In Game Coaching

Unveiling the Dangers of Over- Coaching

Welcome back acquaintances,  

    Today I’m going to talk about a certain type of coaching that has been heavy on my heart. I see it too much in today’s game and I do not type this to criticize, but simply challenge Coaches out there to check themselves and watch out for a trap that is so easy to fall in.

Today, I will discuss “Ego Coaching” or “In-Game Over-Coaching” I will talk about what it is and why it is detrimental to creating a championship team and developing individual players.

Us coaches often find ourselves doing everything we can to control the game and our teams. At times, us coaches can feel like our hands are tied because we have a lack of control over the performances of our teams. We can feel like we have done everything possible to prepare our teams, work on certain skills or plays, and our teams will still mess up. Coaching takes patience, consistency, and constant brainstorming about your players and teams. Good coaches spend ample mounts of time in deep thought working to figure out WHAT his or her team needs and WHEN they need it.

My definition of “Ego Coaching” is being caught in the idea that you can control the game and performance of your team in the midst of battle/competition. Ego coaching avoids the ability to deliver the correct information at the correct time to your team or individual player. The reason I call it “ego” coaching is because in game is when your ego as a coach is being threatened. Your teams performance is a reflection of your coaching. Coaches know this, so when everyone shows up to watch the game, we begin to give an appearance that we “know what we are talking about.” In game coaching is that time when all people are watching, and you as an individual coach begins to “over-coach” because everyone is watching.

Just let the kids play!!!

This may sound harsh, but I see this everyday. The amount of over-coaching, angry yelling, “putting on a show” is something that shows up a lot in youth athletics way too often. As coaches we must do a better job understanding our players and their ability to make adjustments. I’ve seen many coaches get frustrated “in game” because an individual player can’t make a certain adjustment that they feel they need to make! “In game” coaching is dangerous and most of the time pointless.

The game is the performance, not the practice. I believe it is important to coach the “controllables” in game. Our duty as an “in game coach” should be to help our players play confident, play hard, and play free from the fear of failure. This will be the most helpful thing we can do in the midst of battle/competition. The work has already been done, the swing should have already been altered, the bunt play should have already been practiced in weeks and months before the performance. Expecting an athlete to make sudden mechanical swing change in the midst of an AB is an unrealistic expectation, and coaching him to do so is zapping the athlete of his or her confidence! In game coaching should consist of small changes that revolve around intent and aggression!

Coaches, it is our job to prepare our team in practice by breaking them down and consistently challenging them. A butt-chewing is fine in practice.

The game is their performance! If we did our job preparing our teams and individual players, our in game coaching should be to help them relax enough to execute the things we have worked on! Let’s ease up on the “in game” coaching and get our players and teams playing the game hard, fearless, and confident!

Thank you for coming back here to the 6th Tool Newsletter! The U Training facility will be finally opening on May 27th. Please attend our Grand Opening on May 27th and follow our social media accounts to stay updated on the news of The U!! Here is a link to secure your FREE ticket to our grand opening!

 

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