Hi Coach,
Before you dive in, two quick notes:
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Best,
Luke Gromer
🗣️ QUOTE
Former NFL QB Steve Young on what legendary NFL coach Bill Walsh taught him:
"He used to teach that that love that you need comes from shared common experiences and actually digging in to that other person and standing in their shoes.
He worked at it in the locker room, in the training room, in the lunch room, in planes, in hotels.
I really believe fundamentally around football, which is the ultimate team game, it's the relationships that actually make you great.
That element of connection is what's going to make us great."
📝 NEWSLETTER
So much of effective coaching comes down to the quality of the relationship between the coach and player.
Players are looking for coaches who care about them, make the experience enjoyable, practice what they preach, and help them get better (I wrote about this in depth last week).
Strong relationships sit at the heart of Transformational Leadership and coaching.
To make a life-long impact and help athletes and teams achieve their goals and dreams, coaches must build strong, healthy relationships.
At the core of every healthy relationship is trust, a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone.”
Our teams and players must trust that we care about them and are committed to their growth.
So how do we build those strong relationships?
I posed the question below to our Better Coaching Community of over 450 coaches:
There’s been some awesome responses, like the one below! 👇
Here are 11 practical strategies that I’ve used or seen other coaches use to build strong relationships with their athletes:
Take an Interest in Them as a Person
There is no strategy that can take the place of showing genuine care for and interest in every athlete you lead as a person first.
Ask questions and be curious about their life away from the sport.
Welcome Athletes
Welcome every athlete to practice by name and with a positive touch.
Say Hi/Say Bye Rule
Every athlete must come into practice and say hi to every coach, then they must say goodbye at the end of practice to each coach.
1-on-1 Meetings
These can be adjusted for the age/stage of the athletes, but it’s a chance to connect about life outside of sport, then talk about where they are and where they want to go in the sport.
Gratitude Notes
Write a short note on an index card expressing your appreciation to each player on your team. Do it in the middle or at the end of your season.
Share a Meal
Eat a meal with a player or small group of players and talk about things outside of the sport.
Player Questionnaire
Have players and/or parents fill out a short survey telling you about the athlete and what you need to know to coach them well.
Notice Progress
Find small, informal moments to tell individual athletes about areas where you’ve seen them grow and improve.
Walk and Talks
End your practice with a 2-3 minute walk where players and players partner up or players and coaches partner up and talk about 2-3 questions that the coach poses.
Serve Together
Get your team away from the court or field and go do a service project in your community alongside your players.
The 3 H’s Exercise
At a team gathering or retreat, have players write down a HERO, HIGHLIGHT, and HARDSHIP they have experienced, then give players a chance to share them in front of the team.
Important note: It’s a good practice if the coach goes first and shares a vulnerable, honest hardship they have been through.
What’s another example or strategy you use to build strong relationships with your athletes?
Drop a comment on the post HERE with a strategy you use! You’ll also see all the other strategies that coaches have shared.
🧠 COACHING APPLICATION
A thought on how this could apply in your coaching or leadership context:
Choose one strategy from the list above to implement with your team to build stronger relationships
If you need help implementing a strategy, reply to this email and I’ll get back to you personally about what it could look like in your context.
🎧 PODCAST EPISODE
Below is the latest episode we released on the podcast!
#122. A Development System to Take Your Team to the Next Level with Mark Bennett of PDS Coaching (replay)
Topics include:
Establishing non-negotiables
The Performance Development System (PDS)
Success Criteria
Helping Athletes Find their “Zone”
👋 CLOSING
Thanks for reading, I hope this serves you on your journey.
To your growth,
Luke Gromer, RYG Athletics | A NIKE Sports Camps Provider
P.S. If you’re interested in becoming one of our NIKE Sports Camp directors, reply “NIKE” to this email, and we’ll get on a call! You can see testimonials from over 100 athletes that attended our camps last summer.
❓ FEEDBACK
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