Supporting Highly-Driven Athletes: A Coach’s Guide

1. Recognise Their Commitment (Not Just Their Results)

High-drive athletes often assume their effort is expected rather than valued.

Ask yourself:

• Have I acknowledged their professionalism and preparation?
• Do I notice their consistency, discipline and attitude?
• Do they know their commitment matters to me?

Simple feedback helps:

• “Your standards and preparation are excellent.”
• “I can see the work you’re putting in behind the scenes.”

Recognition strengthens confidence and reinforces trust.

2. Provide Clear Direction

At this stage, athletes want to know where they stand and what’s expected.

Check:

• Do they understand their current role and development priorities?
• Have I given clear, specific areas to focus on?
• Do they receive regular, honest feedback?

You don’t need lengthy plans.
You need clarity and consistency.

Clear direction increases control and reduces uncertainty.

3. Manage the “More is Better” Mindset

Highly driven young athletes often push themselves beyond what’s productive.

Watch for:

• Excessive extra training
• Fatigue, niggles or performance dips
• Anxiety about doing “enough”
• Guilt around rest or recovery

Support them by:

• Reinforcing recovery as part of performance
• Emphasising quality over quantity
• Helping them prioritise training loads

At this level, smart work beats more work.

4. Keep Communication Adult-to-Adult

Older athletes value autonomy and honesty.

Regularly ask:

• How are you managing your overall workload?
• What are you doing outside sessions?
• What feels most challenging right now?
• What support would help you perform better?

This builds closeness and co-orientation, being aligned and on the same page.

5. Keep the Focus on Process, Not Pressure

When progression opportunities are on the line, young athletes can tie their identity to outcomes.

Reinforce:

• Controllable behaviours
• Daily standards
• Learning and development

Ask:

• What did you execute well today?
• What’s one thing to build on next session?

This protects commitment without increasing anxiety.

6. Align Expectations Early

Misalignment at this stage can quickly damage motivation.

Discuss:

• Performance expectations
• Selection realities and timelines
• Development priorities
• Recovery and lifestyle standards

Shared clarity improves complementarity, working effectively together.

7. Watch the Person, Not Just the Performer

Older athletes often hide pressure well.

Look for:

• Increased anxiety or frustration
• Overtraining or poor recovery
• Reduced enjoyment
• Identity becoming performance-only
• Fear of failure or letting others down

Your role is not just to stretch them, it’s to help them stay balanced, confident and resilient.

Quick Self-Check for Coaches

This week, ask yourself:

• Have I recognised their professionalism?
• Have I given clear direction?
• Have we discussed workload and recovery?
• Have I had an honest conversation about their development?
• Am I supporting the person as well as the performer?

Why This Matters

When highly driven athletes aged 17+ feel seen, guided and supported, the impact goes far beyond performance.

Confidence grows because their effort is recognised and their direction is clear. Pressure becomes more manageable because they understand what truly matters and where to focus their energy. Motivation stays healthy and sustainable, rather than being driven by fear, uncertainty or the feeling that they must constantly prove themselves.

At this stage of their development, many athletes are balancing increasing expectations around selection, progression, contracts, education or future career decisions. Without the right guidance, their natural drive can easily tip into overtraining, anxiety or constant self-doubt.

When coaches provide clarity, honest communication and realistic boundaries around workload and recovery, burnout risk reduces and athletes are far more likely to stay physically and emotionally resilient.

Just as importantly, the coach–athlete relationship strengthens. Trust builds. Athletes feel safe to speak honestly about challenges, pressures and setbacks, rather than carrying concerns quietly on their own.

Because at this level, the biggest risk isn’t a lack of effort.

The biggest risk is silent pressure and misalignment when highly motivated athletes push harder and harder without clear direction, recognition or support.

Great coaching doesn’t just push performance.

It creates an environment where athletes can strive, grow and perform at their best without feeling like they have to carry the weight alone.

You may wish to listen to:

>> 307 Achievement Orientation: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently

>> 306 Goal Orientation: When Coaches and Athletes Think Differently