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The Crucial Nature of Mutual Trust
Child psychologists have realized that children who demonstrate trust in others have sunnier dispositions and better attitudes than kids who are suspicious. We enjoy people who trust us and embrace them as pals. We hear those who trust us and embrace their input. Therefore the best group leadership circumstances are when all team members, including the coach, exhibit deep trust for each other.
Players respond very positively to trusting coaches. Role models who trust others are seen by others as trustworthy. The downside is that coaches and players who don’t appear to trust others are seen as undeserving of trust. During my 37 years as a youth coach it has become glaringly obvious that coaches from the old and unfair “command and control” school of coaching have the lowest personal credibility. Why? It’s simple. Highly controlling and unfair behavior loudly and clearly communicates a lack of trust. When coaches show that they don’t trust us, we give the same back i.e. we don’t trust them. Trust is the crucial component of credibility. Win focused, unfair, controlling coaches lower player and parent respect every time they break the rules, watch over, check up on or control others.
A player’s perception of whether she can trust the coach affects their relationship. Even when a coach is good to one player a lack of fairness in the treatment of another will undermine the trust of numerous team members and their parents. If we believe that a coach is untrustworthy or, worse still feared, we mat feel that we have no moral obligation to be truthful with him. Players and parents often justify lying, cheating and similar behaviors as self-protective in response to a coach they perceive as untrustworthy. They suspect that if they told the truth, they or their child would be benched or otherwise punished.
Because of a lack of trust or the fear factor, the coach as an example of trust and fairness is more critical than that of any other person in determining the level of trust that develops in a team. High trust, (in comparison to low trust), is strongly correlated with fairness, unity, recognition, innovation and autonomy. To trust the team and club, parents and players must be confident that the organization, and especially its coaches, will offer two -way communication and the opportunity to participate. Children need to know that they will be dealt with fairly and supported through risks and mistakes. Praise for the effort without regard for the outcome builds player trust and parent support. When honest errors occur the use of guilt, shame and blame in player/coach interaction is to be avoided at all cost. There is a significant correlation between trust in ones leader and subsequent satisfaction with that person’s overall leadership effectiveness.
The Legends program fosters extreme trust between players and coaches. It also builds great depth of trust between parents and coaches. The Legends player knows that her coach makes optimizing her individual development his highest priority. The Legends parent loves that the win is clearly a secondary consideration behind his/her child’s development and best interests. Legends club policies include a high risk focus on learning and using elite deceptive dribbling and shooting techniques (The “Big Play” skills). Legends teams show their players trust and respect by playing equal playing time. All players are expected to play like creative forwards regardless of where they are on the field without any consideration for the statistical outcome of the game. Legends players are encouraged to take charge and to self-determine the skills and tactical methods used. They are challenged to do everything a little faster and more skillfully on each and every play. The Legends program is high risk, creative and process based. Long-term positive outcomes are the logical result of pushing the edge of chaos with no fear of or regard for negative short-term results.
The amazingly trusting and unselfish Legends coaching approach can only produce a vastly more mature, trusting player who intuitively understands the core elements of great leadership. After experiencing the Legends method he or she will be a vastly braver, more creative leader for life.
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