Connecting players to your Core Values and having a set of shared values as a team is a huge part of the battle. Keeping those values alive throughout what is effectively a 9-month season is another challenge that coaches must navigate.
But receiving the same message, in the same way, every single interaction wears on players and might cause them to block out the coach – or worse – the significance of the message.
We have to figure out how to be consistent in our messaging while being extremely varied in our delivery.
Coaches must mix it up while staying the same. Adjust the how but not the what. Look at the same thing from a different perspective. Find the right Blend between change and continuity. Deliver an unwavering message while showing flexibility in the delivery.
See where this is going?
That last paragraph was made much easier with the use of a thesaurus. Thinking about what might be in your Coaching Thesaurus is a great exercise for developing stronger messages.
Below are some things I have considered to help communicate concepts to players.
More than Words
If a picture is worth a thousand words, why not save some breath and use visual aids to reiterate a message to the players?
Much of the visual information I get to use is in video form. Appropriately structuring film sessions to illustrate the point that Coach has introduced in practice can help players connect their learning to the situations they see in games.
While the use of game film is a great way for players to visualize the basketball-specific skills and concepts to continue or avoid in a given situation, many parallels can be drawn between basketball, other disciplines, and life in general.
When it comes to depicting the importance of teamwork, a non-basketball example might be just as impactful, like this video
Looking for another way to communicate the importance of fulfilling a role? What about this video shared by Fran Fraschilla
The message of teamwork and responsibility to each other can be communicated in many different ways – these are just a couple of examples.
Sharing a quick video clip can start a conversation around any given topic and might resonate with certain players more than a discussion without using the visual cue. Adding videos to my coaching thesaurus, especially as a primer for players, has helped communicate important concepts in the film room as well as on the court.
Remove it and See it’s Value
Players and Coaches have access to many things that we take for granted from time to time – instead of harping on the importance of those things as they become underappreciated, why don’t we just see the importance of them for ourselves?
I have found it hard to know just how important something is until I lose it for a while. It is very easy to take time with your family for granted until you jump on a flight halfway across the world!
In this way, as scarcity increases, so does perceived value or importance.
One great basketball example I stumbled across to demonstrate this principle came from Doc Rivers on the Positive Coaching Alliance Podcast.
To increase communication and energy, Rivers took away the options for players to use their voice. It sounds a little backward but when they were able to use it again, the players had a newfound appreciation for the value of their voice.
Rivers said, “It was amazing – right after we finished the little half-hour [of silence], and I said “Okay, let’s go back to our normal way” – how loud the practice got and how the energy picked up.”
While the removing ‘Quiet Drill’ is great for seeing the value in communication, other examples to add to the coaching thesaurus might be:
- Limiting or removing dribbles is an effective method for demonstrating the importance of purposeful dribbles
- Taking away the ability to switch in practice might increase appreciation for this defensive solution to a problem
Set the Table
As Coaches, we are responsible for creating the environment that players experience. The messages we aim to convey can be strengthened and reiterated by that environment. Structuring rooms, practice plans, and providing resources in a way that aligns with your message can be another addition to your coaching thesaurus.
If you are a coach that values open discussion and idea-sharing, then organizing a meeting room to look like a lecture hall might not be the play. Standing and delivering a message to seated players that are all facing the coach could send a message that the coach’s voice is dominant and reduce the willingness of sharing by the players.
To set the table for discussion, a circle of chairs or a roundtable might pull on a thread of belonging and equality to create a more comfortable environment for player involvement. In the video below, you can see a small scale example of how the positioning of a coach (the environment we create) can impact messaging.
Kerr is opposite Curry in the first clip and the message is ‘I wish I could feel what you are feeling’. Their positioning aids the message that they are not the same, they are seeing things from a different perspective, and it is reflected in their position.
In the second clip, Kerr is sitting alongside Curry and offers some information. They are both looking from the same perspective as if to say ‘I’m with you’ and that they are in it together. Kerr is relaying positivity in both these clips but just in different ways!
Nuances in body language, organization, and how Coaches ‘set the table’ are fascinating to me and will likely be something to further explore in a future post. Adding environmental cues to your coaching thesaurus is an effective way to say the same thing in another way. Other examples might include:
- Placing books in common areas to promote reading
- Addressing defense first in each practice, scout, and film session to establish a ‘defense-first’ mentality
I think it’s important to consider different ways to connect concepts and find which is most effective for each team and individual. These are only 3 of the many ways to add depth and alignment to messaging that I have seen to be useful.
This has been a good exercise for me as we get closer to the start of a new season with new challenges in communicating with players – I hope it has sparked some ideas on your end too.
Thanks so much for reading. I’d love to hear some of the things in your coaching thesaurus – reach out and let me know!
Hope this adds some value to all you coaches out there.