Written by Have you ever had a coach tell you that she believed in you? If you did, that coach may have been onto something. That same coach probably told you that he was proud of you or maybe even said that she loved your effort or hard work. When you reflect back in your time as an athlete, or maybe even as a student, how many times were you actually told something positive like that? And wait for it…did one of your coaches ever thank you for something?
How did you feel as an athlete when a coach said something positive to you? Did you believe it, listen to what the coach was saying, work harder, and believe in the what the team was trying to accomplish? I am sure that you did. While the coach genuinely was being supportive, she most likely did not know that there was a scientific advantage to being positive. Science shows us that positive reinforcement from the coach encourages similar behavior from the athlete and team. The athletes and team continue to increase performance, teamwork, and communication and is rewarded by positive things that the coaches tell the athletes.
Negative reinforcement works in a similar matter but with adverse results. A toxic coach tells the team how bad they are, the athletes will follow what the coach is telling them, to perform poorly.
Which result do you want as an owner, president, CEO, GM, or coach: Players increasing or declining in attitude and performance?
Telling an athlete that you believe in them, are proud of them, or that they completed a great practice does not cost a coach anything, other than a few moments of their time. These few seconds will create a better team culture and will pay dividends in the future.