“I will always take someone who has a great attitude and tries hard, regardless of talent.”
When a coach in our community shared this, it sparked a discussion that revealed something important: every experienced coach has learned this lesson. Usually the hard way.
Here’s what they’ve learned - so you don’t have to learn it through painful experience.
The Talent Trap
We’re conditioned to spot talent. The kid who dribbles past everyone. The one with the powerful shot. The natural athlete who makes everything look effortless.
It’s seductive. You see potential. You imagine what they could become. You make allowances because of what they might be.
But talent without attitude creates problems that don’t become obvious until you’re deep into a season.
The Gap That Closes
Talented players with poor attitudes often dominate at younger ages. They’re physically ahead, technically superior, coasting on natural ability.
They’ve never had to try. Why would they? They win without effort.
Then something changes. Around U13 or U14, the other players catch up physically. The technical gaps narrow. And suddenly, the talented player who never learned to work faces situations where talent alone isn’t enough.
They don’t know how to respond. They’ve never had to dig in, push through difficulty, maintain effort when things aren’t going their way.
The hard workers? They’ve been doing that for years. It’s who they are.
The Culture Problem
“Bad attitude will rub off on other kids and cause more issues.”
This is the part new coaches underestimate.
One talented player with poor attitude can undo months of cultural work. Other players watch. They see the talented kid put in half effort and still get picked. They see attitude problems tolerated because of ability.
What message does that send?
It says results matter more than standards. It says some players are above the rules. It says working hard is for those who aren’t good enough to coast.
Your hardest workers notice first. Their effort feels unrewarded. Resentment builds quietly before it becomes visible.
The Energy Drain
Managing attitude problems consumes disproportionate coaching time and emotional energy.
Time spent dealing with one difficult player is time not spent helping ten willing ones. Energy spent navigating attitude issues is energy not available for actual coaching.
Over a season, this adds up to a massive opportunity cost.
Why Attitude Wins
Players with great attitudes offer something that talent alone cannot provide.
They’re Coachable
They listen. They try what you suggest. They implement feedback even when it’s uncomfortable. They fail and try again without making excuses.
This creates a compound effect. Small improvements stack week after week. By the end of the season, the hard worker has closed gaps that seemed insurmountable in September.
Talent is a starting point. Attitude determines the trajectory.
They Lift Everyone
Great attitudes are contagious in the best way.
These players encourage teammates. They celebrate others’ successes. They model what commitment looks like. They make training more enjoyable for everyone, including you.
Other players see effort rewarded and valued. The culture becomes self-reinforcing. Standards rise because the group expects them to.
They Stay
Players who love working hard, love improving, love the process of getting better? They stay in football.
The talented player who only enjoyed dominating younger or weaker opponents? They often quit when competition gets real. When they can’t coast anymore, the game stops being fun for them.
The hard workers are still playing at 30. Still loving it. Still improving.
The Uncomfortable Truth
You can develop skills in any player willing to work. You cannot install character from the outside.
A player who arrives with good attitude can be taught technique, tactical understanding, physical development. The raw material - the willingness to work - is already there.
A player who arrives with poor attitude rarely changes through coaching alone. They have to want to change. Some do, eventually. Most don’t.
This is why selecting for attitude from the start matters so much. You’re not just picking a player for this season. You’re investing in someone for years.
Practical Application
In Selection
Before picking any player, ask yourself: “Would I want 11 players with this attitude on my team?”
If the answer is no, reconsider their place regardless of ability. One player’s talent rarely outweighs the cultural cost of their attitude.
In Feedback
Praise effort as much as outcome. Maybe more.
“I love how hard you worked to win that ball back” matters more than “Great goal.” One rewards something the player controls completely. The other rewards something that involves luck and circumstance.
In Standards
Apply expectations equally. The talented player doesn’t get a pass on effort because they score goals. The struggling player doesn’t get excused from standards because they’re trying hard.
Everyone meets the same expectations. That’s what standards mean.
In Your Own Mindset
Stop being dazzled by talent. It’s the obvious thing to notice, but it’s not the most important thing.
Start watching for work ethic. Who keeps going when tired? Who responds well to setbacks? Who lifts teammates rather than criticising them?
Those observations tell you more about a player’s future than any display of skill.
The Choice You’ll Face
At some point, you’ll have to choose. The talented player with the attitude problem, or the average player who gives everything.
“The talented kids with a bad attitude are the absolute worst. So difficult to deal with.”
Every experienced coach knows this. Every new coach learns it.
When you face that choice, remember: a hard-working player with average ability will improve more over a season, contribute more to team culture, be more enjoyable to coach, and stay in football longer.
Build character first. Develop talent second. The order matters.
Want to build a team culture based on attitude and effort? Join 1,600+ coaches in the Football Coaching Academy where we discuss player selection, team culture, and development philosophy.
The 328 Training Sessions provide structured development that rewards effort and improvement, not just natural ability.
Quick question about player development? FootballGPT provides instant coaching guidance 24/7 - free to start.