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JOIN NOWHi! How do you keep your players committed?
I'm currently coaching a team of 18 year old girls.(Field Hockey) Some players don't show up for practice or when they do, they aren't motivated to give their best. Despite my tiring efforts to try and motivate them as a good AND bad guy. I am out of ways to punish and/or motivate the girls. What do you coaches do to keep your team committed? And when they aren't, what are your ways of handling the situation?
Marli Coach, South Africa
TOP ANSWER
Julian MorrinCoach, New Zealand
I have found you can`t "make" someone committed, all you can do is provide them something to be committed to. Have some quick and easy warmups / drills that require 3-6 players to set them up moving and working quickly, rather than standing around waiting for practice to be set up.
An assistant or two to get different drills running at the same time, so defence don`t get bored with forward drills and vice versa.
Also, encourage a lot of talking and positivity and fun during practice and games. I have trained juniors previously, but am moving up to teen coaching and I have found strict / controlling coaches aren`t getting the kind of buy in from the players or results. Not fun as in mucking about and not listening, but fun as in drills that encourage tripping over, failing, making a fool of yourself as you try something new. And change them on the fly as the team comes up with ideas. Reinforce that "good try", "well done" and "awesome effort" are appreciated, while anything that starts "you should..." is left out altogether.
They will buy in much more if they think they have a voice in the way things are run and are supported in improving.
ANSWERS
Julian MorrinCoach, New Zealand
I have found you can`t "make" someone committed, all you can do is provide them something to be committed to. Have some quick and easy warmups / drills that require 3-6 players to set them up moving and working quickly, rather than standing around waiting for practice to be set up.
An assistant or two to get different drills running at the same time, so defence don`t get bored with forward drills and vice versa.
Also, encourage a lot of talking and positivity and fun during practice and games. I have trained juniors previously, but am moving up to teen coaching and I have found strict / controlling coaches aren`t getting the kind of buy in from the players or results. Not fun as in mucking about and not listening, but fun as in drills that encourage tripping over, failing, making a fool of yourself as you try something new. And change them on the fly as the team comes up with ideas. Reinforce that "good try", "well done" and "awesome effort" are appreciated, while anything that starts "you should..." is left out altogether.
They will buy in much more if they think they have a voice in the way things are run and are supported in improving.
