Want more effort from your players? If so, then make sure you reward it. What kinds of awards do you give out as a coach? Are your rewards and awards just for the standard “outcome” goals of your sport – points scored, shooting percentage, runs etc? Not a problem.

Yet, how about rewarding the stuff that leads up to the outcomes? Hustle, defense, assists, picks, floor burns? If you want more of these behaviors from your team, then reward it. I’m not talking about expensive trophies or gifts. Watch today\’s video and discover a simple, inexpensive yet powerful way to get more of what you want out of your players.

I recently had dinner with Brent Rushall, one of my former professors from San Diego State (Master’s program).  The man is a wealth of coaching science knowledge (check out his site, http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/ if you ever need researched based answers to coaching questions).

One of the stories he told me is unfolding right now in professional baseball.  It seems that a consultant to the Philadelphia Philles convinced the team to practice “peer coaching” where players coach each other.  The inside scoop reveals that the players love it!  They arrive early to practice, stay late, take extra reps and report increased enjoyment.  Sounds like a coach’s dream!

Research from the classroom has documented the benefits of peers helping peers, meaning teachers helping teachers and students helping students. Thus far I’ve found only a few references to peer coaching in sport.  Here’s an overview of the concept:

“Peer coaching uses a support community (“cohorts”) with feedback procedures to improve or change classroom procedures.  Specific outcomes of peer coaching are increased practice, increased skill development, appropriate use of new strategies and longer-term retention of skills.  Knowing whom to approach, what to ask them for help with and being sensitive to individuals’ needs goes a long way in building a strong culture.  Students need to have others to share successes with and to support each other in taking risks.”  Source:  Teaching sport concepts and skills: a tactical games approach By Stephen A. Mitchell, Judith L. Oslin, Linda L. Griffin

Stay Tooned!  I plan to find out more about this intriguing, World Series worthy coaching model!

Just got off the phone with one of my former athletes who’s now coaching.  She’s pulling her hair out!  Gossip is running rampant on her team.

A top killer of team development is gossip.  What is gossip?  It’s any third party conversation.  What’s that?  Basically it’s talking about someone when they’re not there – you’re talking about them instead of talking to them.

What’s wrong with a little gossip?  We all do it.  Celebrity gossip is a billion dollar industry!  Gossip distorts the facts, causes confusion, creates cliques and ultimately impacts team performance.

So what can you do as a coach?  First, refuse to participate.  When you hear an athlete gossiping, insists that they speak directly to the person they are talking about.  Have a “no gossip” rule on the team.  This means team members refuse to gossip or listen to gossip.

On high performance team, if someone hears something and wants to know more, they go directly to the source.  No one participates in any third party conversations – cause listening to gossip is just as harmful as speaking it!