IT'S easy enough to imagine. Lying awake at 2 a.m., mind racing with thoughts of tomorrow’s game, a player's off-field trouble, or an angry parent’s email. The weight of the coach’s responsibility to the players and their futures is crushing, and anxiety creeps in. 

Coaches are uniquely positioned, with enormous responsibility to their athletes. They face anxiety in performance, relationships, mentorships, and evangelism. The role is high-stakes and high-pressure, but God’s word offers hope and guidance to address these challenges with faith and resilience. Scripture provides a framework for navigating these challenges and for helping coaches lead with a gospel-centered purpose.

Performance Anxiety

Like their athletes, coaches can also experience performance anxiety. As they are hired to train well, win games, and build successful programs, coaches may fear failure or criticism, leading to perfectionism or over-preparation. When a coach experiences inordinate anxiety about performance, this may indicate a heart seeking validation through success, reflecting a misplaced sense of identity. This may look like a coach obsessed with the win column, feeling their worth and value hinge on the scoreboard.

This is not unlike the Israelites’ fear of defeat before Goliath (1 Samuel 17:11). It could also look like an excessive focus on long-term success —such as recruiting and team culture —while losing sight of the immediate priorities God has set before you (Luke 10:40—42).  These pressures can tempt a coach to trust in their own efforts rather than in God’s sovereignty. Philippians 4:6—7 encourages prayer for peace, and this peace can be found in seeking God’s glory over earthly wins and in trusting in His sovereign plans and purposes (Proverbs 16:3).

Relational Anxiety

Coaches juggle many different relationships, which leads to anxiety in managing them well. Whether it’s upset parents, player behaviors and grades, or even legal issues, these relationship difficulties often reveal a desire for approval or control, which can be rooted in fear of conflict or rejection. Coaches may dread confrontation, experiencing extreme discomfort and stress when faced with a combative or aggressive personality. Navigating a player’s school troubles or legal issues can likewise thrust a coach into a stressful role for which they feel unprepared.

The pressure to succeed, win, and have all the correct answers is unyielding and demanding. These anxieties provide an opportunity to trust in God’s strength, rather than striving to please everyone. The position of our hearts should be first as servants of Christ (Galatians 1:10), and when this order is flipped, anxiety may result. 

Mentorship and Evangelism Anxiety

While performance and relational-related anxieties can center around ability and technical skills, mentorship and evangelism anxiety require a different set of skills, character, and knowledge on the part of the coach. Mentoring young men and women, or sharing faith in a secular environment, can induce fear of failure or rejection, reflecting a heart wrestling with God’s call. 

Paul expressed concern for Timothy’s growth, urging him to cultivate a spirit not of fear but of power, love, and sound judgment (2 Timothy 1:6—7). Coaches likewise seek to develop strong character and wisdom in their players. This can be a daunting task, as a coach may have dozens of athletes in their care, leading to sleepless nights and a sense of over-responsibility for their players' decisions and struggles.

Sharing Christ as a coach in a secular setting can also spark nervousness, particularly in a culture and setting which is hostile to expressions of faith. Navigating the care of athletes' souls, alongside social expectations and the potential for reprimand or even job loss, coaches may experience many sleepless nights. Coaches are torn between balancing offensive evangelism— boldly sharing the gospel (Ephesians 6:19—20), or defensive evangelism— quietly living out the gospel and being prepared to give a defense of the hope within you (1 Peter 3:15). These fears highlight a self-reliance when we are called to trust in God’s Spirit, who equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). Coaches can model faith through their character and actions, and trust God’s power in their influence.

5 Practical Steps

Coaches face anxiety in performance, relationships, mentorship, and evangelism, but God’s word reframes these as opportunities to trust Him. As listed in the last blog, here are five practical steps to help coaches navigate anxiety, leading with faith and inspiring their players:

Pray: When your thoughts are centered on your anxieties, instead of holding them to yourself, bring them to the Lord and confess each fear to him. Thank God for His sovereignty and ask for courage and peace to trust and follow His plan.

Prepare (Study & resources): Why Worry? Getting to the Heart of Your Anxiety by Robert D. Jones is an excellent mini-book from CCEF that helps readers shift their focus from self to God. Eric Schumacher’s The Good Gift of Weakness: God’s Strength Made Perfect in the Story of Redemption is also an excellent resource for coaches struggling with weakness, failure, or frailty.

Practice (Daily habits): Journal anxious thoughts, and counter them with truths like “God is my strength” (Isaiah 41:10). Practice a one-minute prayer pause when pressures mount, focusing on God’s presence and purposes.

Perform (Game-time application): Before games or tough conversations, pray silently for God’s glory over personal success (Colossians 3:23). Lead a team moment of gratitude to shift to eternal priorities.

Persevere (Evaluation & long-term faithfulness): After challenges, reflect without self-condemnation. Did I rely on God? Celebrate faith steps, repent of self-reliance, and continue trusting in His grace (2 Corinthians 12:9).