Why Great Coaches Encourage More Than They Correct
If you’ve ever sat on the sidelines and watched a coach bark at an athlete after a mistake, you’ve probably felt the tension ripple through the team. The athlete hangs their head, the energy dips, and the joy of the game seems to fade away. Sadly, many coaches still rely on criticism and punishment, thinking it will “toughen up” their players.
But research says otherwise. For over 30 years, sport psychologists Ronald Smith and Frank Smoll (2002) have studied what really makes coaches effective. Their findings? The most impactful coaches aren’t the ones with the loudest voices ̶ they’re the ones who encourage, support, and create a climate where effort and improvement matter more than perfection.
The Coaching Guidelines That Change Everything
Smith and Smoll developed a framework called the Coaching Effectiveness Training program, which gave rise to the “Mastery Approach to Coaching.” It’s been tested with thousands of youth coaches, and the results are clear: when coaches adopt these behaviors, athletes have lower anxiety, higher enjoyment, and stronger long-term motivation.
Here are some of their key guidelines:
• Reinforce effort and success. Praise both skill execution and hard work. Effort builds resilience.
• Encourage after mistakes. Treat errors as teaching moments, not occasions for punishment.
• Teach with support. Offer corrections in a constructive, encouraging way.
• Limit punitive responses. Criticism and punishment only increase stress and reduce performance.
• Focus on improvement over winning. A mastery climate builds confidence and keeps athletes engaged.
What This Looks Like in the Gym
Imagine two athletes learning a new skill.
Coach A, a CrossFit coach, shouts when they fail: “No rep! Wrong again. How many times do I have to tell you?”
Coach B calmly smiles and says: “Good try. Let’s adjust your footwork̶try it again, you’re closer.”
The difference is huge. The first athlete may stop trying for fear of failing. The second keepsexperimenting, learning, and improving. That’s the magic of encouragement: it unlocks persistence and joy.
The Payoff: Happy Athletes, Sustainable Coaching
Coaches who adopt Smith and Smoll’s behavioral guidelines don’t just create better athletes̶they create healthier team environments. Athletes are more likely to:
• Enjoy the sport and stick with it long-term
• Develop stronger confidence
• See mistakes as opportunities, not disasters
And coaches? They experience less burnout and more satisfaction, because they’re working with athletes rather than against them.
Takeaway for Coaches
Next time you step into a practice or competition, ask yourself:
• Did I praise effort today, not just results?
• Did I turn mistakes into teachable moments?
• Did I build confidence with my feedback?
If you can say “yes” to those questions, you’re already moving toward the Mastery Approach to Coaching.
Coaching is about lighting fires, not putting them out.” Let’s coach in a way that sparks growth, joy, and resilience.
Reference
Smith, R. E., & Smoll, F. L. (2002). Coaching Behavior Research and Intervention in Youth Sports. In Children and Youth in Sport: A Biopsychological Perspective (2nd ed., pp. 211–234). Kendall/Hunt.