5 Ways to Improve Communication with your Players by Stacie Mahoe

Successful coaching involves motivating athletes and providing instruction and information necessary for enhancing skills and improving performance. However, in order to motivate and guide athletes, a coach must be efficient in communicating with their athletes.

Effective, successful communication involves delivering messages in a way that athletes not only hear them, but understand and accept them as well. So what can you, as a coach, do to ensure that your messages are being heard and understood by your players? Here are five things that will help you communicate more effectively with your team.

Start with a plan – Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
Take a look at WHO you wish to communicate with. Is it the whole team? Just the infield? Just the outfield? Just the substitute players?

WHAT exactly is it that you want to communicate? What is your message? Is it a rule? An instruction? A tip? Or maybe even a team problem that you want to work out with your players?

WHEN and WHERE will this message best be delivered? Before practice? During practice? After practice? After a game? Pre-game?

WHY you want to communicate this message. Why is this message important? How will it help your team? Think about this so that you can share it with your athletes. It may help “hit home” a little more if they understand why you are sending them this message.

And last, but not least, HOW are you going to communicate the information? Will you use props, pictures, articles, or other tools to help illustrate your point? Are you going to type the information out so that your players can see it as they listen to you talk about it?

Access the Situation
As you are delivering your message, consider the following:

• Do I have the player’s undivided attention?
• Am I explaining myself in an easily understood manner?
• Do my players understand what I’m saying?
• Do the players believe what I am telling them and accept the message?

Use the 6 Elements of Effective Communication

Be Positive
When coaches instruct athletes it is important that they provide information in a positive manner. Look for something positive to say first and then provide the information that will help the athlete improve his/her skills.

Develop Your Communication Skills

• Develop your verbal and non-verbal communication skills (i.e. eye contact and posture)
• Provide positive feedback during coaching sessions
• Give all athletes equal attention
• Communicate as appropriate to your athlete's thinking and learning styles
• Don’t only talk to your athletes, but listen to them as well

Communicating more effectively with your players helps increase overall performance. Be clear, convincing, and understandable. If they don’t understand you, you can’t help them. If they don’t believe you, they won’t listen.

Remember something I learned from Peter Sprenkle: your players don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Effective communication doesn’t only apply to instruction. Find a way to show them, communicate to them, how much you care too.

Stacie Mahoe is an assistant varsity softball coach for Kapolei High School in Hawaii. She operates the All About Fastpitch website, which is full of fastpitch softball resources, drills, coaching tips, useful articles and college tips.