January 23, 2008

We hope you enjoyed the first issue of Coaches Corner, which features excerpts from the Babe Ruth League Coaching Education and Certification Program offered online by ASEP.

A baseball coach is a teacher and a trainer. When the coach speaks, everyone listens. A coach identifies educational goals, organizes information, develops lesson (practice) plans, provides learning stimulus, and monitors the progress of athletes. Whether in practices or games, the coach seeks to create and maintain an effective learning environment. This is especially true with young players.

Chapter two of the online training program offered by ASEP teaches strategies that will help coaches communicate effectively with players, parents and umpires.

CHAPTER 2 – COMMUNICATING AS A COACH

What is Involved in Communication:

Coaches often mistakenly believe that communication involves only instructing players to do something, but verbal commands are only a small part of the communication process. In fact, more than half of communication is nonverbal.

How Can I Send More Effective Messages:

Young athletes often have little understanding of the rules and skills of baseball and probably even less confidence in playing it. So, they need accurate, understandable, and supportive messages to help them along. That’s why your verbal and nonverbal messages are so important.

Verbal Messages:

Spoken words can have a strong and long-lasting effect. Coaches’ words are particularly influential; because youngsters place great importance on what coaches say. Whether you are correcting misbehavior, teaching a player how to hit the ball, or praising a player for good effort, you should consider a number of things when sending a message verbally:

• Be positive and honest. Nothing turns people off like hearing someone nag all the time. Athletes react similarly to a coach who gripes constantly. Kids need encouragement because they often doubt their ability. So, look for and tell your players what they do well. But don’t cover up poor or incorrect play with rosy words of praise. If you fail to acknowledge your players’ errors, your athletes will think you are a phony. A good way to correct a performance error is to first point out what the athlete did correctly, then explain in a positive way what he or she is doing wrong and show him or her how to correct it. Finish by encouraging the athlete and emphasizing the correct performance.

• State it clearly and simply. Positive and honest messages are good, but only if expressed directly in words your players understand. Organize your thoughts before speaking to your athletes. Explain things thoroughly, but don’t bore them with long-winded monologues. Use language your players understand.

• Say it loud enough, and say it again. Talk to your team in a voice that all members can hear and interpret. A crisp, vigorous voice commands attention and respect. However, it is okay to soften your voice when speaking to a player individually about a personal problem. Sometimes what you say, even if stated loudly and clearly, won’t sink in the first time. To avoid boring repetition and yet get your message across, say the same thing in a slightly different way.

• Be consistent. Avoid sending mixed messages. Keep the tone of your voice consistent with the words you use. Don’t say something one day and contradict it the next; players will get their wires crossed.

Nonverbal Messages:

Just as you should be consistent in the tone of your voice and words you use, you should also keep your verbal and nonverbal messages consistent with each other. An example of failing to do this would be shaking your head, indicating disapproval, while at the same time telling a player, “Nice try.” Facial expressions and body language are just two of the more obvious forms of nonverbal signals that can help you when you coach.

• Facial Expressions – The look on a person’s face is the quickest clue to what he or she thinks or feels. Serious, stone-faced expressions are no help to kids who need cues as to how they are performing. They will just assume you’re unhappy or disinterested. Don’t be afraid to smile. A smile from a coach gives a great boost to an unsure athlete and lets your players know that you are happy coaching them.

• Body Language – Carry yourself in a pleasant, confident and vigorous manner. Such a posture not only projects happiness with your coaching role, it also provides a good example for your young players, who may model your behavior.

How Can I Improve My Receiving Skills:

The requirements for receiving messages are quite simple, but receiving skills are perhaps less satisfying and therefore underdeveloped compared to sending skills. People seem to naturally enjoy hearing themselves talk more than hearing others talk.

• Attention – First, you must pay attention and listen to what others have to communicate to you. That’s not always easy when you’re busy coaching and have many things competing for your attention. In one-on-one situations and during team meetings, you must really focus on what they are telling you, both verbally and nonverbally. Not only will such focused attention help you catch every word your players say, it will also provide cues to your players’ moods and physical states.

• Listen Carefully – How we receive messages from others demonstrates how much we care for the sender and what that person has to tell us.

Providing Feedback:

Your players will be looking to you for feedback all the time. You can respond in many different ways, but how you respond will strongly affect your players. Praising players when they have performed or behaved well is an effective way of getting them to repeat that behavior in the future. And positive feedback for effort is an especially effective way to motivate youngsters to work on difficult skills. Sometimes just the way you word feedback can make it more positive. For example, instead of saying, “Don’t throw the ball that way,” you might say, “Throw the ball this way.” You can give positive feedback verbally and nonverbally. Telling a player, especially in front of teammates, that he or she has performed well, is a great way to boost confidence. And a pat on the back or a handshake can be a tangible way of communicating your recognition of a player’s performance.

Who Else Do I need to Communicate With:

• Parents. Before the season begins, you should hold a meeting with all of the team’s parents. Discuss what you hope to accomplish with the team during the season. Also stress that in order to run efficient, fun, and effective practices and to make their playing experience as enjoyable as possible, parental assistance will be needed. You should feel comfortable asking each parent to serve as a volunteer assistant for one or two weeks during the season, while encouraging parents to come out and assist whenever they have free time. Develop an email list to keep players and parents informed. You should always be accessible to parents who have questions, and you should answer questions in a timely and polite manner.

• Spectators. If you hear spectators criticizing your coaching, don’t respond. Keep calm, consider whether the message has any value; and if it doesn’t, forget it. Acknowledging critical comments from fans will only encourage others to voice their opinions.

• Umpires. How you communicate with umpires will have a great influence on the way your players behave toward them. Therefore, you need to set an example. Greet umpires with a handshake, an introduction and perhaps some casual conversation. Don’t make nasty remarks, shout or use disrespectful body gestures. Your players will notice, and they’ll get the idea that such behavior is appropriate.

• Opposing Players and Coaches. Make an effort to visit with the coach of the opposing team before the game. During the game, don’t get into a personal feud with the opposing coach. Remember, it’s the kids, not the coaches, who are competing. By getting along well with the opposing coach, you’ll show your players that competition involves cooperation and sportsmanship. After the game, make it a point to look each opposing player and coach in the eye when shaking hands. Tell them that they did a good job, and wish them luck for the rest of their season. And, do it in such a manner that your players take notice.

Hopefully, this issue has provided you with tips on how to communicate and deal with a variety of issues that coaches face when dealing with players, parents, and umpires. Remember to remain calm, to stay in control and to address issues at the appropriate time, always keeping in mind what’s best for your players.

If you haven’t already done so, please visit www.BabeRuthCoaching.org to become the coach that every player looks up to…become the coach that makes a difference in a youngster’s life…be the best role model that you can be.