What Every Coach Should Know About Sports Psychology — But Probably Doesn't
Most sports coaches are experts in tactics, technique, and physical conditioning. But few have formal training in the psychological dimensions of performance — the very dimensions that often determine whether an athlete reaches their potential. This gap is not the coach's fault; it reflects a systemic underinvestment in psychological education within coaching curricula worldwide.
Q: Why don't most coaches understand sports psychology?
Luka Škrinjarić: Because it is not a meaningful part of most coaching education programs. Coaches learn biomechanics, periodization, nutrition, tactical systems — all essential. But the psychological component is usually a single module, if it exists at all. The result is that coaches are extremely well-prepared for everything except the mental dimension of performance, which is often the deciding factor at the competitive level.
Q: What is the most important thing coaches misunderstand about athlete psychology?
Škrinjarić: That motivation is self-sustaining. Many coaches believe that if an athlete is talented enough and wants it badly enough, motivation will take care of itself. In reality, motivation is a resource that fluctuates, depletes, and needs to be actively managed. The coach who only addresses motivation when it drops is always playing catch-up. The coach who builds motivational maintenance into the training program prevents the dips from happening.
Q: Can coaches do psychological work with their athletes, or should they leave it to specialists?
Škrinjarić: Both. A coach with basic sports psychology knowledge can create an environment that supports mental development — constructive feedback cultures, appropriate challenge levels, post-match psychological debriefing. But clinical-level work — psychodiagnostics, cognitive behavioral interventions, biofeedback — requires a licensed sports psychologist. The ideal model is collaboration: the coach handles the daily psychological environment, and the sports psychologist handles the structured, individualized mental training.
Q: What specific skills should coaches develop?
Škrinjarić: Three things that immediately improve coaching effectiveness:
Communication awareness. The same feedback delivered differently can build confidence or destroy it. "You missed the header" and "your timing on the jump was early — let's adjust" describe the same event but produce completely different psychological responses. Coaches who learn to separate observation from judgment in their feedback create athletes who are more receptive and less defensive.
Emotional contagion management. Coaches transmit their emotional state to the team. A coach who is visibly anxious before a big match creates anxious players. A coach who is angry after a mistake creates players who fear mistakes. This emotional contagion is usually unconscious, which makes it particularly powerful. Becoming aware of it is the first step to managing it.
Individual psychological needs recognition. Not every athlete responds to pressure, praise, or criticism the same way. Some athletes perform better with encouragement; others perform better with challenge. Learning to recognize and adapt to individual psychological profiles is a skill that most coaches develop intuitively but could develop systematically.
Q: What does collaboration between a coach and a sports psychologist look like?
Škrinjarić: In my work with elite athletes and teams — including national team footballers, NBA-level basketball players, and esports organizations like G2 Esports — the most effective model involves regular communication between coach and psychologist. I share relevant insights (with athlete consent) about psychological factors that might affect training or competition. The coach shares observations about behavior or performance changes that might have psychological roots. Neither of us operates in isolation. The athlete benefits from a unified support system.
Q: Where should coaches start?
Škrinjarić: Read. There are excellent resources on sports psychology written for coaches, not clinicians. Attend a workshop. And most importantly: talk to a sports psychologist about your team. Even a single consultation can reveal psychological dynamics you were not aware of. The investment of a few hours can transform how you understand and communicate with your athletes.
Luka Škrinjarić is the founder of Mentalni Trening (mentalnitrening.com), a licensed sports psychologist, and vice president of the sports psychology section of the Croatian Psychological Society. He has over 15 years of experience working with elite athletes and coaches across football, basketball, boxing, and esports.