How to master the art of being coachable

by Justin Berry

What does it mean to be “coachable?”

All teams have coaches. All teams have players. Unfortunately, not all players are receptive to being coached. To reach your full potential as a player, good coaching is a must—at the same time, you must allow coaches to give you both criticism and feedback on your game without it affecting you negatively.

Here are a few ways to ensure that you are a coachable player:

Don’t make excuses

Coaches everywhere hate when players answer them with excuses. If a coach tells you something or corrects something and you respond with “but,” or any alternate explanation, you’re making it difficult for them to do their job. Understand that they can see things from the outside that you cannot, and that their goal isn’t to attack you, but to make you and the team better. Making excuses only denies coaches the opportunity to help you improve, and denies you the opportunity to be accountable for your performance.

Be good at taking constructive criticism

Coachable players must be able to take criticism. If a player automatically becomes negative or offended by being corrected or criticized, the chances of them being able to fix their play are low.

Acknowledge coaches

When coaches are talking to you, especially when they’re correcting you, it’s important to acknowledge them and signal that you understand. This can be in the form of simply saying “Yes, Coach,” “OK,” or even just nodding—all of which should involve eye-contact. Acknowledging coaching is important for the player-coach relationship, and establishes a level of respect necessary to make progress.

Be vulnerable and make adjustments

Coaching only works if players can make adjustments to alter their play. To correct mistakes and develop successful habits, players must make an effort to address their errors directly. This doesn’t only apply in games and team practices. If a coach is attempting to correct or improve something about a player, that player must be willing to put in extra time if necessary to improve. If they’re unwilling to admit fault or correct mistakes and are nervous to be seen failing, that player can’t ever be coached to their potential.