Coaching Youth Basketball: 8 Great Trust Builders

 

Getting your players to trust you is a big part of coaching youth basketball. If your players don’t trust you, your job as a coach gets really difficult. So, how does a coach earn the trust of their players? Here are eight trust builders you can put into practice immediately.

 

1.  Look Your Players in the Eye

 

One of the classic indicators of a liar is someone who won’t look you in the eye. Of course, even someone isn’t lying, if they won’t make eye contact, people think they must be hiding something.

So, when you’re talking to your players, look them right in the eye. It builds trust.

 

2.  Honest Listening

 

Kids are young, they’re not stupid. They know when you aren’t really listening to them. Usually, this lack of attention is accompanied by grunts and short answers that are really not answers at all.

 

When your players are talking, look them in the eye and really listen to them. If someone tries to interrupt them, stop that person and go back to listening. Honest listening goes a long way toward building trust.

 

3.  Clearly Communicate Expectations

 

If you don’t clearly communicate what you expect out of your players, they will have a hard time fulfilling your expectations. When that starts to happen they’ll quickly become frustrated.

 

Be up front with your players about exactly what you expect out of them and then stick to it. You’ll still have players who grumble because they think you expect too much, but your other players will make every effort to fulfill your expectations.

 

4.  Keep Your Promises

 

This should go without saying, but, it’s definitely a trust builder. If you tell your team you’ll be there for them, find a way to get it done. Kids will cut you some slack if you break one promise (especially if you have a good reason), but if you break two or three, you’ll quickly get the reputation of not being trustworthy.

 

5.  Honesty is the Best Policy

 

In my experience, people who hide things are always found out. Of course, honesty must be seasoned with a good deal of tact. You don’t go telling your worst ball handler that they’re a bad ball handler, but there are ways to be positive and maintain honesty.

 

If you’re honest with your team, they’ll appreciate it.

 

6.  Win or Lose, Help Them Have Fun

 

You’ve seen the youth sports movies. They all have that stereotypical coach who holds the “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” philosophy. Of course, everyone wants those coaches to fail and the coach that’s teaching their kids to enjoy the game to succeed.

 

Be the kind of coach that teaches your players to enjoy the game itself, not just winning. You’ll earn your players’ trust.

 

7.  Be a Committed Coach

 

Every youth coach has things come up from time to time, but if your schedule is so full that you’re missing a lot of practices, do your team a favor and step down. Your players will lose trust quickly if they don’t have a committed coach.

 

8.  Keep Your Priorities Straight

 

Your primary goal as coaching youth basketball is to develop well-rounded players. Don’t focus on championships, focus on helping your players be the best they can be. Make sure your players know that you’re proud of them for the things they do on the court, not for the final outcome and they’ll continue to believe in you as a coach.

 

Above all, remember that trust is easily lost. If you lose it, you’ll have a hard time getting it back. Stick to these principles and you’ll gain and hold your team’s trust.

 

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See also Pistol Pete's Homework Series