How to Distinguish Yourself As A Leader While Coaching by Riley Rogers

In a recent conversation with Athletic Lab Sport Performance Coach John Grace, I inquired about working out alongside my clients and the participants in my TRX Bootcamp that I teach at my university. This is something I have gone back and forth with since I started coaching: whether or not I should jump in and provide some physical motivation in the last leg of a challenging circuit.

In a room of 13 people, as is the case with my Bootcamp, it’s important to know who the coach is. When the coach is distinguishable, people know who to look to and whose lead to follow. Additionally, it’s significantly harder to deliver cues and provide feedback if you’re focusing on your own movements.

As Grace advised, based on the practices of Athletic Lab’s coaching staff, it’s best to not work out with clients, with the primary reason being leadership. In a book titled The Carolina Way, one of the most legendary leaders in coaching history, Dean Smith, provides aspiring leaders with tidbits of his coaching legacy.

As a current Carolina student, I’m obviously biased towards our former men’s basketball coach, but you will understand why after reading his words of wisdom. Listed below are five principles from Coach Smith’s book that I found to be most relevant to coaching and training athletes. Coincidentally, I’ve also had the opportunity to witness these principles in action at Athletic Lab while shadowing their world-class coaches.

“The most important thing in good leadership is truly caring. The best leaders in any profession care about the people they lead, and the people who are being led know when the caring is genuine and when it’s faked or not there at all” (p. 4).

I put this principle first because it’s the most significant thing I’ve learned at Athletic Lab so far. Although you can’t teach a coach to care, you can advise them, as the coaches have to me, that people need to know you care and not just think you care. This can be accomplished in a few ways: asking them about their personal or work lives, checking in on them regularly, and talking about things other than the sport/class. “When athletes know that you care about them as people, they will give you everything they’ve got as an athlete.”

“A leader’s job is to develop committed followers. Great leaders, like Coach Smith, inspire their teams to believe so deeply in their mission that they become immersed in what they’re doing. They work hard naturally. Bad leaders destroy their followers’ sense of commitment” (p. 33).

You know you’ve developed committed followers when they listen to you, respond to you, and respect you. “Earning your athletes’ commitment depends largely on your credibility.” When you’re credible, be it through certifications or even just accumulated trust, you become worthy of people’s commitment as your followers.

“The coach’s job is to be part servant in helping each player reach his goals within the team concept (p. 147).

When we traveled by commercial airline, the seniors were given the first-class seats. If there were seats left in first class, they went to the tallest players. Cramped airline seats can be very uncomfortable for a seven-footer. Coaches and managers were seated at the back of the plane (p. 156).

When I became head coach at North Carolina, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the players. How did they want to be treated? How could I help them reach their potential? How could I make the game fun and enjoyable and still work them hard?” (p. 200).

As Coach Smith did, you must put yourself in the shoes of your athletes in order to be able to lead effectively. It cannot be about your career, your reputation, or even your bank account. “Your job as a coach is to put the needs, growth, and development of your athletes ahead of your own.” When the person reaches his/her goals, they will consequentially place their trust in you as their leader.

“I’d get on the players if I needed to, but it was also important to praise them for the good things they had done, especially on the road, where they faced enough adversity without my piling on. I wasn’t as critical during games as I was at practice. Players needed confidence during games more than criticism” (p. 240).

Although criticism and praise are both necessary in training, there is a balance that you need to find. Usually, that balance differs from person-to-person. In other words, “be aware of how each of your players responds to criticism”. With criticism, your players will grow and improve. With praise, they will appreciate your motivation and want you “on their side”.

Former player Scott Williams on Coach Smith: “Winning was very important at Carolina, and there was much pressure to win, but Coach cared more about our getting a sound education and turning into good citizens than he did about winning” (p. 159).

Former player Pete Budko on Coach Smith: “On the occasions when we didn’t win, he would tell us there were two billion people in China who didn’t care one bit about the outcome of our game. Perspective! ” (p. 288)

When you keep the bigger picture in mind, you gain respect from your followers, which causes you to become worthy of people’s commitment, as I mentioned before. “Coach Smith always kept the bigger picture in mind. And because of it, he has the utmost respect of his players, staff, and the coaching community world-wide.”