Trauma Informed Coaching: What You Need To Know

Coaching is all about understanding people, their different behaviors and dynamics, and finding a way to lead and find common ground despite all of the differences. 

 

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and TeamSnap partnered to run a Trauma Informed Coaching Workshop for coaching members of the Uvalde Little League organization. TeamSnap Impact sponsored the coaching workshop to grant more opportunities for coaches and all members of the Uvalde Department of Recreation to receive this type of training. Through PCA’s coaching resources.

 

 

Coaches are faced with the task of not only teaching young athletes the sport and all of the skills in that specific sport, but also managing personalities, backgrounds, and often challenging behaviors. Not every coach knows how to deal with an athlete who’s combative or perhaps struggling due to something that didn’t even happen at the field or court. But, there is coaching for coaches that are looking to better understand or manage these types of situations. 

 

Let’s take a look at how to manage a situation when a child may have experienced trauma.

 

The first step is recognizing that the way a child is showing up to practice or a game is usually a direct reflection of where they came from. Trauma can be onset from prolonged adversity or even more of a stress response to something that has impacted the community. As a coach, it’s important to realize that any disruptive behavior is a direct symptom of something outside of their control. What characteristics should a coach look out for?

 

The signs of an athlete who has faced trauma or is facing trauma may show itself in the form of a lack of focus. At a soccer practice, for example, if a child is having a hard time following directions, disrupting others, or just completely distracted by everything but the practice itself, this could be a sign that a coach should take notice of.

 

Similarly, if an athlete can’t handle competitive pressure or challenging expectations and directions, could also be a sign. One of the most common ways trauma shows up in youth sports is through small altercations or disagreements that blow up into clashes with teammates. 

 

So, as a coach, you may be wondering, how do I go about handling this type of behavior? How can I positively impact this athlete, while also paying mind to the other members and personalities on the team. 

 

Coaches can learn tools to help manage disruptive behavior or stress responses. 

 

Positive Coaching Alliance suggests…

 

• As a coach, identifying your own triggers are key, while also having strategies to regulate emotions when feelings of anger or frustration comes up
• Practice active and deep listening to players’ perspectives 
• Ask “looking back” questions to help kids put a name to any previous emotions
• Help kids identify new responses to behavior and emotions

 

Another important part to all of this is learning to coach with empathy. It may go without saying, but having empathy is a vital characteristic of coaching. Often highlighted is the “tough love” approach to coaching, but studies have shown just how ineffective that really is, especially for young athletes that have experienced trauma. 

 

Positive Coaching Alliance came up with PACT, to help provide a framework for coaches. 

 

P – Perspective

A – Align

C – Connect

T – Think 

 

Let’s dive into each. Perspective refers to taking yourself as the coach out of the situation and seeing where and how your player is feeling and thinking. Don’t assume, but rather listen and learn where they are coming from. 

 

To coach with empathy means to find common ground, or seek understanding of your players even when at first sight it seems hard to grasp. Aligning means finding a way to see what they are seeing as well as believing what they are experiencing. 

 

Connection is a major part of coaching. There isn’t effective coaching without connection. Once you have a clear understanding of the youth athlete, you can better make a connection Avoid assumptions, and lean into caring and understanding.

 

And last, but not least is to think. As a coach, you will find yourself learning every single day. To coach with empathy means to take the time to think about past experiences, and learn from them. Don’t fear situations where you might have handled them wrong, or in a way you wouldn’t now, rather take that experience as a learning opportunity and move on. 

 

On March 23, TeamSnap will be with Uvalde Little League for their opening day. TeamSnap continues to find ways to connect and give back this community that has faced excruciating trauma from the school shooting that took the innocent lives of many members of the Uvalde Texas community on May 24, 2022.