As a coach, your words matter. Choose them carefully.

When was the last time you listened to yourself speak when coaching?

Your words can have a huge impact on your players, parents and coaching staff, but when was the last time you thought about the words you used in your coaching?

Not only should your words be appropriate for everyone you interact with, but when it comes to your players, your words should be appropriate for the “age and stage” of your players.

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Are you aware of the tone and tenor in which you share your messages?

Sometimes, the power of words is trumped by the power of silence — when you as a coach pose questions and simply listen to how your players respond.

The amount and type of language we use when coaching can help or hinder a player’s learning and development.

Mastering the ability to use simple and basic language that you can easily translate into practice to support skill development and well-executed drills and practices is an art.

For example, you probably wouldn’t describe a defensive scheme the same way to a group of coaches at a coaches clinic as you would to a group of incoming freshmen football players.

Nor would your postgame thoughts be the same talking to a reporter on the field versus talking to your team in the locker room.

COACHES' NOTES: Crafting a memorable message

Your words matter tremendously in all aspects of coaching, and perhaps most importantly, they are critical to how your players develop and learn the game.

Consider the following suggestions to help you reflect on how appropriate your words are and identify opportunities to become more effective in how you communicate with your players:

• Listen to yourself. Perhaps record your pregame speech or aspects of your practice where you are providing instructions, giving an explanation or providing feedback to players. Listen to what you’re saying and assess your clarity.
• Less is more. Count your words. Plan exactly what you need to say and then say it. If you can get your point across under 30 seconds then do it. Don’t take five minutes to make the same point.
• Find the domino. Driven by a positive intent to help players learn, we sometimes offer numerous coaching points that get lost in a feedback frenzy. Challenge yourself to the find the "domino," i.e., the one piece of information or instruction that will help players address a number of other things at the same time.
• Learn from others. Notice what other coaches are saying, how they are saying it and how much time they spend saying it. Is there a coach in your area who gets the most from players or is well-respected for how he communicates with his players? Study him. Notice how the words are landing with the players. Are they nodding intently or staring off? Watch for non-verbal communication clues the coach may use, such as body language.
• Pictures paint a thousand words. Do you even need to talk? Demonstration is a great way of sharing information. If you can’t demonstrate the skill, there are lots of ways to show it, such as photos, video clips, and now, tools like augmented and virtual reality. This can also help players who are visual learners.
• Use silence as a teaching tool. Know when to be quiet. Sometimes, your players can figure things out for themselves. And what better way for them to learn? You can support the problem-solving process when they get stuck by asking questions. Listen to their responses, probe deeper with more questions or offer a response to push them back on track.

Sarah McQuade is an independent coach education consultant, owner and director of e.t.c coaching consultants and co-director with The Coach Learning Group. To learn more about accessing how-to coach skills workshops click the Coaching Skills button at www.etcoachingconsultants.com.