It is often difficult to know exactly what your role should be as a rugby coach, particularly with younger players.

Players will often have very broad ideas and questions – looking for coaches to help them improve as players, help the team to victory, and make the game enjoyable. It is more difficult to translate these abstract hopes into concrete results. Here are some tips from top sports psychologists on exactly what young players want from their coaches and how you can fit in with that.

A good coach, according to players, is many things. They are experts on the game who are good at teaching the basic skills; good managers who understand players; they lead by example; and can motivate and discipline with equal ease. Studies show that players with coaches like this are better under pressure, happier, confident and positive. For one player, the ideal coach would care about each individual player, trust them and understand their mistake, help them reach their full potential, and enjoy their successes and feel the pain of their defeats together.

The modern game is turning ever more professional, in terms of psychology, fitness and science. Thus, the modern coach must ever more become an expert in all these fields, or at least be able to delegate responsibility to people who are. After all, the quality of a player is determined by a vast number of factors – his raw skills, his physicality, his game sense, his lifestyle, his emotional state and his mental preparedness for the game. Ultimately, both the coach's technical skills and social skills will be necessary to get the most out of his players, psychologically and physically. This is a difficult task, and one you should be prepared for to become the best coach you can be.

There are a number of different coaching styles, each of which suits itself to different kinds of teams with different levels of experience. The instructor will tend to pass on information straight to his players, in a very traditional teacher – learner set up. A guide will ask questions of his players in an attempt to bring them round to his way of thinking, while still getting his players involved in the process. Meanwhile, a facilitator type coach attempts t draw his players out with questions in a genuinely open ended way. This is best for very experienced players who can learn best from themselves and each other.

Ultimately, it is important that coaches become more emotionally aware of the needs of their players. Gone are the days when coaches stood bawling at the sidelines – you need to adapt yourself and your style to produce the best results from your team. Being positive and constructive and really engaging with your players is a good start towards building a strong relationship with your team. Your players will respect this, and appreciate your willingness to engage with their desire for ownership f the process. Bring your values to the table when you are coaching and you will be able to build a more complete player, rather than simply one with tactical ability.