our leadership position.
- Do not criticize or condemn others. Criticism often kills a person's ambitions, so criticizing our players often has a negative effect on them. The same happens with the constant complaint, it creates a bad atmosphere, so it is essential to be responsible and transform that reason for complaint into a possible solution to the problem to enter into a positive dynamic.
3. Strengthen team feeling:
- Launch small challenges. These will make our team not stay in their comfort zone, nor settle. We must launch small challenges both at the team level and individual challenges to the players. This will help increase their performance and create a greater sense of team and commitment.
- Listen to your doubts, complaints and suggestions. If we persuade the team that an idea is theirs, they will carry it out with greater enthusiasm than if it is imposed. We have to guide the team until the players themselves discover the idea that we want to convey and adopt it as if it were their own.
If we apply these little tips, little by little our team will become a family, generating a connection and trust with the coach as one of the team, even if he is the one who leads.
We have more tips on how to strengthen the team feeling here
The key is to trust our team and show that they can trust us equally, and we must never forget that we are all part of the same team and that we must row together. As a coach, you have to be a leader who accompanies decision-making and cares about your own, and not a boss who imposes his rules.