Communication is the most important skill a coach has (or doesn't) - Part 1

Knowledge might be power; however, communication is leverage.

Perhaps you understand every serve receive system, blocking scheme, and every biomechanical cue imaginable. But if you can't communicate these in a manner that your athletes can understand, apply, and buy into, you might as well know nothing at all.

Translating knowledge into action is the most important coaching skill, and yet coaches often lack a communication practice. Are you able to simplify complex ideas into cues that athletes can both apply and remember? This is fundamental in coaching. We need to know when to push athletes as well as pull back, and we need to speak with athletes in language they understand.

Good communication will make information stay with an athlete. Great communication will make it matter.

Coaching Is a Relationship Business

Every athlete is different. Some need a calm voice and a nod. Others respond to a challenge and a stare. Some need space. Some need structure. And all of them need to feel like they’re more than a name on a roster.

That’s why communication can’t be one-size-fits-all. It’s relational. It grows out of trust. You don’t build that with speeches; you build it with consistency.

Ask yourself this:

Do your athletes know you see them as people first?

Do they trust you enough to tell you when something’s off?

Do they feel safe enough to fail in front of you?

If the answer’s no, your words—no matter how smart or motivating—aren’t landing.

Stop expecting kids to understand, start earning their understanding

We ask our athletes to rep their skills. To train, adjust, review. Why should coaching be any different?

Communication is a trainable skill. But what are we doing to become better communicators? A writing practice is fundamental in training proper communication. It makes sense, if people are able to interpret your base words as you intended, your words have your desired impact. Beyond writing, at a minimum, we should all read frequently.

Ask for feedback. Take the time to ask your athletes how they understood your communication. Not just in terms of "do you understand?" But have them explain back to you in their own words what adaptation we are trying to create and how what we're doing will create that adaptation. You'll be surprised by the answers, I promise you.

If you're not practicing communication, you're not actively improving as a coach. Your athletes deserve better.

You want buy-in? Start by buying into your athletes

Communication isn’t just about telling them what to do. It’s about inviting them into the why. If an athlete can understand the purpose behind a drill, a strategy, a system, they own that concept. With that understanding comes deeper satisfaction; they care more. A team that owns its intention will contribute more to its success than a team that lacks purpose. You create a group of leaders when you bring your athletes with you in your intentions. After all, you're a part of the team too, aren't you?

We all want to understand our athletes better and, in return, be understood by them. We lose ourselves in our ego and often forget the human element. How many times have you asked an athlete how they're doing, only to receive the world's most unenthusiastic "good", only to move on without a care?

Ask more questions. Listen to truly understand. Communicate with incredible purpose. Understanding is a bidirectional effort. Stop expecting and start earning.