Article · 2 min read

Can attitude actually be taught — and how do I teach it?

Yes — attitude can be taught. Bruce Brown's framework: define an athletic attitude, teach it, expect it, assess it, and praise the athlete-owned choice daily.

Bruce E. Brown · Proactive Coaching

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Yes. Bruce Brown is direct about it: a positive athletic attitude can be taught, and it is contagious. Attitude is a choice, but usually one that has to be taught and molded first — most players arrive without a clear picture of what a good athletic attitude is. His sequence is the framework: an athletic attitude must be clearly defined, taught, expected, and assessed. Start by defining attitude so clearly it cannot be misunderstood, clarify every word in that definition, then hold players accountable for the attitude they choose to display. Attitude is far more within your control than your team's talent, so treat it as a year-round coaching point, not a personality trait you inherit.

What does a good athletic attitude actually look like?

Bruce Brown's definition, used at every age and sport: understand and model the core covenants of the team. Be aggressive, enthusiastic, confident, disciplined, and compete fearlessly. Listen, learn, and work. Have faith in your teammates, don't let them down, and put the team ahead of yourself. Maintain integrity and a sense of humor. Give your team an attitude of gratitude.

Why do I have to define attitude before I can teach it?

Because until you define it, every player supplies their own definition. Bruce learned this as a young coach when a principal asked what he meant by the word he preached constantly. Tell an undefined team it has an attitude problem and nobody thinks you mean them. Define attitude so clearly it cannot be misunderstood — concise, with depth behind every term.

How do I get players to keep a good attitude all season?

Praise it. Effort and attitude are athlete-owned behaviors — things completely within a player's control, no matter the score or the opponent. Bruce's rule: if you identify and praise effort and attitude, you get effort and attitude at a very high level. Reinforce those controllables generously, and hold every player accountable for the one they choose.

Whose job is the team's attitude — mine or the players'?

Both, but it starts with you. Bruce is blunt: the attitude of the team is the clearest reflection of its leadership. You model the definition first — be the first to have the team attitude and the last to lose it. Then, because attitude is a choice, players own the daily decision to display it.

The definition above is the what — Teach Attitude First in the digital library walks through how to teach every term, and a 7-day free trial opens the whole library.

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