When Coaching Young Players: Emphasize The “Do” Versus “Don’t”
May 7, 2010 by jameslucas.
By James P Frey
As a coach, it is very easy to concentrate on what your athletes are doing wrong. We demonstrate the formation or position or skill. The drills seem endless as we attempt to perfect the players’ performances. After awhile our response is automatic: we see it, we respond “don’t do this” “don’t do that.” We slip into a pattern of correcting our athletes by telling them what we don’t want them to do, often with minimal and or frustrating results. As coaches, we know exactly what we have asked the players to do, so it is very easy to focus on what they are not doing correctly. The more we do this as coaches, the more negative things become. The players always know when they make a mistake, but in the “don’t” scenario, rarely do they know when they are doing things correctly.
What’s a coach to do? How about approaching your athletes by telling them exactly what you want them to do. How we expect them to execute a specific skill. This approach can be very difficult, especially if you have coached for a few years and fallen into the habit of pointing out what you don’t want. You will find that your mind is programmed to say “don’t”, and being able to articulate what you want them to do is a challenge. This approach forces you to think before you speak. By working from the “what you want, what you expect”, you can provide positive feedback. “That’s solid forearm passing!” When your players execute what you have asked them, you can praise them. You will find that the team starts to respond more to your exhortations.
To help you along your conversion from don’t to do, here is a game I play with my team. If, during a practice, they catch me saying “don’t” when I’m trying to explain something, I instantly drop and do 5 pushups! Try it, you’ll like the results.
Jim published his first book in 2009, “101 Youth Coaching Tips”. The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Article Source: James P. Frey
When Coaching Young Players: Emphasize The “Do” Versus “Don’t”
