Joerik Michiels' The Player Development Blueprint

My friend, Joerik Michiels, is a top-notch skills trainer from Belgium.

I have had the great privilege to watch him work for the last five years during his visits to Canada. He is one of the world's best coaches at infusing skill development and constraints-led learning. He is also a firm believer that basketball is the vehicle for developing better people.

He has just released the Player Development Blueprint, which shares all he has learned on developing culture, personal development, leadership and the progressions he uses to teach modern basketball skills.

It is a great resources for any coach.

Joerik has profoundly impacted my coaching both on and off the floor. He has helped me win more games, but more importantly, he has helped me build better people.

I could not recommend this book any more highly.

Learn more and order your copy here

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The 3 C's of Trust: How Connection, Competence & Character Transform the Athlete- Coach Relationship

Early in his career, DeMar DeRozan was struggling with confidence, performance consistency, and the pressure of being Toronto’s rising star. Many young athletes would have spiralled.

But his coach, Dwane Casey, saw something deeper.
After a particularly rough stretch, Casey pulled DeRozan aside after practice and said:

For a young player drowning in expectation, that sentence changed everything.

It allowed DeRozan to build trust with his coach. Something that DeMar acknowledged was difficult for him in his life.

DeRozan later said in a press conference:

Under Casey’s leadership, DeRozan became an All-NBA player, an Olympian, and the heart of a franchise.

This is what happens when a coach leads with:

• Connection: seeing the person behind the athlete
• Competence: developing him intentionally
• Character: believing in him even when it’s hard

Trust wasn’t a by-product; it was the foundation.

For professional athletes and coaches, trust is THE currency. An athlete has to be able to trust that the coach and organization have their best interest at heart. Without it there is no buy-in.

It is no different at the youth level. Until an athlete trusts you, it won't be easy to get their best from them.

Athletes are under pressure and are hyper-aware of they can trust

Whether in youth, high school, university, or elite sport, athletes are navigating bigger expectations and more scrutiny because of social media. The world of NIL has changed college basketball into a game that mirrors the NBA, where money follows minutes.

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the coach-athlete relationship.

Research across sport psychology shows consistent themes: athletes perform worse, learn more slowly, and disengage more quickly when trust in their coach is low.

The signs are predictable. Athletes who don't trust their coach hold back in practice, play tight when it matters most, and aren't open or vulnerable. Their fear of mistakes and not understanding your response will lead them to disengage and withdraw.

The real problem isn’t lack of talent, systems, or grit.

Athletes thrive in environments where they feel:

1. Connected
2. Supported by a competent guide
3. Led by someone of strong character

Without these, even the best strategies fall flat.

THE 3 C’S OF TRUST

Athletes don’t just want a coach who knows the sport.
They want a coach who knows them.

Decades of research; from Jowett’s Coach-Athlete Relationship Model to Self-Determination Theory to Transformational Leadership studies all point to the same truth:

Let’s explore each in depth.

CONNECTION: “SEE ME, KNOW ME, CARE ABOUT ME.”

Connection is not about friendship, it’s about meaningful human relationships. It is not just important

Athletes trust coaches who make them feel seen and heard. Those who value their contribution to the team. And perhaps most importantly respect them for who they are.

During Diana Taurasi’s early years at UConn, Geno Auriemma pulled her aside after a rough practice. She expected a lecture about turnovers or missed assignments.

Instead, Geno told her plainly:

Taurasi later said that moment cemented her trust in Auriemma for life. She realized he wasn’t coaching her ego, he was coaching her growth. Their connection wasn’t soft or sentimental; it was built on honest communication and his unshakable belief that she could become the best version of herself.

That connection became the fuel for one of the greatest careers in basketball history.

What the Research Shows

• Jowett’s research highlights closeness and commitment as core elements of high-functioning athlete–coach relationships.
• Autonomy-supportive coaching leads to greater intrinsic motivation and long-term athlete development (Mageau & Vallerand).
• Connection increases emotional regulation, resilience, and enjoyment.

Practical Ways Coaches Can Build Connection

1. Daily or Weekly Micro-Check-Ins​
Short, sincere conversations.
“How’s school? How’s your body feeling?”

2. Catch Them Doing Things Right​
Spotlight effort, resilience, leadership, not just their performance.

3. Invite Athlete Voice​
Ask them what they need “What’s one thing you want me to know about how you like to be coached?”

4. Share Your Own Why​
Humanize your leadership.

5. Be Present When Speaking​
Put down the clipboard (or worse the phone).
Look them in the eyes.

Connection is not complicated, but has to be intentional. If it is not authentic you will damage your relationship with your athlete in a way that it might not be salvageable.

You also have to be authentically yourself. Geno Auriemma's way is gruff and keeping it real, it is authentic to him. You can't be Geno you can only be yourself.

COMPETENCE “CAN YOU MAKE ME BETTER?”

Connection without competence creates warmth without growth.

Competence without connection creates efficiency without trust.

You need both.

Competence means you have the tools to help the athlete succeed in their sport. You know how to help them improve their skills, and succeed in games. They can trust you to do what is best for them and the team.

A great example of this was Super Bowl XLIX. It was supposed to be a clash of style, the Patriots’ precision versus the Seahawks’ punishing secondary.

Early in the week, Bill Belichek gathered the team for one of the longest film sessions any of them could remember. The room was silent as Belichick clicked through cut-up after cut-up of Seattle’s pressure packages, coverage disguises, and goal-line tendencies. It wasn’t inspirational. It wasn’t emotional. It was… exact.

Belichick paused the film and said, almost casually:

Over the next several days, the Patriots drilled those answers relentlessly.

Veterans later said they felt a strange sense of calm by midweek.
Belichick wasn’t just giving them a plan, he was giving them certainty.

I remember this game clearly as the Seahawks moved the ball into the red zone after another ridiculous catch. My son, a Pats fan, was yelling at the TV in frustration.

With the Seahawks threatening at the 1-yard line, the game on the line, Malcolm Butler recognized the formation and route combination, because it been drilled it again and again in practice.

He jumped the slant.
He made the interception.
The Patriots won the Super Bowl.

Players didn’t call it a miracle.
They called it preparation.

You can watch. the film of them practicing that exact play. After the game, several Patriots said the same thing:

In that moment, and in countless moments leading up to it, Belichick’s competence wasn’t theoretical or assumed.

Now I am not sure that is the trust that Bill has created at his current stop in Chapel Hill, but that is a different topic for a different day.

What the Research Shows

• Perceived coaching competence is directly linked to athlete motivation and satisfaction.
• Mastery climates (Dweck, Ames) lead to greater effort and long-term improvement than performance-only environments.
• Clarity is one of the strongest predictors of athletes’ confidence.

Practical Ways to Demonstrate Competence

1. Be Overprepared​
Clear practice plans. Purposeful drills.

2. Teach in Simple, Repeatable Language​
Great coaching sounds simple, not complicated.

3. Give Actionable Feedback​
Replace “try harder” with:
“Lower your hips on your first step.”
“Check middle before you dribble.”

4. Provide Development Pathways​
Athletes trust coaches who give them a roadmap:
“Here’s where you are, here’s what’s next, here’s how to get there.”

5. Explain the Why​
Purpose boosts motivation.

Competence builds trust because athletes can feel themselves growing.

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CHARACTER: “CAN I TRUST WHO YOU ARE IN THE HARD MOMENTS?”

Character is the deepest pillar of trust.

It’s not about perfection, it’s about consistency. Your athletes want to know how you are going to behave when challenges come up. This builds a sense of psychological safety which allows them to feel free to perform their best. They want to know that you are a person of integrity.

Athletes watch, and mirror, how you respond to pressure. Your reactions when they, the refs or you make a mistake. How you treat all the members of the team, not just the star player. Do you preach one set of rules and standards for the players and practice a different set for your players?

They notice all of it.

I learned this early in my career. One of our biggest rivals had a coach who was a self-described hot head. He was incredibly animated, yelled at the refs lots, stamped his feet and broke clipboards.

I noticed that the more animated he got, his players followed. By the fourth quarter everyone was an emotional mess. I sometimes got sucked in too and behaved like he did. My players also followed me off the rails.

In one game, I intentionally tried to be his polar opposite. He yelled, I smiled and talked quietly, he stomped, I stood calmly, and it worked. The fourth quarter came, and my team was a reflection of me. They calmly executed and me won going away. From that point I wanted to be the calm in the storm.

My athletes knew how I was going to react. I remaind predictable despite the stress of the game.

Yours will appreciate it too.

A great to see what your athletes see , albeit a very humbling one, is to train a camera on you on the bench and watch only your responses and reactions to the game.

What the Research Shows

• Character-driven leadership increases athlete well-being, moral development, and psychological safety.
• Teams with trustworthy coaches have better cohesion and greater resilience.
• Integrity and fairness are repeatedly cited as the traits athletes value most in coaches.

Practical Ways to Demonstrate Character

1. Stay Consistent With Standards​
Consistency = safety.

2. Own Your Mistakes Publicly​
“I didn’t handle that well.”
Humility earns respect.

3. Protect Your Athletes​
Advocate for them.
Encourage them.
Stand up for them.

4. Stay Emotionally Regulated​
Your emotional temperature becomes theirs.

5. Treat Everyone With Dignity​
Fairness builds trust—always.

Character is revealed in the hard moments, not the easy ones.

Trust compounds like interest: small deposits, repeated consistently.

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WHAT CHANGES WHEN TRUST IS HIGH

Trust doesn’t just feel good.It affects performance.

When the 3 C’s are alive in your program:

Athletes Compete Freely

They are not playing to avoid mistakes. They play freely

Communication Is Honest

Issues come up early, not late. Feedback lands. Conflict becomes productive.

Culture Becomes Cohesive

Energy rises. Standards stick. Leadership grows.

Well-Being Improves

Athletes feel safe, supported, and valued.

Coaching Becomes More Joyful

You lead lighter. You connect on a deeper level. You build people, not just players.

This is the environment athletes crave, and the one great coaches intentionally create.

TRUST IS NOT A BONUS, IT IS THE FOUNDATION

Connection.
Competence.
Character.

These three pillars, rooted in decades of research, are what transform the athlete–coach relationship into a partnership of growth, belief, and high performance.

While all three need to be present, your strengths will determine which of these is the dominant one for you. Early in my career, connection was the dominant form of trust. I was closer in age to the players, and the connection was natural and easy.

As my career progressed and as I became someone their parents age, Competence and Character became the dominant ways I built trust. Not that I neglected Connection but my experience and track record afford me a bit more default trust in these areas.

Build the 3 C’s, and you don’t just build better teams, you build better people.

Are you or your athletes struggling to be their best?

Let's work together.

I help coaches thrive.

As Certified Mental Performance Consultant and a basketball coach with 25 years of experience I understand the barriers to peak performance for both you and your athletes.

I would love to help you or your team build a competitive advantage. Here are a few ways I can help:

• Consult with your team or coaching staff
• Teach mental skills to your team via Zoom
• Work 1 on 1 with coaches
• Work 1 on 1 with athletes

Shoot me an email at jasonpayne@evolutionmpc.com, I love to talk coaching and see how I can help you.

Coaching is hard, let's make it easier.

Check out my website at http://jasonpayne.ca​

Thanks for reading and have a great week.