On the court, your team won’t succeed without strong, united communication. But what about off the court? Many coaches assume that verbal repetition is enough to get their message across, but sometimes it’s not enough to simply tell your athletes what you want from them.
Research shows that 65% of people are visual learners. Meaning they absorb information best when they see demonstrations and images. Coaches relying too heavily on lectures are missing out on one of the best ways to communicate to a large portion of their team.
Players are more likely to retain information when they hear, see, and actively participate. A well-rounded approach to player communication should include multiple methods that reinforce each other. Below are a few products designed to assist a coach in expressing their message visually.
COURT DRY ERASE BOARDS
Half time is the perfect time to ask your team the tough questions. Are your players trapping the full-court press too high? Where is the hole in the opponent’s zone defense? How are they disrupting your offense? Use a field & court dry erase board to visual your thoughts and prepare your team for the second half.
For all those times when you can’t physically go onto the court and run through drills or plays, a custom dry erase board can be an effective tool to give your team direction. Communicating these adjustments in a unique visualization can increase your chances of getting the message through.
TEAM GOAL BOARDS
Setting expectations is key to unlocking athlete performance. Team goal boards are a great way to communicate what you expect out of your players, while also providing timely feedback.
Goal boards also gives your athletes a different way to look at each game by highlighting goals as the building blocks to a win. You can tell a player to go after rebounds, but it sends a stronger message if you can show them on a goal board that 10+ rebounds over the opponent total typically equals a “W”.
Each coach has different philosophy in the key statistics that it takes to win the game. On defense, is it steals or blocks? For offense, is limiting turnovers or making free throws the best indicator of success? Every coach wants to win in every statistical category, but in reality, the best areas of focus often depends on the opponent. Goal Boards are a flexible way to show your players what stats are most important to you, and how they can best contribute.
LOCKER ROOM SIGNS
Motivational signage in the locker room can be an effective way of driving your message home. Pat Summitt’s philosophy was that “Attitude is a Choice”. She believed that every day each person can make the choice to have a positive or negative attitude towards events of the day.
This signage should reflect the messages that are most important to both the coach and team. That way the words spoken are reinforced with visual cues each and every day. Ideally, these signs should be displayed in highly visible areas of the locker room, weight room, or athletic hallways.
Looking to better communicate to your team off the court? We would love to discuss it with you and find a custom solution for your school. We’re here to get you and your team on the same page for the upcoming season.