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Building Rapport

Connect, communicate and build positive relationships

To build rapport:

  • Understand the needs and motivations of the people you coach. Who are they, and why do they come to your sessions? 
  • If you coach children, engage with their parents! A harmonious relationship improves the coaching experience for everyone. 
  • Create high quality coach-athlete relationships. Prioritise trust, respect and honesty. 
  • Enhance your communication skills. Put time and effort in to promote clarity, focus on the individual and check for understanding. 
  • Connect theory with practice. Use our evidence-based resources to understand what works and what to look out for, enabling you to learn from the experts. 
  • Browse All
    • Supporting a Sense of Belonging in the People You Coach

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    • Establishing Trust in Your Coaching Environment

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    • The Importance of Trust Within Your Coaching Relationships and Environment

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    • Understanding Unconscious Bias

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    • Top 10 Qualities You Need to be a Coach

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    • Building Successful Coach-Athlete Relationships

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  • Browse All
    • Understanding Unconscious Bias

      View
    • Top 10 Qualities You Need to be a Coach

      View
    • Building Successful Coach-Athlete Relationships

      View

Building Relationships

With Athletes

Discover how to make positive and impactful connections with everyone

In Teams

Insight into nurturing friendships, connections and a sense of belonging

With Parents

Recommended steps to build relationships and get parents involved

Free Resource Picks

What is Great Coaching?

It is people that change people and to leverage the full potential of the people at your sessions, your coaching should first and foremost be person-centred

Understanding Unconscious Bias

Insight into unconscious bias, including its different varieties and impact, as well as the strategies that we can use to ensure that its influence over our lives is reduced

Encouraging Parents to be Part of the Team

Gordon McLelland (WWPIS) delivers sound advice and sensible considerations for coaches on building a relationship with parents

Included with Premium Membership

Coaching the Person in Front of You

Great coaching encourages more people to be active more often. Take time to understand and connect with your participants to help them flourish

Why Mastering The Coach-Athlete Relationship is Important

Professor Sophia Jowett of Loughborough University on why great coaches focus on relationships

Why Good Questions are Important

Research has shown that questions that encourage discussion and debate improve engagement and help people learn

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Key Skills

Communication

Develop practical skills and strategies and access tips and ideas to aid effective communication with the people you coach

Why?

Empathy

What are the people at your sessions thinking and feeling? Compassion and empathy are key to understanding and connecting

How?

Inspiring Stories