As a coach and a person, I've been working on my self-awareness. Basically figuring out my natural tendencies in order to leverage them.

I know that my communication style is very direct, and by most standards in the US, harsh and critical. I'm very aware of it, and it's a variable I'm sure to account for. The players that have had the greatest longevity and improvement on my team have been the ones that have gelled with that style. It's something I look to test at tryouts, or even in conversations with parents.

It's also something I recognize I need to tailor according to the situation. That could be a particular player that needs a different sort of communication, maybe after a loss the team needs a different message, or maybe for the first month everyone needs to hear a softer message. The most important aspect is that I've identified and reflected on it.