Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best

At the highest levels, the difference between athletes is no longer as much a matter of technique as of mental strength and motivation—hence the decisive role of coaches. But no one, not even champions, can avoid moments of doubt, fatigue or discouragement. How does the coach best help an athlete to overcome these moments? The authors start from the observation that seeking to resolve these problems in their players’ place rarely works: instead, the challenge is to help each athlete find their own solutions and sources of motivation. To that end, they detail how to conduct a fruitful “motivational conversation”. An approach that can easily be transposed to team management.