Interpersonal Confidence in Netball: How Coaches Help Young Players Speak Up

For netball coaches working with young female athletes, understanding this form of confidence can dramatically improve communication, learning, and team culture.

What Is Interpersonal Confidence in Sport?

Interpersonal confidence refers to how comfortable an athlete feels communicating with others in their sporting environment.

This includes the confidence to:

• Speak up in discussions
• Ask questions during training
• Express opinions or ideas
• Challenge something respectfully
• Share feedback with coaches or teammates

Many children have strong technical ability but struggle with interpersonal confidence.

This can limit their learning and development if coaches are unaware of the dynamic.

Why Interpersonal Confidence Matters in Netball Coaching

Netball is a fast-paced team sport where communication is critical.

Players must constantly:

• Call for the ball
• Organise defensive structures
• Provide support to teammates
• Ask for clarity on tactics

If a netball player lacks interpersonal confidence, she may hesitate to contribute verbally.

Over time this can lead to:

• Reduced engagement in training
• Lower confidence during matches
• Hesitation when making decisions
• Avoiding leadership opportunities

Creating a coaching environment where athletes feel safe to communicate is therefore essential.

A Common Coaching Dynamic: The Confident Coach and the Quiet Player

Many netball coaches are strong communicators.

They are articulate, confident, and comfortable leading discussions with their team.

These qualities are important leadership strengths.

However, when a highly confident coach works with a quieter athlete, a subtle imbalance can develop.

The coach may unintentionally:

• Dominate conversations
• Fill silence quickly
• Interrupt without realising
• Push their perspective strongly

Meanwhile the athlete may begin to:

• Speak less during discussions
• Avoid asking questions
• Accept feedback without responding
• Withdraw slightly from conversations

These players are often labelled “quiet” or “shy.” But the issue is often deeper.

The athlete may simply not feel psychologically safe enough to speak freely.

How the Coach–Athlete Relationship Influences Confidence

Professor Sophia Jowett’s 3 + 1 Cs model of the coach–athlete relationship provides a powerful framework for understanding how communication shapes confidence.

The four elements are:

Closeness

The emotional bond between coach and athlete.

Young players are more likely to speak openly when they feel respected, valued, and understood.

Coaches can build closeness by asking questions such as:

• “What did you notice in that passage of play?”
• “How did that quarter feel for you?”
• “What might you try differently next time?”

These simple invitations show players their voice matters.

Commitment

Commitment refers to the shared intention to develop the relationship over time.

When netball players feel their coach is invested in their development, not just their performance, they are more likely to contribute and engage.

Confidence grows through consistent experiences of patience and support.

Complementarity

Complementarity describes how the behaviours of coach and athlete work together.

Highly confident coaches sometimes need to consciously create more space in conversations.

This might involve:

• Pausing before speaking
• Allowing players time to respond
• Listening without interruption

Strong leadership does not mean talking more.

Often the most powerful coaching action is simply listening carefully.

Co-orientation

Co-orientation refers to whether the coach and athlete understand each other’s perspective.

For example, a coach might think:

“She’s quiet because she has nothing to say.”

But the athlete might actually be thinking:

“I’m not sure if it’s safe to say what I really think.”

When coaches explore these perceptions openly, relationships often improve dramatically.

Interpersonal Confidence and Mental Toughness

Within Peter Clough’s 4Cs model of mental toughness, confidence is a core component.

However, confidence in sport is not only about performing well under pressure.

It also includes INTERPERSONAL CONFIDENCE

This means helping athletes develop the confidence to:

• Communicate openly
• Ask questions when unsure
• Share ideas and perspectives
• Challenge respectfully when necessary

For young netball players, these skills are not just important in sport, they are highly valuable life skills.

5 Practical Ways Netball Coaches Can Build Interpersonal Confidence

Netball coaches can support interpersonal confidence by making small adjustments to their communication style.

1. Ask open-ended questions
   Encourage players to reflect rather than just listening passively.
2. Pause after asking a question
   Silence allows players time to think and respond.
3. Acknowledge player contributions
   Positive reinforcement increases willingness to speak again.
4. Encourage peer discussion
   Small group conversations often feel safer for quieter athletes.
5. Model respectful communication
   Players learn how to speak up by watching their coach.

A Reflective Question for Netball Coaches

As you reflect on your own coaching style, consider this:

Are you creating space for your players to contribute, or are they simply learning to stay quiet?

And a footnote, there’s an argument to say that sometimes the quietest player in the team may actually have the most insight to offer.  They just need the confidence and the invitation to share it.

You may also wish to listen to:

>> 309 Interpersonal Confidence: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently

>> 308 Confidence In Ability: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently

Or Read:

>>Supporting Highly-Driven Athletes: A Coach’s Guide

>>Emotional Control for Coaches: Replace Outcome Talk with Process Cues