Developing the People Who Develop Athletes
Athletes spend years developing the skills they need to perform. The people leading them need development, too.
Athletic coaches and leaders make decisions that affect people, teams, and the broader performance environment. Their leadership shapes how people communicate, respond to challenges, work together, and approach their roles.
Leadership development for coaches gives organizations a way to build those capabilities intentionally.
Why Does Leadership Development Matter in High-Performance Sport?
Coaches influence the environment around athletes every day. Their communication, relationships, and leadership practices can shape the experience of individual athletes and the culture of the team.
Leadership has a measurable relationship with sport performance. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 studies found a small but significant positive relationship between leadership and performance, including a positive relationship between coach leadership and performance (Clare et al., 2025)
For athletic organizations competing at the highest levels, how people lead can influence the environment where performance takes place.
What Can Leadership Development Help Athletic Coaches and Leaders Build?
Leadership development can support growth in areas such as:
- Communication
- Team and staff dynamics
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Conflict management
- Decision-making
- Collaboration
- Accountability
- Self-awareness
The right focus depends on the organization and the people involved. Development can address the needs of a coaching staff, leadership team, or emerging leader based on the challenges they face.
How Can Organizations Approach Leadership Development for Athletic Coaches and Leaders?
Development is most useful when it connects to the challenges people face in their work.
A coaching staff may need to strengthen communication. A leadership team may be working through issues with alignment or decision-making. Emerging leaders may need opportunities to prepare for larger roles.
A program might combine group learning with opportunities to practice new skills, discuss real leadership challenges, and apply those skills within the organization. The right mix depends on the people involved and what the organization wants to accomplish.
Development has greater value when people have opportunities to practice new skills and apply them to situations they encounter in their work.
Individual support can play a role, too. A coach or athletic leader facing a specific transition or leadership challenge may benefit from leadership coaching in high-performance sport. Coaching creates space to work more closely on the person’s role, experiences, and goals.
The CMA Global Approach: Development, Application, and Impact
At CMA Global, we help athletic organizations develop the people responsible for leading and supporting others. For over 50 years, our team of Ph.D.-level consulting psychologists has applied psychological science to leadership, team, and organizational challenges.
This means:
Development: We build programs around the skills and challenges most relevant to the people involved.
Application: Learning connects to real situations, relationships, and decisions.
Impact: Development supports stronger leadership and collaboration within the performance environment.
CMA Global works with organizations to develop programs that reflect their people, goals, and challenges. This may include leadership development, communication, team effectiveness, or other areas that influence how athletic coaches and leaders work together.
Some challenges extend beyond individual or group development. Persistent issues involving culture, leadership alignment, role clarity, or organizational dynamics may require a broader look at the performance environment. In those situations, organizational consulting in high-performance sport can help examine the systems and conditions affecting the organization as a whole.
The Bottom Line
Athletes are shaped by the people around them. Coaches, athletic leaders, and staff help create the environment where development and performance take place.
Investing in leadership development for coaches can strengthen the skills, relationships, and leadership practices that support the organization as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is leadership development for athletic coaches?
Leadership development for athletic coaches helps coaches build the skills needed to lead people and navigate the demands of their role. Development may focus on communication, decision-making, feedback, relationships, accountability, and other aspects of effective leadership.
What should a leadership development program for coaches include?
The content should reflect the organization’s goals and the challenges its people are facing. Programs may address communication, leadership, feedback, conflict management, collaboration, decision-making, and team dynamics.
How is leadership development different from leadership coaching?
Leadership development can help a group build shared skills through workshops, facilitated discussions, and other learning experiences. Leadership coaching provides more individualized support and can focus on the specific challenges, goals, and development needs of one leader.
How can athletic departments support leadership development for coaches and staff?
Athletic departments can provide group learning, leadership programs, facilitated team sessions, and individualized coaching opportunities. The most effective approach depends on the organization’s goals, people, and challenges.
