Reader,
More often than not, if you sit down and watch a sports movie, the coach is at the centre. Whether it was Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday, Samuel L. Jackson in Coach Carter, or even a Will Ferrell clad in his tiger tracksuit in Kicking & Screaming.
This coach-centric storyline can actually reflect some of the realities of sporting environments. Clinical Psychologist, Professor Stephen Rollnick sums it up well in saying, “at times coaches assume if there is a problem, they can lift the lid on a player’s head, stuff good sense into it, put the lid back on and then shake them and say, “have you got it?”’
So how do we communicate in an effective way to ensure we can pass on knowledge, provoke thought or stimulate reflection with our players that enhances performance at key moments such as pre-match or half time talks?
Before a game we can have a tendency to overload players, to give them a lot of information, whether it’s about us, or the opposition, but I find less is more. Keep things clear and concise, encourage player-led discussion and hopefully, if you’ve done the work at training, players will be clear on their roles.
As for halftime, this can often be quite emotional. Whether it’s players or coaches, the nature of the game, the scoreboard and the performance, all of these variables can massively impact how we deliver a message, and of course, what message we deliver.
My first piece of advice? Breathe. Give yourself time to reflect and try to stay objective. I like to keep a notebook on me while I am on the bench, to record key moments during the game or thoughts I have which could add value at halftime. Prior to entering the changing room I will distil these notes, using a couple of minutes to get clear on my top 2-3 priorities, often bouncing these ideas with an assistant coach.
This also allows the players time to discuss things between themselves before I walk in. Whether we like it or not, the coach’s presence will impact the way the players interact with each other, particularly if they are children. We need to try and encourage openness and transparency in these moments, and this takes time, and trust.
Finally, I will generally like to focus on the areas we are having success and how we can build on them. For me, reinforcing success whilst shining a light on areas we can improve provides a balanced perspective at half-time.
Three things to consider.
- How clearly are you articulating what you’ve observed and what the players could improve when delivering a half time talk?
- Do you ask the players questions at halftime, or just talk ‘at’ them?
- Be aware of your posture, body language and tone when speaking at halftime. There are big differences in standing over a group of players who are seated, or sitting amongst them at their level.
One thing for you to try this week.
Write down your key pre-match notes and then time your pre-match talk. This could give you a baseline as to how long you have spoken for and allow you to reflect on how effective it was. From here, you can try to improve on this next time around.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this PDP Guide with a collection of practical tips for half time and team talks.
