Dear Coach

Through the lens of athletes’ experiences and established research, Dear Coach shows coaches how to create higher-quality coach-athlete relationships that not only achieve better performance outcomes, but optimal well-being for all parties in and outside of sport.

Sara Erdner, PhD, CMPC asked athletes one question: What do you wish you could have told your coach but, for whatever reason, never did? Athletes responded to this question via confidential letters, providing a wealth of knowledge for coaches, sport administrators, and all who care for athletes. From heartfelt thank-you letters to painful accusations and everything in between, Dear Coach gives athletes a rare platform in the sports reform debate, beginning a much-needed conversation between athletes and coaches directly.

Yet, the communication problems in sport are not just personal but systemic. Dear Coach, also gives coaches and administrators the opportunity to write their own Dear Coach letter and explore how their own coaches may have influenced their current practice. Grounded in research and compassion for athletes and coaches alike, Dear Coach gives coaches practical tools to create higher-quality coach-athlete relationships that will not only achieve better performance outcomes, but optimal well-being for all parties inside and outside sport.

Sara Erdner, PhD, CMPC received her PhD in Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she also completed her Master of Science in Communication Studies, with an emphasis in interpersonal communication. Dr. Erdner’s research has been featured in Communication & Sport, the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, and Quest. As a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC #712) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Dr. Erdner has worked with a variety of coaches and athletes; her most prominent work was with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pedal for Alzheimer’s. While she is still a practicing Mental Strength Coach, Dr. Erdner is currently the Coordinator and Assistant Professor for the online Masters of Coaching degree at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, where she also resides.