Positive Coaching, Motivation, and Communication

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Positive Coaching, Motivation,and Communication

• Rick Albrecht, Ph.D.
• Department of Movement Science
• Grand Valley State University
• Michigan High School Athletic Association

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Changing BehaviorA Positive Approach to Coaching

• The primary function of a coach is to somehow
  alter existing behavior --
• We, as coaches, must make a conscious decision as
  to whether we will use a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE
  approach when we attempt to make these changes

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Using a Negative Approachto Change Behavior

• One Single Advantage
• It often works -- can eliminate undesirable
  behavior. But only in the short run and only
  when we are present and only when were willing
  to punish

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Using a Negative Approachto Change Behavior

• Disadvantages (page 1)
• Can be very unpleasant -- reduce enjoyment (may
  increase likelihood of athletes quitting the
  team)
• Increases anxiety (and error rate)
• Produces fear of failure

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Using a Negative Approachto Change Behavior

• Disadvantages (page 2)
• Reduces risk-taking
• Can actually reinforce some undesirable behaviors
  and thus, actually increase your discipline
  problems
• Wastes valuable practice time

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Using a Negative Approachto Change Behavior

• Disadvantages (page 3)
• We often use physical activity as punishment
• Running Laps
• Running Sprints
• Push-ups
• Sit-ups

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Why Would You Ever UsePhysical Activity As
Punishment?

• You (like it or not) are a Physical Educator
• One of the benefits of sport is that it
  promotes lifelong physical activity (health
  benefits)
• Why would you ever use what you want to promote
  as punishment?

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Negative and Positive Approachesto Changing
Behavior

• Major Assumption of Negative Approach to
  Coaching We can somehow scare a bad
  performance right out of the athlete
• Later well be talking about anxiety, stress and
  motivation -- keep in mind that a negative
  approach will only increase the anxiety levels --
  and probably hurt performance

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If Using a Negative Coaching Style Is So Bad How
Do We Make Those Necessary Changes?

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A Positive Approach Using theFeedback Sandwich
The Feedback Sandwich (or Big Mac Attack)
Reinforcement
Instruction
Encouragement
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Three Steps in The Feedback Sandwich

• Step 1
• Start by reinforcing (praising) your athlete for
  ANYTHING he/she has done correctly -- regardless
  of how small

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Step 1 Reinforce Something Theyve Done Right

• Why?
• Lets break up into small groups and list all
  benefits you can think of for starting your
  error correction process by reinforcing
  something your learners have done correctly.

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Step 1 Reinforce Something Theyve Done Right

• It forces you to recognize that most of the
  performance was actually done correctly
• It raises their self-esteem and confidence
• It reinforces correct elements of the performance
• Its the best way to get their attention

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Step 2 Provide Future-Oriented Instruction

• Follow the positive reinforcement (now that you
  have their attention) with FUTURE-ORIENTED
  instruction
• Dont dwell on the mistakes -- there is nothing
  the athlete can do to correct a mistake made in
  the past -- they can only change what they do in
  the future -- tell them what to do next time

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Future-Oriented Instruction

• Dont tell them what they already know -- tell
  them something they dont know
• Dont simply tell them that theyve made a
  mistake -- let them know why they made the
  mistake

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Step 3 End with General Praise and Encouragement

• Why?
• Encourages them to try again
• Lets them know you have confidence in their
  ability to perform the skill correctly (Do You
  Really?)

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Motivating Your Athletes(and Yourself)

• Motivate Yourself First
• How Do You Expect to Motivate Others If You
  Cant Motivate Yourself First?
• Motivation is Contagious
• You Have to Control The Things YOU Have Control
  Over -- Nothing Else

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• T G I F

M
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Think About This

• YOU are the most IMPORTANT group of coaches in
  the country take pride in your role as a youth
  sport coach
• YOU coach for the shear love of the game and for
  the sake of the kids
• We can do without college and pro coaches but
  not without YOU

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Think About This

• YOU are the most important adult in the lives of
  many of these kids
• The players YOU work with exhibit a wider range
  of abilities
• YOU lay the foundation upon which college and pro
  coaches build
• Only YOU have to deal with parents

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Always RememberOur Players Come To Us Already
Highly Motivated

• Therefore
• Its Our Job To Maintain Our Players Natural
  Motivation To Play Our Sport
• The 1,000,000 Question Is
• What Can We, As Coaches, Do To Help Our Players
  Maintain Their Natural Motivation For Sport?

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Always RememberOur Players Come To Us Already
Highly Motivated

• The 1,000,000 Answer Is
• We Need To Learn Some Of The Basic Principles Of
  Motivation

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Five Guidelines To Motivate Our Athletes

• Guideline 1
• Identify why athletes participate and why they
  drop out
• Guideline 2
• Through the use of goal-setting strategies,
  help athletes improve their skills and learn new
  skills

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Five Guidelines To Motivate Our Athletes

• Guideline 3
• Make the whole experience enjoyable and exciting
  
• Guideline 4
• Reduce competitive stress
• Guideline 5
• Teach an appropriate view of success

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Guideline 1 Identify why athletes
participateand why they drop out

• Why?
• Lets get into our small groups once again and
  come up with a list of reasons young athletes say
  they participate in youth sports.

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What Does The Research Say?

• Children Participate in Youth Sports...
• To Have Fun
• To Improve Skills and Learn New Ones
• For Thrills and Excitement of Competition
• To Be With Friends and Make New Ones
• To Succeed or Win

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Guideline 1 Identify why athletes
participateand why they drop out

• Why?
• Lets get into our small groups once again and
  come up with a list of reasons young athletes say
  they drop out of youth sports.

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What Does The Research Say?

• Children Drop Out Because of...
• Other interests
• Work
• Lack of interest
• Did not play enough
• Skills were not improving
• Did not like the coach

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Guideline 2 Usegoal-setting strategies to
helpathletes improve and learn skills

• Help Everyone on Your Team Set Individual Goals
• As Goals Are Attained, They Help Motivate!
  Athletes See Themselves Improving

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The Most Effective Goals Are...

• Realistic, but Challenging
• Totally Under The Players Control
• Based On Performance and Effort Not Outcome
• Short- and Long-Term
• Made for Practice and Competition
• Written Down
• Evaluated

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Guideline 3 Make the whole experienceenjoyabl
e and exciting

• Keep practices and games fun
• Encourage athletes to be with, and make friends
• Let all athletes participate
• Avoid boredom by varying routines

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Guideline 3 Make the whole experienceenjoyabl
e and exciting

• Use simple, active drills (no standing around)
  and short practices
• Use change of pace activities
• Allow athletes to try out leadership roles, new
  positions, and make decisions -- after all, its
  their game isnt it?

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Guideline 4 Reduce Competitive Stress

• Competitive Stress Occurs
• When an athlete believes that a competitive
  situation, especially one perceived as highly
  important, threatens his/her self-esteem
• When an athlete believes that his/her
  capabilities are not good enough to meet the
  competitive demand

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Guideline 4 Reduce Competitive Stress

• Remember, YOU might be part of the competitive
  demand

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Guideline 5 Teach An AppropriateView of
Success

• Encourage athletes to believe that real success
  means (notice the link to goal-setting)
• Improving oneself (which ultimately enables
  winning)
• Achieving realistic goals for improvement (not
  just the outcomes of competitions)

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Guideline 5 Teach An AppropriateView of
Success

• Giving ones best effort to improve at all times
  (the athlete can control effort but not outcome)
• A Couple Examples From the Winningest Coaches
  Around...

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De La Salle High School(Concord, California)

• 151 Consecutive Wins
• An Overall Record of 287-14-1
• More Perfect Seasons (17) than losses (14)
• ESPNs 1 High School Team in the Country 5 of
  the Last 6 Years

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How Do You Win 151Football Games in a Row?

• By NOT Setting a Goal to Win!
• Everyone asks me how Ive won 151 straight
  games my answer is always the same BY NOT
  CONCENTRATING ON WINNING. If you work hard
  enough, the wins will come.
• -- Bob Ladouceur, Head Coach

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John Wooden, Coach ESPNs Coach of the Century

• 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years
• 6 Times Voted College Coach of the Year
• 88 Consecutive Victories
• 38 Consecutive NCAA Tournament Wins
• 4 Undefeated Seasons

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How Do You Becomethe Most SuccessfulBasketball
Coach of All Time?

• By NOT Setting a Goal to Win!
• I never mentioned winning or victory to my
  players. I never referred to beating an opponent.
  Instead I constantly urged them to strive for the
  self-satisfaction that comes with knowing you did
  your best.
• -- John Wooden, Head Coach

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How Do You Becomethe Most SuccessfulBasketball
Coach of All Time?

• By NOT Setting a Goal to Win!
• Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong
  questions. The correct question is Did I make
  my best effort? Thats what matters. The rest
  of it just gets in the way
• -- John Wooden, Head Coach

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Five Rules For Sending Clear Messages

• Rule 1
• Get and keep the attention of your listener
  (note the connection to the first step in the
  feedback sandwich)
• Rule 2
• Use simple and direct language

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Five Rules For Sending Clear Messages

• Rule 3
• Check for understanding with your listener
• Rule 4
• Be consistent by making sure your action match
  your words

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Five Rules For Sending Clear Messages

• Rule 5
• Combine verbal and non-verbal messages to
  communicate clearly

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Three Rules For Listening Effectively

• Remember What Youve Always Been Told --
  Communication is a Two-Way Street
• Rule 1
• Listen to the speaker in a positive manner

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Three Rules For Listening Effectively

• Rule 2
• Listen to the speaker in an objective manner
  (Others, too, have brains)
• Rule 3
• Express interest when listening to the athlete
  (or parent, official, coach, etc.)

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Three Rules For Developing Sportsmanship

• Rule 1
• Define appropriate and inappropriate behavior
  for your athletes
• Rule 2
• Define rewards and penalties for sportsmanship

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Three Rules For Developing Sportsmanship

• Rule 3
• Use role models to demonstrate good
  sportsmanship
• --- AND BE ONE YOURSELF!!!

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Five Rules To Develop a Respect for Self and
Others

• Rule 1
• Never degrade anyone verbally or non-verbally
• Rule 2
• Accept officials calls and approach them
  considerately

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Five Rules To Develop a Respect for Self and
Others

• Rule 3
• Accept instruction and follow rules
• Rule 4
• Never physically hurt someone
• Rule 5
• Use positive self-talk when evaluating you
  performance

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The One Rule to Encourage the Avoidance of
Stereotyping

• Rule
• Never use jokes or slurs that refer to race,
  gender, age, or physical characteristics of an
  individual

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Two Ways to Develop Disciplinary Skills

• 1) Define team rules for your athletes
• Involve the athletes in determining these team
  rules
• Use clear, specific terms
• Define rules prior to the beginning of the season
• Seek advise from experienced coaches

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Two Ways to Develop Disciplinary Skills

• 2) Enforce team rules
• Use meaningful rewards
• Never use physical activity as punishment
• Assess even minor infractions
• Reward immediately and consistently
• Discipline immediately and consistently -- by
  withdrawing rewards