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6 Winning Strategies Guaranteed To Improve Your Coaching
By David Huizar, Thu Dec 8th
Are you sure you're doing everything you can to be the bestcoach possible? Absolutely sure? I've been a coach and I've had a lot of coaches. You know whatI've found? Some coaches put all the pieces together and somejust don't invest time developing the coaching skills that makea difference. I can't turn you into a coaching superstar overnight but I canget you started with these six powerful communication skills.I'll break them into two groups: Verbal and Non-verbal.
Three verbal communication skills you must master: 1) Consistency Don't send your players mixed messages by telling your teamsomething today and then two days from now completelycontradicting yourself. Your players must be able to trust thewords that come out of your mouth. Also, keep your tone consistent with what your words areintending to get across. I had a coach once who, when one of usmessed up, would say, "That was great" in a dripping wetsarcastic tone. Talk about sending us a negative message andbeating team morale into the ground! 2) Honesty Be honest with your team and always in a positive way. Your teamknows when mistakes are made so don't try to ignore them. If youtry to gloss over them, you'll lose your team's respect. Just besure to correct mistakes in a positive way that helps a playersee what was done correctly but also feel good about fixing themistake. When pointing out a mistake, first say what was good, then say"and if you follow through properly, you'll get the proper spinon the ball", rather than "but if you follow through properly,you'll get the proper spin on the ball". 3) Be Concise Don't speak to your team unclearly. Think through what you wantto get across ahead of time and deliver your thoughts in aclear, concise manner. Come right out and say it. Don't go offon tangents and bore your players with unnecessary talk. Get tothe point and then get the troops moving. Three non-verbal communication skills you must master: 4) Facial Expressions Be aware of how closely your team pays attention
to what yourface is "saying". Don't be a phony by trying to hide what youreally feel with a fake smile or a serious blank stare. Realize, also, that just a simple smile can do wonders for astruggling player or a player unsure of what they're doing. Showthem that you're behind them, glad to be with them and there tohelp. Don't overdo this, though. Your players will pick up on that. Begenuine in your coaching efforts. 5) Body Language If you're standing on the sideline in a way that shows you arehappy to be there and confident, how will your players respondas opposed to you scowling around all hunched over and lookingangry? Remember to present body language that representsenthusiasm, class and character. Body language can also be used in the form of physical contactsuch as a pat, a handshake or an arm around the shoulder. Stayethical, of course, but physical contact can show your playersthe many emotions you feel about them - happiness, concern,affection, approval, etc. 6) Listen This one's huge! You need to pay attention to your players.You've got to focus on really seeing and hearing your players'verbal and non-verbal signals. If your players keep hearing you say, "What was that?" or "Didyou say something?", you're in trouble and you need to work onyour listening skills big time. Start practicing this coaching skill and watch how much more youinstantly start to learn about your team. You'll see a player isupset over something even though he's trying hard to hide it.You'll see how each player reacts to not only you but to oneanother. Master these six coaching strategies and watch your coachingskills skyrocket. Your players must know you care way beforethey'll care about what you have to say. Remember this becausetoo many coaches don't. About the author:Matt & Dave runhttp://www.basketball-plays-and-tips.com/6strategy and enjoyteaching players and coaches more about thebasketball plays, drills, fundamentals and tips that result inindividual and team success. For our free report, "5 Keys toDiscovering the Successful Coach Inside You", plus twoadditional player/coach reports, send a blank email tomailto:basketballtip@aweber.com .
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