Positive Coaching, Motivation,
and Communication
Rick Albrecht, Ph.D.
Department of Movement Science
Grand Valley State University
Michigan High School Athletic Association
Changing Behavior:
A Positive Approach to
Coaching
 The
primary function of a coach is to
somehow alter existing behavior --
 We,
as coaches, must make a conscious
decision as to whether we will use a
POSITIVE or NEGATIVE approach
when we attempt to make these changes
Using a Negative Approach
to Change Behavior
One Single “Advantage”…
It often works -- can eliminate
undesirable behavior. But only in the
short run and only when we are present
and only when we’re willing to punish
Using a Negative Approach
to Change Behavior
Disadvantages (page 1)
Can
be very unpleasant -- reduce
enjoyment (may increase likelihood of
athletes quitting the team)
Increases anxiety (and error rate)
Produces “fear of failure”
Using a Negative Approach
to Change Behavior
Disadvantages (page 2)
Reduces
“risk-taking”
Can actually reinforce some
undesirable behaviors and thus,
actually increase your discipline
problems
Wastes valuable practice time
Using a Negative Approach
to Change Behavior
Disadvantages (page 3)
We
often use physical activity as
punishment
Running
Laps
Running Sprints
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Why Would You Ever Use
Physical Activity As Punishment?
You (like it or not) are a Physical
Educator
One of the “benefits” of sport is that it
promotes lifelong physical activity (health
benefits)
Why would you ever use what you want to
promote as punishment?
Negative and Positive Approaches
to Changing Behavior
Major Assumption of Negative Approach to
Coaching… We can somehow “scare” a
bad performance right out of the athlete
Later we’ll be talking about anxiety, stress
and motivation -- keep in mind that a
negative approach will only increase the
anxiety levels -- and probably hurt
performance
If Using a Negative Coaching Style
Is So Bad… How Do We Make
Those Necessary Changes?
A Positive Approach: Using the
“Feedback Sandwich”
The Feedback Sandwich
(or “Big Mac” Attack)
Reinforcement
Instruction
Encouragement
Three Steps in The
“Feedback Sandwich”
Step 1:
Start by reinforcing (praising) your
athlete for ANYTHING he/she has done
correctly -- regardless of how small
Step 1: Reinforce Something
They’ve Done Right
Why?
Let’s break up into small groups and
list all benefits you can think of for
starting your “error correction”
process by reinforcing something
your learners have done correctly.
Step 1: Reinforce Something
They’ve Done Right
 It
forces you to recognize that most of the
performance was actually done correctly
 It raises their self-esteem and confidence
 It reinforces correct elements of the
performance
 It’s the best way to get their attention
Step 2: Provide FutureOriented Instruction
Follow the positive reinforcement (now
that you have their attention) with
FUTURE-ORIENTED instruction
Don’t dwell on the mistakes -- there is
nothing the athlete can do to correct a
mistake made in the past -- they can only
change what they do in the future -- tell
them what to do “next time”
Future-Oriented Instruction

Don’t tell them what they already
know -- tell them something they don’t
know

Don’t simply tell them that they’ve
made a mistake -- let them know why
they made the mistake
Step 3: End with General
Praise and Encouragement
Why?
 Encourages
them to try again
 Lets them know you have confidence in
their ability to perform the skill
correctly (Do You Really?)
Motivating Your Athletes
(and Yourself)
Motivate Yourself First
How Do You Expect to Motivate Others If
You Can’t Motivate Yourself First?
Motivation is Contagious
You Have to Control The Things YOU
Have Control Over -- Nothing Else
TGIF
Think About This…
 YOU
are the most IMPORTANT group of
coaches in the country – take pride in
your role as a youth sport coach
 YOU coach for the shear love of the game
and for the sake of the kids
 We can do without college and pro
coaches – but not without YOU
Think About This…
 YOU
are the most important adult in the
lives of many of these kids
 The players YOU work with exhibit a
wider range of abilities
 YOU lay the foundation upon which
college and pro coaches build
 Only YOU have to deal with parents
Always Remember…Our Players Come To
Us Already Highly Motivated
Therefore…
It’s Our Job To Maintain Our Players’
Natural Motivation To Play Our Sport
The $1,000,000 Question Is …
What Can We, As Coaches, Do To Help
Our Players Maintain Their Natural
Motivation For Sport?
Always Remember…Our Players Come To
Us Already Highly Motivated
The $1,000,000 Answer Is …
We Need To Learn Some Of The Basic
Principles Of Motivation
Five “Guidelines”
To Motivate Our Athletes
Guideline #1:
Identify why athletes participate and why
they drop out
Guideline #2:
Through the use of “goal-setting”
strategies, help athletes improve their skills
and learn new skills
Five “Guidelines”
To Motivate Our Athletes
Guideline #3:
Make the whole experience enjoyable and
exciting
Guideline #4:
Reduce competitive stress
Guideline #5:
Teach an appropriate view of success
Guideline #1:
Identify why athletes participate
and why they drop out
Why?
Let’s get into our small groups once
again and come up with a list of
reasons young athletes say they
participate in youth sports.
What Does The Research Say?
Children Participate in Youth Sports...
 To
Have Fun
 To Improve Skills and Learn New Ones
 For Thrills and Excitement of
Competition
 To Be With Friends and Make New Ones
 To Succeed or Win
Guideline #1:
Identify why athletes participate
and why they drop out
Why?
Let’s get into our small groups once
again and come up with a list of
reasons young athletes say they drop
out of youth sports.
What Does The Research Say?
Children Drop Out Because of...
 Other
interests
 Work
 Lack
of interest
 Did not play enough
 Skills were not improving
 Did not like the coach
Guideline #2:
Use“goal-setting” strategies to help
athletes improve and learn skills
 Help
Everyone on Your Team Set
Individual Goals
 As Goals Are Attained, They Help
Motivate! Athletes See Themselves
Improving
The Most Effective Goals Are...
 Realistic,
but Challenging
 Totally Under The Player’s Control
 Based On Performance and Effort –
Not Outcome
 Short- and Long-Term
 Made for Practice and Competition
 Written Down
 Evaluated
Guideline #3:
Make the whole experience
enjoyable and exciting
 Keep
practices and games fun
 Encourage athletes to be with, and make
friends
 Let all athletes participate
 Avoid boredom by varying routines
Guideline #3:
Make the whole experience
enjoyable and exciting
 Use
simple, active drills (no standing
around) and short practices
 Use change of pace activities
 Allow athletes to try out leadership roles,
new positions, and make decisions -- after
all, it’s their game isn’t it?
Guideline #4:
Reduce Competitive Stress
Competitive Stress Occurs:
 When an athlete believes that a
competitive situation, especially one
perceived as highly important, threatens
his/her self-esteem
 When
an athlete believes that his/her
capabilities are not good enough to meet
the competitive demand
Guideline #4:
Reduce Competitive Stress
Remember, YOU might be part of
the “competitive demand”
Guideline #5:
Teach An Appropriate
View of Success
Encourage athletes to believe that real
success means (notice the link to goalsetting):
 Improving
oneself (which ultimately
enables winning)
 Achieving realistic goals for improvement
(not just the outcomes of competitions)
Guideline #5:
Teach An Appropriate
View of Success
 Giving
one’s best effort to improve at
all times (the athlete can control
effort but not outcome)
A Couple Examples From the
“Winningest” Coaches Around...
De La Salle High School
(Concord, California)
 151
 An
Consecutive Wins
Overall Record of 287-14-1
 More
Perfect Seasons (17) than losses (14)
 ESPN’s
#1 High School Team in the
Country 5 of the Last 6 Years
How Do You Win 151
Football Games in a Row?
By NOT Setting a Goal to Win!
“Everyone asks me how I’ve won 151
straight games… my answer is always the
same… BY NOT CONCENTRATING ON
WINNING. If you work hard enough, the
wins will come.
-- Bob Ladouceur, Head Coach
John Wooden, Coach
ESPN’s “Coach of the Century”
 10
6
NCAA Championships in 12 years
Times Voted “College Coach of the Year”
 88
Consecutive Victories
 38
Consecutive NCAA Tournament Wins
4
Undefeated Seasons
How Do You Become
the Most Successful
Basketball Coach of All Time?
By NOT Setting a Goal to Win!
“I never mentioned winning or victory to
my players. I never referred to beating an
opponent. Instead I constantly urged them
to strive for the self-satisfaction that
comes with knowing you did your best.”
-- John Wooden, Head Coach
How Do You Become
the Most Successful
Basketball Coach of All Time?
By NOT Setting a Goal to Win!
“Did I win? Did I lose?” Those are the
wrong questions. The correct question is:
“Did I make my best effort?” That’s what
matters. The rest of it just gets in the
way”
-- John Wooden, Head Coach
Five “Rules”
For Sending Clear Messages
Rule #1:
Get and keep the attention of your listener
(note the connection to the first step in the
“feedback sandwich”)
Rule #2:
Use simple and direct language
Five “Rules”
For Sending Clear Messages
Rule #3:
Check for understanding with your
listener
Rule #4:
Be consistent by making sure your action
match your words
Five “Rules”
For Sending Clear Messages
Rule #5:
Combine verbal and non-verbal
messages to communicate clearly
Three “Rules”
For Listening Effectively
Remember What You’ve Always Been
Told -- Communication is a Two-Way
Street
Rule #1:
Listen to the speaker in a positive manner
Three “Rules”
For Listening Effectively
Rule #2:
Listen to the speaker in an objective
manner (“Others, too, have brains”)
Rule #3:
Express interest when listening to the
athlete (or parent, official, coach, etc.)
Three “Rules”
For Developing Sportsmanship
Rule #1:
Define appropriate and inappropriate
behavior for your athletes
Rule #2:
Define rewards and penalties for
sportsmanship
Three “Rules”
For Developing Sportsmanship
Rule #3:
Use role models to demonstrate good
sportsmanship
--- AND BE ONE YOURSELF!!!
Five “Rules” To Develop a
Respect for Self and Others
Rule #1:
Never degrade anyone verbally or nonverbally
Rule #2:
Accept officials’ calls and approach them
considerately
Five “Rules” To Develop a
Respect for Self and Others
Rule #3:
Accept instruction and follow rules
Rule #4:
Never physically hurt someone
Rule #5:
Use positive self-talk when evaluating
you performance
The One “Rule” to Encourage the
Avoidance of Stereotyping
Rule:
Never use jokes or slurs that refer to
race, gender, age, or physical
characteristics of an individual
Two Ways to Develop
Disciplinary Skills
#1) Define team rules for your athletes:
 Involve the athletes in determining these
team rules
 Use clear, specific terms
 Define rules prior to the beginning of the
season
 Seek advise from experienced coaches
Two Ways to Develop
Disciplinary Skills
#2) Enforce team rules:
 Use meaningful rewards
 Never use physical activity as punishment
 Assess even “minor” infractions
 Reward immediately and consistently
 Discipline immediately and consistently -by withdrawing rewards