July/August 2019 - 22

By Kirsten Koester, contributing writer
Whether you believe leaders are born or made, it's a
coach's responsibility to foster an environment where
leadership skills can not only develop, but also thrive.
Across all sports, coaches can make choices about how to
structure their practices with built-in leadership training.
The more opportunities your student-athletes have to test
their leadership in action, the better.
The sign of a good coach is not simply taking care of
every detail. Of course, we want our practices to run
smoothly, but some of the best moments in coaching
occur when we've left enough room for the voices and
actions of the athletes to shape their own experiences.
Here are a few practical strategies to consider when
crafting a practice environment that empowers athletes
leading athletes.
Coach-free huddle
Athletes huddle in many different sports, specifically as
a function of competition like we see in football. Typically,
it's a greater part of game culture than practice culture.
When we think of basketball, we can picture an elite
point guard bringing the team together after a foul to
rally or refocus their teammates. Regardless of sport,
encouraging huddling in practices, as deemed necessary
by player initiative, has many benefits. It offers a test
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of game knowledge. Rather than pausing a drill and
instructing players what needs to be fixed, coaches can
give players a chance to recognize when something isn't
working, take action by calling a huddle, and work together
to make improvements. This develops critical thinking,
accountability and cooperation among your players.
Small group huddles, separated by position group,
offer another option and can be implemented between
drills. The opportunity to practice critical thinking and
cooperation enhances any established leader, and it
increases positive leadership behaviors of everyone on
the team. The more huddles players call, the more leaders
coaches can establish in their programs. This has positive
outcomes for everyone involved.
Doing chores
Having players care for the practice field or court
as a part of leadership development is something that
volleyball, basketball, tennis, baseball and softball
coaches recognize as a valuable part of sport culture.
Ask players to put up the nets and care for all of the
equipment. Sometimes, this is the one place a player finds
their niche. They can contribute by carrying the water
or performing other small tasks. The opportunity to
contribute physically helps them carry their team in ways
July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July/August 2019
