Create Situations Where Player's Are FREE To Perform

In chapter 2 of his book, Win Forever, Pete Carroll talks about how his academic learning helped influence his approach to coaching.  

Abraham Maslow and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs made a lasting impression on how he approached getting the most out of his players.  Here is an excerpt on how Maslow influenced Carroll's viewpoints on player performance:

"What I learned about Maslow's insights challenged me to start asking: What if my job as a coach isn't so much to force or coerce performance as it is to create situations where players develop the confidence to set their talents free and pursue their potential to its full extent?  What if my job as a coach is really to prove to these kids how good they already are, how good they could possibly become, and that they are truly capable of high level performance?

What if players were able to perform exactly how they envisioned themselves performing?"

I think as coaches, we have to identify our player's strengths and weaknesses and we have to put them in position and situations that will allow them to perform up to their strengths and allow them to 'do what they do best.'  Its important to grow the player as a whole and teach him how to master all aspects of his game or sport, but its also important in competition to make sure we are putting them in position to be successful by allowing them to play to their strengths in situations where they are completely comfortable.

Here are a few more quotes from chapter 2 that I really liked:

I had to discover the power of communicating with and listening to those you hope to help.  If I was going to do something special and help players find their potential, I was going to have to build relationships and follow my instincts.

The first step to doing great things was affirming the belief that great things are possible.

The simple act of making thoughtful, affirmative statements about who we are and what we want to achieve can be an incredibly powerful tool for getting the best possible performance out of ourselves.

In order to be successful, you must have a consistent philosophy.  If you change who you are from year to year, you're never going to be great at anything.