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Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to speak with Patrick Hunt, the coach education expert from the Australian Institute of Sport (you can listen to an audio interview with Patrick on a range of coaching topics in this post).

One thing not included in that audio interview was the discussion our coaching group had with Patrick where we asked him about the traits of successful coaches. With his vast coaching experience and acquaintances across the globe we figured he may have learnt a thing or two about the actions, attitudes and behaviours of great coaches.

Below is a list of the 10 traits he came up with, in no particular order (note: I have taken the liberty to expand on these).

1. Great technical knowledge – understand the intricacies and dynamics of their sport which allows them to effectively train and teach players
2. Good communicators – like being around people, honest and open with their communication
3. Care for players – genuine care and investment in developing players to achieve their potential. The old saying “players don’t care what you know until they know that you care”
4. No f***wit policy – have clear criteria about the type of people they allow into their team. Value good culture too much to let “bad eggs” infiltrate their system
5. Recruit players who want to learn – successful coaches are always striving to improve, both themselves and their players. Players must be willing to learn and commit to improvement
6. Eye for detail – believe in the “power of small”. The smallest detail can sometimes have the biggest impact in the long run.
7. Seek opinions – secure enough to be challenged and seek opinions from others. Open-minded to innovation and change.
8. Understand the “why” of their game plan – good coaches don’t just copy another system or game plan. They understand the reason why they use a particular game plan and all the little things that go into executing it. This ties into traits 1 and 6.
9. Coach with enthusiasm and passion – this approach rubs off on players and makes them enthusiastic about the task of learning and improving
10. Life-long learners – always looking for better ways, new information. Seek out other coaches. Study other sports for training and playing methods.

There you have it. How many of these characteristics do you display?

Now a little challenge for you. Pick two of these traits that you would like to improve on in your own coaching. Document an action plan that outlines the specific behaviours you need to display to achieve this improvement. Re-assess in 3 months time.

Good luck!


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Related Posts:

• Developing Teams & Culture – Coach K
• The 4 steps to develop a strong team culture
• Phil Jackson Coaching Philosophy – master of creating a team culture
• Coaches – learn to teach, not copy drills!
• Developing a Playing System – video presentation