Relationships with Coaches

Having a good relationship with your coaches is vital. When you have a good relationship with your coaching staff you can go and talk to them about whatever may be on your mind. I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that coaches are a lot more than just coaches. Coaches are there to be your coaches not only for soccer but for life, they are almost like your “parents” away from home. They are there to guide you, help you and prepare you for challenges that you will have to deal with on the field and how you can adapt that to situations off the field. The best thing about having a strong relationship with your coaches is that you’re able to connect with them on a different level. By having such a positive and strong relationship with your coach it makes you excited to go to practice and games, and it gives you yet another person to play for. Being on a team you’re always playing for the girls next to you but being able to also play for your coaches as well who do so much for you, it really motivates you to work even harder. Another thing you must understand is that it’s not always going to be perfect.

Whether your coach isn’t given you playing time, or he/she yells at you, or there’s a disagreement during the game or practice, things are not always going to run smoothly. Sometimes the hardest relationship to keep, especially in college athletics, is with your coaches. College sports are never “fair”, and the hard truth is that with things not being fair this often causes a lot of turmoil between coaches and their players. This is what usually tries to break down those relationships but what’s key to remember is that there are always going to be obstacles and challenges that will try and intervene with any kind of relationship, but when it comes to the relationship with your coach as an athlete, you have to find ways to get over these barriers and obstacles and find a way to rekindle fragmented relationships. Not everything is always going to work out picture perfect but knowing how and why it’s important to keep and hold onto these relationships is essential to maintaining a happy and healthy bond with your coaches.