By Dr. Matthew Loux and Derek Loux | 02/17/2025
Sports is a dynamic environment where making split-second decisions are vital to winning. Coaches are responsible for making these decisions and preparing a team to take action.
When an adverse experience impacts a team, a good coach knows how to respond. That coach is prepared with backup plans based on several factors, such as the opposing team’s patterns and injuries.
Sports are highly likely to change in practice or games. For a coach, adjusting the game plan and work based on individual players’ abilities is critical to achieve success.
Additionally, a strong coach helps athletes to adapt and reach their full potential as they grow from young players to adults. Instilling foundational skills such as speed, power, and a growth mindset improves players' resiliency in the face of superior competition or unexpected changes.
Effective Coaching
We have both been coaches for various sports such as softball, youth football, youth soccer, and CrossFit®. As a result, we have observed that highly effective coaches are proficient at helping their athletes pivot, both to succeed on the field and to keep themselves safe.
As mental health consultant and researcher Dr. Dev Roychowdhury states, “Adaptability is the ability to adjust to changing situations and demands in a flexible and creative way.” In sports, this adaptability means coping with:
- Environmental changes
- Athletes’ uncertainty
- Unexpected complexities as rules and opponents change
In regard to safety, no sport incorporates adaptation more than high-intensity training. Regardless of whether someone is joining a program to rehabilitate an injury or sharpen a skill, safety is paramount.
For instance, an athlete may join a team with a torn labrum or arthritic knees. Identifying these physical issues and altering movements or loads during an exercise session or game is necessary to accommodate that athlete. This preparation allows athletes to grow at their own pace and maintain safety.
On the other hand, coaching sessions should adapt with new programming, conditioning, and learning based on an athlete’s progress. For example, a coach may see that one athlete can squat without slowing down or getting fatigued. The coach can then adjust loads or repetitions for that athlete and push for growth that translates to better performance and safety.
Adaptability Matters
Adaptability is essential in sports, which is why problem solving is an important skill in guiding athletes. Successful coaches find creative solutions to problematic situations and communicate effectively with players about ways to adjust their performance.
Making Tactical Adjustments
A coach's real-time analysis and strategy are important for victory. Changing strategies in the middle of a game can be pivotal to countering the tactics and strengths of opponents.
For example, imagine that a soccer coach sees that the defenders of the opposite side are always shutting down the center of the field. In response, that coach might tell his players to draw outwards towards the wings, creating an attacking opportunity.
In basketball, opponents tend to occupy the paint, remaining in the area near a basket. In such cases, the coach may tell some players to double-team their opponents or play zone defense.
These quick, decisive adjustments and swift decisions can interrupt an opponent’s game plan. As a result, a coach's athletes are nimbler and can increase their chances of winning. In addition, analyzing play styles in real time helps make the most of time-outs to adjust players’ game performance before a game get out of hand.
Improving Athletes’ Performance
An essential principle of effective coaching is to develop training programs that match each athlete’s personal characteristics. Every athlete has different abilities, learning styles, physical conditions, and weaknesses. By tailoring training sessions, coaches can help athletes reach their highest potential.
For example, a coach may design a strength and conditioning program to help improve a basketball player’s vertical jump height. The same coach may also create another set of drills to help a different player to improve shooting accuracy.
This personalized method meets individual developmental requirements and can also foster trust and motivation among players. Athletes are motivated to focus and work harder when a physical trainer invests his or her time improving their professional and personal growth.
Managing Crises
Coaching is a difficult job, especially when it comes to handling the sudden injuries of players and unexpected events. For instance, a coach might lose a player due to an injury or face bad weather that delays a game.
In such cases, a coach should be cool-headed and come up with alternative ways to keep the team on track. A coach might rearrange players’ positions, change game plans, or boost morale among the players to help them remain focused and strong.
A flexible coach uses difficult situations as springboards to show leadership and resourcefulness, turning potential obstacles into triumphs. By preparing for unpredictability, a coach empowers athletes to continue their effort, despite whatever happens. This approach builds a sense of unity, good sportsmanship, and confidence within athletes.
Strategies for Being an Agile Coach
Stagnation is the enemy of success. This saying stands for coaching as well.
We all need continuous learning in adapting to situations and team makeup. A coach should focus on developing:
- Proper feedback based on athlete performance
- Motivational content and its emotional impact on players
- Nonverbal communication channels, such as body language in meetings, play calling, and everyday interactions with players
A coach does not always learn these things through practice and time. Proper efforts to build skills should include attending leadership workshops and reading literature.
Coaches may also ask athletes open-ended questions during the off-season and obtain feedback on how they perceived the coaching experience. Coaches can also gain feedback through dialogue with peers and other people related to athletes, such as teachers, parents, or college-level students.
Building Positive Relationships with Players
To build positive relationships with players, coaches don’t just listen to athletes’ complaints. They look for a way to resolve the problem to improve athletic performance.
Part of this communication involves providing nonverbal feedback, such as demonstrating concern through body language. Showing concern illustrates that the coach understands where the player is coming from and helps empower athletes to feel comfortable about expressing their inner feelings.
Based on the complaint, a coach can find ways to guide players and improving their athletic performance. Hearing about problems could be an opportunity to:
- Provide visual feedback
- Teach an athlete a new skill during practice
- Focus on skill development in a specific area
Athletes who see that their coach is concerned about their development tend to stay engaged, redoubling their efforts to achieving outstanding results. Helping individual players feel like they matter creates a united front that enhances individual and team performance.
Leveraging Technology and Analytics
A knowledge of how technology is changing sports and the ability to use analytics is also beneficial for coaches. Sports is evolving with the emergence of technology like gamification, smart fabrics, and smart stadiums.
Another notable practice is the use of wearable technology and data tools. These technologies have revolutionized player performance tracking. For instance, using devices like global positioning system (GPS) trackers, heart rate monitors, and motion sensors, coaches can gather real-time data on:
- Players' movements
- Speed
- Distance
- Physiological conditions
Armed with this data, coaches can conduct detailed performance analysis and adjust individual training programs to optimize performance.
For example, GPS trackers provide insights into soccer players' work rates, endurance levels, and sprint distances. This information can help coaches design personalized training, reduce injury risks, and minimize player fatigue. Analyzing trends from this data also aids in providing feedback to players and making informed coaching decisions.
Understanding Different Coaching Styles
In general, coaching approaches fall into three styles:
- Authoritarian coaching style – With this type of autocratic style, the coach makes all the decisions.
- Democratic coaching style – With a democratic style, athletes are encouraged to contribute their input to coaches and are more likely to develop their skills to their full potential.
- Holistic coaching style – With holistic coaching, the training focuses on the whole person to foster athletic abilities, life skills, and personal development.
Reading Coaching Case Studies
There is no single coaching strategy to success. To develop their own coaching style, aspiring coaches should read case studies about well-known coaches to better understand how decision-making and problem-solving skills affects athlete motivation and game outcomes.
Through these case studies, aspiring coaches can learn to develop solutions to problems and leadership skills from professionals with different coaching styles and levels, whether those coaches plan to work with young players or professional athletes. Understanding the core values of successful coaches also serves as an inspiration for the future.
Coaches can also look at failed plays to gain self-awareness about areas where they may need to focus their development. For instance, they may need to adjust their coaching style or work harder at developing strong relationships with players.
Adaptability Remains Paramount for Coaches
Effective coaching and team success in sports is always characterized by adaptability. Good or great coaches are usually distinguished by their willingness to pivot and innovate. As a result, this type of coaching style helps them to more effectively:
- Respond to sudden changes in an opponent’s strategy
- Tailor training programs for individual athletes
- Manage unexpected crises like injuries
Through preparation, strategic adjustments, and the creation of growth mindsets, coaches instill confidence and toughness in players and can lead their teams to victory.
Sports Management Degrees at American Public University
For adult learners interested in acquiring the knowledge to seek job opportunities as coaches, trainers, or team managers, American Public University (APU) offers two degrees:
Taught by expert instructors, courses in these programs include topics such as the foundations of sports management, integrated communications in sports, and sports psychology. Other courses cover areas such as sports finance, leadership and management in sport, and sports law. Additional courses include leadership concepts in coaching, techniques in coaching strategy, and coaching theory and methodology.
Also, both programs have received specialty accreditation through the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). This specialty accreditation ensures that these programs have met rigorous athletic standards.
For more information, visit APU’s nursing and health sciences program page.
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Dr. Matthew Loux is an assistant professor at American Public University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Central Missouri State. In addition, Matt has a doctoral degree in management from Colorado Technical University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration at Aspen University. He is a Certified Financial Crimes Investigator, a Certified Fraud Specialist, and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Derek Loux is an alumnus of American Public University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in developmental and child psychology from American Public University. Derek is currently working on his Ph.D. in psychology at Northcentral University.
