|
Originally Published in and Provided by: Raise Your Game Good teams talk. Great teams communicate. Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley often closes his eyes for a minute in the middle of practice so he can hear what is going on. He wants to hear shoes squeaking and players talking because it tells him things that his eyes can't always see. The key is making successful communication a habit. For basketball players, I have developed a rating system to help evaluate and improve communication: 0 - Silent (unacceptable at any time) 1 - Noise (players who clap their hands) 2 - Contact (players who give high fives and fist bumps) 3 - Generic talk (players who shout phrases like "Good job!" and "Pick it up!") 4 - Specific talk (players who use names and examples like "Nice cut, James!") 5 - Directing (players who are "coaches on the court" - they constantly say it all) Coaches should rate the five players on the court with the goal of the total reaching at least 20, and strive to get all players to a level 4 or 5. They should encourage players who talk on both ends of the floor and reward players who vocally encourage teammates when they make a great play and correct teammates when they make a mistake. Putting concrete measurements on a team's communication is one way to make sure it's happening - at a rate and intensity that is fruitful. Otherwise, you're just assuming that your team is communicating enough, which is a common way for it to slip through the cracks. |
Talking on the Court
