Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.
Facebook Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest

5 Ways to Boost Emotional Literacy on the Field

Coaches

Male coach upsets young male player on soccer field.As a coach, finding success on the field goes beyond wins and losses. According to research, a successful coach-athlete relationship can also create a connectedness that motivates and supports the athlete.

Connecting with an athlete on an individual level additionally impacts the athlete’s development of personal values, ethics, and emotional literacy. Emotional literacy is defined as the ability to recognize, understand, handle, and appropriately express emotions.

Coach José M. Burgos, the head soccer coach at Catalyst Maria High School in Chicago, Ill. – and recently recognized inaugural Champion Coach of the SportsEngine, Inc. and TrueSport award program – is a strong advocate for building a team culture that encourages athletes to lean into their feelings and embrace caring harder and loving deeper, which ultimately enhances their performance on and off the field.

However, not all coaches are equipped with a game plan to teach their athletes about emotional literacy, so here are five coaching strategies you can use to boost emotional literacy on the field.

 

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Human

A study showed that athletes viewed their coaches as teachers, mentors, friends, and parental figures; and although athletes often placed their coaches on pedestals, they also saw them as human.

The athletes in the study described how their great coaches were not afraid to make mistakes, show faults, or admit that they did not have all the answers. One athlete shared, “They don’t act like they are better than you or above you. [Instead, they] come down to your level and act human.” The athletes also felt that their coaches were particularly human and relatable when they expressed emotions.

“I believe that the emotional aspect of [coaching] is fundamental,” Burgos explains as he compares coaching skills and drills to coaching for the development of an athlete as a whole. He adds, “You’re going to need the human touch of someone who believes in you, particularly for athletes like ourselves who have personalities. Because we’re not just machines and we have feelings. As soccer players, we need to be loved. We’re very emotional beings. Most of us athletes, former athletes, or coaches, there’s some aspect of art inside of us where we get sad. We win and we lose, and we feel empty afterwards.”

When coaches and athletes acknowledge that everyone is human and everyone has feelings, it facilitates an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance. So, take the time to get to know your athletes at a personal level. Share aspects of your life outside of the sport. In the study, an athlete explained how their “coach shared enough about his own life and his own past experiences and his own kids and his wife that made him seem more human.” Additionally, once realizing a coach was more than just a coach, another athlete at the collegiate level shared that “being away from home and really having someone to look up to and coach you, and mentor you, and help you with anything you needed [was important]. It gave you a sense of not only to want to win for your team, but to want to win for [your] coach and make him proud of you.”

 

2. Use Supportive Coaching Behaviors

It’s not always about what coaches say, but what they do that influences their athletes.

“I coach high school, and kids are very sensitive. It’s important to remember that they’re not there to perform at the same level that we see on TV, or that we see in magazines. If they do, that’s wonderful. But I think a lot of times, coaches’ expectations are too high and that creates stress, and then the stress is shown to the kids. And to me, it’s not about that,” says Burgos.

Supportive coaches display and encourage positive attitudes and language, caring behaviors, and effective emotion management. It’s recommended that coaches monitor their behaviors and emphasize positive feedback and encouragement, providing athletes with clear goals and instructions, while minimizing unsupportive behaviors such as yelling, manipulating, and threatening athletes.

Burgos explains, “If [a] coach decides to be authoritarian, or if he decides to apply tough love on [athletes], then we’re now creating a scenario where I don’t think the toughest survive, but those who are just willing to put up with it. It shouldn’t be about that, it should be holistic. We should talk about what brought us onto the field in the first place.”

Finding out what brought your athletes to your sport can help spark the ways in which you motivate each athlete individually. Study results explore the fact that “some players [are] motivated because their coaches were enthusiastic, caring, and/or passionate. Others [are] motivated by the desire to please their coach.” The most important finding, however, was that “their coaches ‘touched something inside them.’”

When you know what motivates your players, it becomes easier to provide them with the support they need when they’re lacking vision or purpose.

 

3. Be an Active Listener

Research confirms that a good relationship is characterized by mutual trust, confidence in each other’s abilities, good communication (especially good listening skills), and a coach’s display of interest and respect for the athlete beyond his/her athletic identity.

Essentially, when it comes to communication, in addition to being both accessible, approachable, and open to conversations about anything – whether it is related to the sport or your athlete’s personal life, being a good listener helps create an atmosphere where athletes are comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings.

As a coach, you can improve your listening skills by approaching every conversation with an open and objective mindset, asking questions for clarification, and summarizing and reflecting back what was said. By enhancing your ability to listen, you’re showing your athletes that you have a genuine interest in getting to know them, and they’ll be more inclined to open up to you on a deeper level.

 

4. Approach Problems as ‘Ours,’ not ‘Yours’

The book, Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology, explains the process of communal coping as an event that occurs when a stressor is viewed by one or more individuals as ‘our’ problem, meaning that responsibility for the stressor is shared.

In practice, this might look like a coach inviting the team to collaborate on creating team rules that players would be accountable for. If one of the athletes breaks a rule, it’s an issue that the entire team will have to deal with.

 

5. Team Up with Their Communities

Building a strong foundation of belonging within a team takes effort from both the coach and the athletes but having a positive environment that supports social and emotional skills development in young athletes is worth every bit energy.

According to one study, emotional literacy discourse tunes into what people want in their own lives – acknowledgement, empowerment, agency, and a sense of positive connection with others.

Burgos made community a focus of his coaching strategy. He shares, “To build community here, one of the things that we did this year was invite family. When you’re dealing with young athletes, it’s important to know where they come from and who is behind them, and what their agenda is as well. Not just in a superficial way. The way I did it, I intentionally created events for the family to come, like hosting picture day, so the seniors could take pictures with their mothers and their mothers could see what we do. I realized quickly that when you involve the parents, particularly in communities where there is so much stress, they become committed. They commit to it, they’re cheerful, they’re positive, you give them a sense of a purpose.”

Incorporate your athlete’s personal community to foster a team culture of mutual trust and caring. You can try a team outing to celebrate the start of the season or host a team dinner in the middle of the season when morale might be low. Whatever you choose, remember to apply the same tactics listed above to get to know your athlete’s families on a deeper level. That will also show your athlete that you are genuinely trying to get to know them as a person, not just an athlete.

_______

 

Coaching is not always about ensuring that an athlete develop sport-specific skills that only serve them over the life of their athletic career. Coaching is about setting athletes up for success in their life outside of sport, which can be done in part by creating an environment that allows for the development of emotional literacy. So, take the time to cultivate a strong, authentic connection with your athletes using the five emotional literacy strategies above and give them the ability to understand and manage their emotions, communicate with others more effectively, and self-coach themselves through tough times.

Related Content

Loading...
1 2 … 34

Join Us

Subscribe
Shop TrueSport
Host TrueSport

TrueSport logo without icon in white.

© 2025 TrueSport | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap

Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.