Ryan Blanck's TCS Live presentation in 2023 was truly enlightening for me. It reshaped not only my interactions with employees and my work with the public, but also how I coach my young athletes. Ryan mentioned, "The listener only absorbs 40 percent of what we say," and for anyone working with preteens or younger, I can almost guarantee this percentage decreases rapidly. 

From my perspective, communication is the cornerstone of effective coaching. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you can't communicate it to your players, it's pointless. 

So let's confront the tough question: Are you over-communicating as a coach?

1. Are you discussing things before a game that your team hasn't practiced?
2. Do you talk for more than 2 minutes in the dressing room? Or waste more than 3 minutes at a time talking during practice?
3. Are you discussing more than 2 topics before a game?
4. Do you use common hockey lingo that young athletes don't understand yet?
5. Do you have multiple drill busters in practice? Or are your assistant coaches confused?

Using Clear and Direct Messaging

Clear and direct messaging is essential to avoid misunderstandings within your team. Coaches need to ensure that their players understand their game plan and suggestions easily. Before entering the changing room with your coaching staff, make sure everyone is on the same page about how you can summarize 1 or 2 key points and allow players to ask questions. This approach helps minimize the risk of misinterpretation and keeps everyone's attention. 

Player's habits are extremely hard to break, therefore the power of repetition can be a valuable tool for reinforcing key concepts. If you don't practice it, your team won't execute it! You might sound like a broken record, but by repeating key points or feedback, coaches can help ensure players fully grasp the information.

How to Effectively Use Visual Aids in Your Content

I've gone to the point of printing out screenshots of past game scenarios on specific situations that we did well, and when we did something that was not playing within our structure and how it opened up opportunities for the other team to capitalize. 

By analyzing these visuals with the team, we can better understand the importance of understanding our game plan. It allows players to visually connect their actions with the outcomes, fostering a deeper comprehension of strategic execution.

Here is an image I shared with one of our U13 centers. Although the quality isn't the best because we live stream our games, it effectively illustrates the point. In this faceoff loss, our center rushed forward to block a shot from their defense, leaving their center unguarded in front of our net. Our defense performed well by neutralizing their wingers. This visual aids our young centers in grasping the consequences of not following to our system.

How To Apply Constructive Criticism

Timing is crucial; deliver feedback when players are most receptive, and ensure your tone is supportive and your body language is open, demonstrating that you intend to help rather than criticize.

Encourage a two-way conversation by inviting players to share their thoughts and feelings about the feedback. This not only makes the process collaborative but also helps in understanding their perspective.

Follow up to monitor progress and provide additional guidance as needed. This shows players that you are committed to their development and willing to support them through the process.