Champion coaches know that great communication is necessary to build relationships and develop a successful culture for athletes and teams. From skill instruction to personal interaction, coaches should work to effectively communicate about both sport skills and life values. The way a coach communicates with athletes, parents, administrators, other coaches, and officials will go a long way toward the quality of the athletic experience. Let’s take a look at these areas of communication and consider how coaches can be effective in each of them.
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Communicating with Athletes
Communicating with your athletes begins by assuring that they know how much you care about each of them. Both verbal and nonverbal cues should reflect a desire to help every athlete improve, regardless of ability. A coach should also seek to understand how each player learns best; most learn through trying new things and participating in drills, not by hearing the coach lecture. Consider that if an athlete isn’t understanding something it may not be their fault, it’s up to the coach to determine how to best communicate.
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Top Tips for Good Communication with Athletes:
- Look players in the eye.
- Understand your tone and your body language communicate so much in addition to your words (See “Communication Pie” below). Use a measured voice, remain calm and control your emotions.
- Ask questions rather than tell answers so that your athletes discover the solutions.
- Be empathetic.
- Be clear, and explain “The Why?” Why are you doing what you are doing?
- Use “We” language to treat the team as a family.
- Be approachable and available for your athletes.
- Sit down with each athlete one on one and ask how they are doing and communicate where you see them contributing to the total value of the team and how they can continue to improve.
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Coaches, in an effort to understand how you are doing as a communicator, ask your athletes for feedback. Based on what your athletes tell you, what is one tangible way you can enhance your communication to promote teamwork and togetherness as you conclude this spring season?
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Communicating with Parents
The Play Like a Champion approach underscores the importance of “Parents as Partners” in the youth sports experience. This means that coaches should communicate their expectations and goals early in the season, ideally by holding a preseason meeting before or after practice. At these meetings, the coach can set boundaries for communication (no 10 pm phone calls!) and expectations for fans (positive and encouraging!) while expressing a willingness to have kids and/or parents discuss any concerns during the season at appropriate times. By communicating well with parents, coaches can avoid problems that often stem from a lack of understanding between the two sides.
Communicating with Administration and Other Coaches
Coaches should remember that they have support within their league structure and assistant or opposing coaches. Communicating regularly with Athletic Directors or league staff can be helpful when it comes to dealing with issues that arise or simply working to get the best out of your athletes. Coaches should also remember that opposing coaches are allies, not enemies. Coaches should all be involved for the same reason: to provide a fun environment for kids to participate and grow in sports.
Communicating with Officials
Officials are “keepers of the integrity of the game.” Always model respect when interacting with the officials, recognizing your athletes and your fans will feed off of your attitude and approach. At the beginning of a competition, politely introduce yourself to the officials. If a situation arises when you disagree with an official’s call, address the official respectfully seeking to understand rather than being confrontational. Finally, thank the officials at the conclusion of the competition and encourage your athletes to do so as well.
Communicating in a way that brings everyone together in this mission will help make the athletic experience better for all!
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Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
~ Ephesians 4:29
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Some coaches may remember this section from the Play Like a Champion high school coach clinic. Communications is so much more about HOW you are saying and expressing the message than the WORDS you say. Beginning in the 1960's, Professor Albert Mehrabian pioneered this understanding of communications as a professor at UCLA. The pie chart to the right is derived from Mehrabian’s book Silent Messages relates findings on the communication of feelings and attitudes:
- 7% of message pertaining to feelings and attitudes is in the words that are spoken.
- 38% of message pertaining to feelings and attitudes is parlinguistic (the way the words are said).
- 55% of message pertaining to feelings and attitudes is in facial expression.
Note that this theory is particularly applicable in environments where motivation and attitude have a crucial effect on outcome, such as the athletic arena.
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The Regina Caeli prayer is believed to have originated in the 12th century. A legend suggests that St. Gregory the Great heard the first three lines chanted by angels on Easter morning. Regardless of origin, this beatiful prayer is prayed throughout the Easter season, often as part of the Church's traditional night prayer and also by replacing the Angelus from Easter until Pentacost. It can be prayed by both individuals and groups in the format below. |
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Call: Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
Response: For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
C: Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R: Pray for us to God, alleluia.
C: Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R: For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Play Like a Champion's "Daily Prayers for Champions" page has been updated! Visit www.playlikeachampion.org/prayer for more than 200 prayers plus resources that can help you and your team grow closer to God while participating in sports.
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