Some of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with were elite athletes.
And some of the worst coaches I’ve ever worked with were elite athletes.
Being great at playing a sport doesn’t automatically make you great at coaching it.
The Pros: What Former Athletes Bring
Credibility: They’ve been there. Done that. Won that. Athletes listen differently to someone who’s walked the path.
Empathy: They know what it feels like. The nerves before a big game. The pain of losing. The grind of training when you don’t feel like it. They can feel the game in ways non-athletes cannot.
Technical Insight: They understand the nuances. The micro-adjustments. The things that don’t show up in coaching manuals but make all the difference on game day.
Network: They know people. Other athletes, coaches, administrators. Doors open that wouldn’t open for others.
The Cons: Where Former Athletes Struggle
Coaching Skills: Playing and coaching are completely different skill sets. Most elite athletes have never been taught how to teach, how to communicate, how to design sessions, how to manage a group.
Patience: “I could do this at your age, why can’t you?” The assumption that everyone should learn the way they learned, train the way they trained, think the way they thought.
Leadership and Team Building: Being a great teammate is not the same as building a great team. Managing egos, resolving conflict, creating culture; these are learned skills, not inherited ones.
The Curse of Excellence: They were exceptional. They often don’t understand why others can’t just “do it.” The things that came naturally to them must be explicitly taught to everyone else.
The Bottom Line
Former athletes bring unique insights and experiences that no coaching course can replicate. Their credibility and empathy are genuine competitive advantages.
But without intentional development of coaching skills, communication skills, and leadership skills, they often struggle.
The best athlete-coaches are the ones who recognise that coaching is a profession that must be learned; not just an extension of their playing career.
Are you a former athlete who coaches? What’s been your biggest challenge?
This is What CoachTED is Built For
My mentoring program CoachTED - Training, Education and Development - helps coaches; including former athletes; develop the skills that playing never taught them:
Communication and connection with athletes;
Session design and coaching methodology;
Leadership, team building and culture creation;
Managing parents and stakeholder relationships.
📩 wayne@moregold.com.au 📱 WhatsApp: +61 414 712 074
