Communicating Effectively

We need to make sure we communicate with our players and parents effectively on and off the court as well as with other coaches, to learn from those more experienced and to teach those who are less. Communication is vital to every program's success.

4 Words to Eliminate in Coaching: But - You - Can't - Try

One thing to remember when it comes to communicating, the perception of the listener is what eventually determines the outcome, not the intention of the speaker. With just a little effort, we can improve our communication skills, get our point across more effectively, and avoid bruising of those fragile athlete egos along the way.

When attempting to deliver constructive criticism, we often sever the construction from the criticism by inserting a but between the two. "That was a great effort, but next time try to get the ball to the setter." All the player remembers is "Next time get the ball to the setter.", thus the praise has been lost. By connecting the two with a more positive twist, both the praise and the instruction are absorbed, "That was a great effort,and next time we'll definitely get a swing on it."

Just as we tell our players, "There is no I in Team." As coaches we must remember "There is no U in Team, either." Like it or not, as coaches, we are a part of our teams as well. Using you can implant an invisible barrier between a coach and players. By getting down off our pedestal and talking with our team, athletes feel less like they're being lectured to and more like they're being helped. "We need to make sure we're down low in a defensive posture facing the hitter when they're hitting."

The power of positive thinking can be a truly effective weapon. Conversely, negative thoughts can bring down even the most powerful juggernaut. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right." It's rather easy to tell a player not to do something incorrectly ("We can't serve in the net anymore!"). It's much tougher, and our challenge as coaches, to tell them how to do things correctly ("Concentrate on a good toss and solid contact, and we can get every serve in."). Cutting out can't (and also don't, won't, never, etc.), helps us to concentrate on the positive and eliminate the negative. How many times has a player asked, "Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?" By using more positive phrasing in our coaching, players will soon be asking, "Can you tell me what to do to get it right?"

The old adage, "All you can do is try," really has a defeatist attitude. "The least you can do is try. The most you can do is succeed." By telling an athlete "Try to get to your defensive base after every attack," they now have the out of taking one step towards their base and saying, "Well, I tried." They are correct. They did try and they accomplished what we asked of them, they did not, however, ever get to their defensive base. By saying, "We need to get to defensive base after every attack," we are implying the necesity to try, but we have also raised the expectations and goals for our players, and athletes will normally rise (or fall) to meet those expectations. In those instances where we feel "try" needs to be used,try using "attempt" or "strive".

Positive Discipline Guidelines

• Minimize verbalizing. If we're talking, our athletes are less likely to be involved and participating. Effective communication is based as much on our effective listening skills as on verbal skills. We need to talk with our athletes, not at them.
• Establish authority early. In other words, be prepared; know what needs to be done; confront discipline problems early before they get out of hand. Relate in a warm, natural way, but without ever becoming a peer.
• Avoid screaming. Fair, confident requests or statements are usually far more effective than violent, threatening demands.
• Avoid sarcasm. Show the same respect that you wish to receive.
• Get to know all of the athletes by name. and develop an understanding of their individual
  and collective personalities as quickly as possible. The best coaching behaviors are those that are clearly directed at specific individuals.
• Strive to view problems from the athlete's perspective. Always keep in mind the possibility that something we are doing may be the cause. Assume initially that there is a justifiable reason.
• Avoid public criticism. Although public praise can be very effective, public criticism is usually a poor choice of action. It frequently forces the athlete to react defensively, which creates a worse problem than the one we first sought to correct.
• Develop a direct and sincere approach to praise. If an athlete is told what is good and why, they are more likely to repeat that behavior. A mere "OK" or "good" really says nothing and soon has little or no effect on athletes. However, don't give praise when it's undeserved, it must be an earned reward.
• Have a sense of humor, but don't make learning a joke or use humor which depreciates ourselves or our athletes.
• Be enthusiastic and encourage enthusiasm.
• Be fair with attention, praise, and opportunities. Fairness doesn't necessarily mean equal, but rather that every athlete has an equal opportunity to earn such attention or praise within their own skill or maturity level.
• Give our athletes our complete attention when speaking with them. Such attention is a sign of respect for both the athlete and what that athlete has to say. Those who wish to receive respect must be willing to give it, also.
• Say "no" without feeling guilty. Say "yes" without feeling resentment. When we're uncertain what to decide say, "I'll think about it and get back to you by...", then follow through on your deadline.
• Say "I'm sorry", "I don't know", or "I made a mistake" when it's appropriate. Acknowledging errors without being apologetic will usually enhance our credibility rather than detracting from it.
• Empower our athletes. Delegate responsibility in doses which our athletes can handle and from which they can learn. Most athletes will live up to our expectations if our expectations are based on a realistic assessment of their skills and maturity.
• Be predictable. Predictability doesn't mean that our behavior is always the same, it means that our reactions to our athletes' behavior is consistent.
• Be a model when it counts -- when the pressure's on.
• Discipline quickly and briefly without holding a grudge. Welcome back the athlete as an equal once the punishment has been administered.
• Use corrective behaviors which are different from the ordinary. Silence, a sharp command, a scowl or a simple clap of the hands are all effective means of correcting misbehavior in the proper circumstances, as long as they are not used repeatedly.

Legal Responsibilities of Coaching

The legal responsibilities of coaching are generally defined in 3 areas: Supervision, Instruction, and Facilities or equipment. Any responsibility for the safety and welfare of an athlete that a coach may have is a legal duty.

1. Duty to properly instruct. Knowledge of and teaching of proper and correct techniques is important, however so is teaching skills in a progressive manner. In other words, we must build from the simple to the complex in teaching skills. We need to learn to walk before we can run.
2. Duty to warn of inherent dangers in a sport. A general rule is that a person cannot assume the risk in a danger he does not know.
3. Duty to provide proper supervision. The duty in supervision is a vast one. It includes inadequate supervision as well as lack of supervision. Generally, less experienced athletes require more supervision.
4. Duty to provide a safe environment.
   • Facilities need to be properly designed, constructed, maintained, and used. If a facility is used for activities other than what it was designed, one must be able to justify why and how it is safe for that activity.
   • Protective equipment must be mandatory when required for safety. It should also be free from defects and maintained in good condition. Athletes need to be warned of the dangers of misuse of the equipment.
   • Jewelry of any sort must be removed. It can permanently scar the wearer or a teammate in even minor collisions.
   • No gum chewing should be allowed during training. The risk of the gum ending up in the windpipe when performing many of the skills is simply too great.
   • The playing area should be regularly swept and checked for safety. Hustling athletes should be allowed to concentrate on the ball, not dangerous obstacles lurking just outside the court area. Make sure sweats and other articles are well off the court, or on chairs or benches.
   • Keep towels available to mop up wet spots on the floor. Make sure shaggers do their job in drills to keep balls out from under foot.
   • Use common sense and make the sport as safe as it can be.
5. Duty to provide health care. This includes pre-injury care (medical exam, conditioning, proper training), emergency injury care ( first aid & CPR training and emergency protocols), and post injury care (rehabilitation & returning a player to competition safely).
6. Duty to teach and enforce rules and regulations. Any rules of the game (national, regional, and club) must be taught and enforced. Rules that are not enforced are not rules at all.
7. Duty to safely transport athletes. This includes transportation to and from practices as well as tournaments.
8. Duty to follow due process. Athletes have fundamental rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens under the 14th Amendment.

These are intended to be guidelines and should not be construed as legal advice. For more detailed or accurate advise for your state and/or locality, please consult an attorney.