7 Tips for Dealing with Challenging Athletes

In modern sports culture, the idea of “one team” is celebrated, but it’s important to remember that each team is made up of individuals with unique needs, personalities, and problems. 

Throughout your coaching career, you have likely encountered athletes who are more challenging to work with than others. They may be disrespectful, loud, disruptive, talk back, give minimal effort in drills, or not listen to you. 

Despite these distractions, it’s your responsibility to find a way to coach the entire team effectively—though this is often easier said than done. Here are 7 tips to help you manage problem athletes in a way that brings long-lasting solutions.  

TIP #1 – ONE STYLE DOESN’T FIT ALL 

Getting to know your athlete’s strengths, motivations, and personalities—in and out of sports—is essential to coaching success. 

Why are they playing this sport? What do they like about it, and what don’t they like about it? What do they want to achieve? Is anything happening outside of sports that’s bothering them? The answers to these questions will help you find the best way to coach each player. 

And while your core style might work for most of the team, it may not work for all. So, you’ll probably need to mix it up to accommodate a few players. The best part is seeing the effort you put into achieving positive results get rewarded when an athlete overcomes their challenges. 

TIP #2 – SET CLEAR, CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS 

Hold team and parent meetings to define rules and expectations for behavior, attitude, and commitment before the season starts. Reinforce that these guidelines apply to everyone, no matter who breaks the rules. Let parents and athletes know what to expect of you, leaving enough time for a robust Q&A. 

TIP #3 – BEAT BOREDOM TO MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT 

Keep your players busy and make your practices more active to beat boredom. Aim to pair or group athletes with similar skill levels so they’ll feel challenged but not intimidated. Avoid “dead time” just standing around by mixing up your activities and training exercises, moving quickly from one to the next.  

TIP #4 – THOUGHTFULLY DELIVER CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM  

Keep your feedback calm, constructive, and concise. Explain what a player did wrong and include ways to improve. Studies show that high school-aged athletes can retain and act on only 1-3 pieces of feedback in a single setting. 

TIP #5 – MEET DISRUPTION WITH EMPATHY 

Spend time to understand why your challenging players are disruptive. Listen to their concerns about issues at home or school. You might not be able to fix their problems, but they’ll appreciate your compassion.  

TIP #6 – KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON 

Keep your composure when you want to yell, swear, or toss a ball to get an athlete to listen, pay attention, or focus. While blowing off some stream might feel better in the heat of the moment, you’ll make better decisions to benefit the entire team if you take a minute and take a deep breath before assessing their behavior. 

Is this difficult? Yep. But there’s likely been a player or two on every team in every season who has tested your patience. You’re a pro and you’ve got this.  

TIP #7 – PLAYING TIME AS A TEACHING TOOL 

If you implement all these tips and still have an athlete who struggles with listening or following instructions, it may be appropriate to use playing time as a teaching tool. Regardless of talent level, athletes must understand that playing time is earned through proper behavior and adherence to coaching directions—not simply given out freely. Alternatively, praising and rewarding coachable players sets a great example. 

An engaged and caring coach can help challenging athletes develop new attitudes and problem-solving skills that build character in ways that few other teachers can. Though it may be difficult, you are ultimately equipping them with essential life skills—a legacy that goes way beyond wins and losses. 

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