Team chemistry doesn’t begin and end with players. The coach is a factor, too.
Andrea Becker, a sports psychologist who assists the UCLA men’s volleyball team as well as the U.S. men’s national team, says it’s not only important for coaches to get to know their players – it’s also important for coaches to let their players get to know them.
When players don’t feel as if they know their coach, it can be distracting because they may spend time and energy trying to guess what the coach is thinking, Becker says.
Here’s her advice on how coaches can develop a closer and more productive relationship with their players:
