How to rebuild morale?

PhilipCoach, Ireland

I hope this doesn’t sound too cheesy, but for my guys it’s about progression rather than perfection. We really like the term "Fail Forward" because even in perceived failure we want to refine what we’re doing and push on towards mastery, the idea is that if we can progress in every training session, and in every game – all those little steps forward will move us closer to match winning score lines. While It’s great to win games, I’ve always moved away from setting that as a goal. If players can walk away from training and games feeling that at the very least they are making progress, motivation can rise. I suggest you set your training and match goals, and measure your success as a team on those goals rather than the final score. As odd as it sounds my guys have won games and been upset at not reaching their prematch and half time goals, such is their focus on what they feel is important for their progression as players. Also, they should have permission to make mistakes - it`s ok to "Fail Forward"! I hope this helps, and that there might be a tiny bit of wisdom in there somewhere. Have a great season!

Mimi Coach, Canada

Not cheesy at all! I needed to be reminded of what`s important. I`m not concerned so much with wining and losing but I feel badly for my players as they get discouraged especially after bad loses. The idea of setting goals for our team as we move forward and that reaching those goals is the true measure of success is a wonderful message. I will start matching my training goals and match goals so that success lies within the team and is not dependent on the outcome of a game. Thank you Philip!