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: By doing this, the coach is accountable to the team and simultaneously makes team members accountable to each other. This accountability facilitates the building of trust since there is a clear understanding of the role each member on the team should fulfill. When everyone has clear roles and responsibilities and everyone lives up to them, then trust can be built. Reward & Sanction
Many coaches want to be friendly with their players and the team as a whole. While this is good to build camaraderie, coaches should ensure that they have in place a system that equitably rewards players when they perform and sanctions and corrects those who do not live up to expectations. One of the biggest obstacles to trust on a team is a coach who does not treat players equitably or players who think the coach is a pushover. Build Confidence
Confidence in one’s self, in others on the team, and in the team as a whole can facilitate trust. Athletes need to have confidence that the coach will develop their skills, while the coach needs to have confidence in their athlete’s abilities. Confidence can be facilitated through the coach through a culture that involves supported and trusted interpersonal relationships between the athletes, teammates, and coaches. Team building and communication activities that focus on trust, understanding, and a collective team identity are tools in which coaches can instill confidence in their athletes.