Title: Building Trust Within Your Team - Sport Coaching & Leadership Blog - College of Education – Michigan State University
Headings: Sport Coaching & Leadership Blog
Sport Coaching & Leadership Blog
Building Trust Within Your Team
The Importance of Trust
Four Levels of Trust on Teams
Coach’s Role in Building Trust
A soccer coach talks to one of his athletes during practice. Taking the time to communicate openly can build trust with the players.
How to Build Trust On Your Team
Establish a Vision
Define clear Roles and Responsibilities
Reward & Sanction
Build Confidence
Communicate openly

Content: As the leader of the team, it is the coach’s role to shape their team’s culture into one that embodies trust. To shape and develop the team’s culture, the coach needs to clearly display a leadership style that is consistent with the holistic development of the team and its members. A soccer coach talks to one of his athletes during practice. Taking the time to communicate openly can build trust with the players. A coach’s leadership therefore must target both the physical aspects of sport as well as the psychological factors of the individual athlete. The coach must have extensive knowledge of the sport, substantial experience in the sport, and have the ability to give effective feedback to the athlete. Athletes are able to trust that their coach can develop their physical skills and help them reach their potential when the coach has expertise in techniques, tactics, and strategies of the sport. Coaches also need to make the psychological development of their athlete’s a priority. Athletes should feel that they are valued as both an athlete as well as an individual. They should feel confident that the coach values them as a person and not just by their performance in sport.