As a Player Skill Development Coach I am often asked "what do I believe is in the make up of a 'good athlete'?" The answers could vary depending on who you talk to but, I think there are 4 things that are in the general makeup of a 'good athlete'.
#1 Desire - Desire is the determination to overcome an opponent. Desire is a state of mind, an abandonment of self and a form of courage. It is playing for oneself and for the team's interest. It consists of exercising your determined will that flows from your competitive spirit. This determined will and competitive spirit drives one to achieve their goal. Desire is available to all kids, not just to a gifted few. Desire is 100% effort, 100% of the time.
#2 Confidence - Confidence is the belief that a player can do what he/she has been asked to do. I am a firm believer that confidence comes from success. If an athlete starts to have some success in the sport whether in practice or in the game then they will start to develop confidence. A coach can help build that confidence when he acknowledges steps or progress that the athlete has not been able to do and has started to do well and or has mastered.
There is an old saying, "You don't ask someone for something that you think they don't have." A coach's job is to try to put players in a position where they can succeed and help the team achieve its goals as well as help the player to develop and improve their skills and game. An athlete that doesn't believe that he can accomplish the task or assignment that he has been given will very seldom play with confidence and as a result will not achieve much success.
A 'good athlete' must believe in himself or he loses the competitive edge. Sports are 60-70% mental. A player has to have confidence and a coach can help a player develop that confidence.
#3 Discipline - It goes without saying that "discipline produces self-discipline". There are times when a coach must be very firm and sometimes "bark" alot. This in most cases is not meant to humiliate or hurt a player. Often times it can and is taken by parents as a need to be alarmed or protective. Most kids will get yelled at and be upset. These reactions are both understandable and are warranted in some cases.
The reality is that most kids have to learn to be mentally prepared, mentally tough, and motivated and excited to play the sport. Sometimes I will bark at a player who is not paying attention. This is not done to hurt or upset a player. It is done to wake the athlete up and help them realize that they are part of a team and and team sports require team effort and focus. A player who is doing his own thing, talking, or not paying attention while the coaches are teaching is risking possible injury to himself or a teammate, and is setting himself up for failure.
The great Woody Hayes once said, "Discipline is something you do for someone, not to them."
#4 Love for the Game - This is an important part of any 'good athlete'. A good athlete enjoys the competition of working their way up the depth chart and is willing to put in the work. They have a willingness to play any position. They have the motivation to study the playbook and be responsible to their teammates. An athlete with a passion for the game enjoys the details that are required to go from being average to good or good to great.
GRID IRON Youth Sports Training is focused on helping the youth sports culture produce "good athletes" as well as great people. We are "Building Character and Champions - We Develop the Player and the Person."
WEBSITE: www.gridironyouthsportstraining.net
EMAIL: coachjj.gridironyouthsports@gmail.com
COACH JJ's BLOG: http://gridiro.blogspot.com/
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