What Makes an Athlete Coachable (From a Coach’s View)

Growth mindset, curiosity, and effort.

Coachability is one of the most talked about and least understood traits in sports. Every coach says they want coachable athletes, but very few athletes are ever explicitly taught what that actually looks like.

I met someone's very proud uncle at a car repair shop the other day. For the sake of protecting identities, I will not share the programs or players he so warmly spoke about. One story he proudly shared truly encompassed the work ethic coaches strive to see.

He told me back in 2020, the high school football team he cheers for could not access their weight room due to COVID. He shared that these boys' passions burned deeply. They were athletes who would come home from other sports and want to get in a lift, no matter how late the night was. They were a team that would partake in football 350 days out of the year. Football was everything.

For these boys, not having a weight room was not an option. Some of the more competitive players broke a window to break in and lift. That’s how much it meant to them. The community understood their passion. They had one of the highest winning percentages in the last 20 years and are known for always playing for a state title every year. Parents around the community came together to provide a makeshift weight room for the players, dividing up times, sharing a garage code, and trusting the players would respect and also use the space as needed. They did. Football meant everything to them. Often, the players from this team will continue playing football, and they have a reputation for spreading their work ethic from their high school team's culture to the college cultures they go into…instead of it being the other way around.

These players make every room they enter better and lead by example in their efforts and passion.

Now, I am not saying that I want my players to break a window to work out. But I like players who would make me question if they would if I did not provide them a space to grind. Because that internal drive is what separates athletes who rely on structure from those who create their own.

Coachability:

We talk about it all the time as coaches. How much do players and parents understand what that means?

It is an active, daily choice to be uncomfortable, to be corrected, and to respond with action.

It has to be taught at some point. There are a few elements that create a coachable kid.

Growth Mindset, Curiosity, and Effort.

I am sure there are some more or even different words coaches would want to use. At the end of the day Coachability is an individual’s willingness and ability to seek, receive, and act on constructive feedback to improve performance and personal development.

I would argue that having a growth mindset, being curious about what is being taught and what is unknown, and giving effort are pillars and definitive concepts that can help players and parents understand what coaches are looking for in the athletes they are spending their time with.

For each of the pillars I seek, I will provide a definition and direct example of a student athlete showcasing what this means in a football environment.

Coach Ashley Cornwell with Bayron Matos after an NFL IPP Program offensive line film session (2024).

Growth Mindset

“A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed over time through effort and learning.”

This perspective encourages individuals to view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than as insurmountable obstacles. The concept was popularized by Stanford professor Carol Dweck, who emphasized that a growth mindset fosters resilience and a love for learning. I personally first learned about a growth mindset in my AP Chemistry course. Most athletes are introduced to the concept in a classroom, but very few truly apply it when performance, ego, and identity are on the line.

I was lucky enough to be a fly on the wall in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line room when Tristan Wirfs was transitioning from right tackle to left tackle. Wirfs had two really good offensive line coaches to help him through this. It was a big transition in the NFL, and Wirfs had won First Team All-Pro for his performance at right. 

Many on the outside said his transition to left was seamless, and he became the first tackle to win First Team All-Pro for playing on both sides.

Wirfs was public about how he had to speak with a sports psychologist about the transition. That is a story for him to share, but I would like to mention what I witnessed on the field. Through spring workouts, training camp, and OTAs, I witnessed Wirfs fight to be perfect at left tackle. He was not perfect in the beginning (listen, he is really good though, so his imperfections were still a very competitive rep). Wirfs faced several setbacks getting used to coordinating his hands in pass protection. One thing remained the same: he was relentless in trying to find a solution through all of these mistakes. Wirfs gave a lot of effort and was open-minded to even holding a sponge with his catch hand to make a more cognizant mind and body connection. Both of his coaches were getting a player who had his doubts but was also relentless and wanted to nail this transition. His tackle coach made him a promise that any good coach should have made him ask Wirfs to trust him and trust that he would not let him fail.

That commitment, but the coach's daily work, and the growth mindset of Wirfs, allowed Wirfs to perform almost seamlessly at the left tackle position at the start of the year. That willingness to look imperfect while learning something new is one of the clearest indicators of a growth mindset at any level.

There are numerous characteristics and good traits demonstrated in this story by the coach and player. At the highest level, this demonstration of having a growth mindset and committing to learning and giving effort was the foundation for Wirfs to pull off this historic feat. Talent may open the door, but mindset determines how long you stay in the room.

Curiosity

“a strong desire to know or learn something”

I now want to drop down to the Division III level. This was the first time I had my own offensive line room. All by myself, me and 19 players and a part-time coach who was also our part-time equipment manager.

I think every room has a guy who always wants to know why. Not out of malice or insubordination, but genuinely curious why. These players are always headed down the coaching corridor. He knew he would not be a star; he just had genuine love for the game. This player knew every fact about every single offensive lineman and every single offensive line coach. He graduated and asked for my help in getting a job. I was a reference and told his current employer that they would love him, because he loves football. Just be ready to answer why.

The players with this level of curiosity make me better as a coach. I have to be ready to explain myself, know my craft, and I personally love having them in the room for their football tidbits and passion. Even a little of his curiosity is a dream for a coach. Wanting to know more, or to learn your craft with such precise detail, is a cherished trait for many coaches.

Curiosity turns players into students of the game, and students into long-term contributors to any program they are part of.

Coach Ashley Cornwell coaching the Oberlin Offensive Line (2023).

Effort

“a vigorous or determined attempt”

I have a lot of players who do not do the bare minimum. I have a lot of players who do the minimum. I have a lot of players who show up early, give effort in everything they do, and then a few who try to encourage others to do the same. Effort can not be coached. The “give a f***” can not be coached.

Effort is required to be great. Effort is what pushes you through tough practice, failure, losses, long film sessions, and complex schemes. Caring, being determined to do your best, all feed into a great football player. Effort can not be coached. It is the number one hurdle coaches face when training players. We can not care more than they do.

As a coach, I am not looking for perfect players. I am looking for players who are willing to be coached, players who want to grow, who ask questions, and who bring effort every single day. Those are the players who make teams better, elevate the people around them, and carry success with them wherever they go. Coachability is a choice made by the athlete.