We’re all in coaching for a number of reasons. We are passionate about the game. We love working with young men and developing them. And we are normally intensely competitive. And the facts is, despite our passion for the game and our desire to help our players build character, if we don’t win it won’t matter. We won’t be doing it for long.But what is the real cost of winning, and is it right to pay that price? What should we as coaches expect to pay to win? And what should our players, parents, administration, student body and community expect to contribute to be associated with a winner? [Read more...]

What is our responsibility with young athletes and coaching character? It is a question that I think all of us have to consider. Some coaches would rather view themselves as a “Teacher of Men” than as a “Winner.” Other coaches view teaching your players to be winners as being a coach of character. Where is the line?Coaching Character [Read more...]

One of the most important aspects of coaching is the ability to build confidence in your athletes. They need confidence in themselves, in their own abilities. They need to believe that when the game is on the line, they’ll have what it takes to meet the task at hand. Players also need confidence in their coaches. Because they know that you have the ability to make the right decision, the right play call, and put them in the best position to be successful, they do not have to over-play in order to make up for your mistakes. Confidence in the rest of the players on the field, and the back-ups for your starters, is also crucial into getting your players to play with confidence.

What does it mean to play with confidence? How does a confident player roam the field differently than a player who is unsure of himself, his coaches, or his teammates? A player with confidence has a certain swagger about him. It does not matter what has happened in the past, or may happen in the future. He knows that at any given moment, his team will be successful and he will be successful. A confident player is able to have a short memory! That’s a quality we would all like to see. Players playing with confidence do not try to do too much. They take care of their one-eleventh of the play. A confident player handles his gap, his coverage zone, his rush lane. He does not concern himself when the play unfolds contrary to what was expected – there is a plan in place for that. A confident player hopes that every play will come to him, but does not force his involvement in every play. The game comes to him. Players with great confidence can enjoy the game, without the pressure of failure. They do not have fear, but instead live in the moment. And they are great in that moment, even if that greatness is only in their own mind. A physically average player can be confident in his greatness!

As a coach we must first develop the player’s confidence in himself. Praise him for his success. Remember that human beings are motivated by either pleasure, or pain. Because coaching football is a “tough guy” profession, it seems many attempt to motivate through pain. We scream and tell when mistakes are made, assign punishments, revoke privileges and more. Are we building confidence with this? I don’t think so. We are building a player who plays out of fear! He is constantly looking over his shoulder, to see if he is making another mistake. He is concerned about what his punishment might be! It is much easier to motivate with pleasure. A simple word or two of praise when a player is successful. Bestowing a privilege or reducing a less desirable period of practice because of success will go farther! A player is now looking forward at all times, for the next success! He knows that if he does his job, he will receive praise. He can rest assured that his last mistake will be forgiven, and begin the pursuit of the next victory.

Coaches need players to have confidence in their teammates as well. Football is a team game. Everyone has a job to do. With eleven players on the field, we do not want one player who feels he has to “cover” for anyone else. Be sure to assign jobs to players that they are physically capable of performing. Do not expect a player to perform above that which he is capable of. Note that what he is capable of may not necessarily be the same as what he thinks he is capable of. We are still responsible for getting the most out of every player. Push your players to their limits, and assure them that everyone has been properly prepared. Be careful not to single out a specific player for excessive punishment, physical or verbal. He may be viewed by the rest of the team as the “weak link.” This can happen even though the actual player in question is responding quite well to his treatment! When there are 11 confident players, each doing their part and knowing that they need not to any more, we are playing as a team.

Finally, build the player’s confidence in you as their coach. They should be confident in their position coaches, coordinators, and head coach. If there is a weakness in this chain, we must address it. Why do the players lack confidence in one of those links? Remember that we do not have to have every answer to every question. Show your players that you are human, that you are a person. Be willing to admit when you have made a mistake. If the coach passes off the blame for failures, the players will never have confidence in him – no matter how much they believe he knows. Show compassion for your players. As the old saying goes, they will not care how much you know, until they know how much you care. When they know you care, you are starting to build their confidence in you. They will know that you have taken their abilities, their desires, and what is best for the team into account when making decisions during a game. Your decision to call a blitz, to substitute personnel, or to call a timeout and make an adjustment will always be seen as, at the very least, the best you can do at that time. And that will be respected by the players.

When we have developed a confident player, he will fly around. He will make things happen. He will at times do more than his expected job – not out of fear that someone else will make a mistake, or that he must cover for his coach, but out of shear effort. If you can put eleven confident players on the field, you will be successful. If they are confident in themselves, their teammates, and their coaches, they are well ahead of many of their opponents, even before the game has begun.