Being an effective coach doesn’t happen by accident. It takes time, effort and as much dedication to being a student of the game as being a teacher for your players.

Here are three tried and true habits good coaches possess, and how you can implement them today:

1. Observe other coaches

Hall of Fame golf coach Harvey Penick said, "You learn teaching from teachers, playing from players, and coaching from coaches."

Observing other coaches – including those outside of football – provides incredible insight into new ways to solve common coaching problems, and how to engage and motivate athletes. It also gives you a chance to reflect on your own coaching style, what you're doing well and where you may need to adjust.

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Watching other coaches can be a formal or informal process that presents an opportunity for growth and improvement within your personal coaching development.

2. Study "how" to teach, not "what" to teach

At the heart of it, coaching is really teaching. By focusing on "how" your student-athletes learn, you're increasing the chances of better skill acquisition and comprehension from the get-go.

Listen to your athletes, especially the ones who get it. Ask yourself: How are they explaining what they know? What sort of language do they use? How can you adapt that language toward other players?

3. Create a standard of excellence

Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh once said, "Champions behave like champions before they’re champions. They have a winning standard of performance before they are winners."

You didn’t get into coaching for the Xs and Os. Ultimately, you coach because you have the opportunity to make a difference, to create great athletes and better people. You started coaching to have an impact long after the final whistle has blown. 

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To be highly effective is to create a standard of excellence, and that standard starts with you and your own development. For tools and examples of how to maximize your ability as a coach, visit USA Football's Coaching OnDemand and Coaches' Notes.

This is an updated version of a blog that originally published April 17, 2017.