When it comes to being a first-year college athlete, it can sometimes be nerve-wracking to bring up conversations with your coach. A factor to keep in mind is that just like you, your coach is human and most likely has been in your position before. Coaches tend to come off as intense and strict, but if you are playing at their school, that means they value you and want you to succeed. 

Communication is key in any relationship. Here's how to effectively communicate with your coach for maximum success and mutual respect.

Preparation is Key

The best way to shake the nerves of speaking with your coach is to be prepared with what you want to talk about. If you are the type to lose their train of thought when speaking, write down and brainstorm what you want to talk about. This can be in your notes on your phone or a piece of paper. You can then use it during the conversation and let them know ahead of time that you wrote down some points you want to cover.

If writing it out doesn't sound pleasant, but you still want to get out your thoughts about what to say, you can pick a trusted teammate and have a practice run of the conversation. You can have your teammate be your coach, and you can go through different scenarios of how the conversation could go.

If you are unable to ask a teammate for help, you can always utilize your voice memo and video recording apps. You can speak out your thoughts and list the topics you want to talk about. The best thing about recording yourself is that you can listen to it back and remind yourself of your goals going into the conversation. If you need a little pep talk, you can record that too and listen to it as you walk up to practice or right before talking to them.

Related: Rate your Coach

Learn How to Brainstorm 

There are two vital questions to keep in mind when figuring out how to approach a conversation with your coach. 

1. What is the goal you want to accomplish?

When thinking about what to ask a coach, you need to ask yourself what you want to get out of this conversation. Create goals for yourself of points you want to hit during this interaction. 

2. How crucial is this conversation? 

After you have figured out what you want to say, this next step will be easy. Decide whether or not this conversation will be long or short. These two options will decide the setting. If it is a short conversation, it can easily be had right after practice. In this circumstance, ask your coach if you can talk with them briefly about something. On the other hand, if it is a long conversation, you should ask your coach for their availability–this will determine if it is an in-person office talk or over the phone, etc. 

Listen to Understand and Not to Respond 

When you finally are communicating with your coach, the best thing you can do is genuinely listen to comprehend what they are saying. When we are nervous during a conversation, we tend to think three steps ahead about what we want to say next when the coach gives advice. Listening to understand will create a more authentic connection between you and your coach and allow you to look back on the advice they have given you. Often coaches refer back to a past conversation, either back to you or in a team setting. To prevent embarrassment or anxiety, it would be helpful to remember the advice your coach once gave.

Communication is the ultimate factor in any relationship you have. Talking to your coach is easier than you think. Just remember to breathe, prepare yourself, if need be, and go crush that conversation with your coach. You got this!

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* Originally published on June 23, 2022, by Daesha Harper