Being a coach is not an easy job. You are responsible for molding athletes into the best they can possibly be while implementing a balance of discipline, encouragement, motivation, and authority. As a coach, your athletes look to you during the best of times and the worst of times. So we’ve compiled a list of some phrases to say to your athletes during both good and bad times.
1.” Play point-by-point and don’t worry about the outcome of the match.” This phrase is important because it lets your athletes know that you are not only concerned with winning the game. Making it known that the expectation of a win is off the table will take some pressure off your team. It’s definitely important to let your team know a win would be awesome but it is not the priority. If their main concern is to play point-by-point, then they’ll be able to focus on moving forward even if the last point ended with an error. They’ll be able to (hopefully) recover from the error quickly because they’ll be focused on the next point. Naturally, if they are able to play point-by-point effectively, then the outcome of the match will be a WIN anyway!
2. “Kill your next attack.” Sometimes athletes start thinking too much. And focusing on what they’re doing is important, but they also need to let their instincts take over sometimes to help them avoid over-thinking. So, if one of your athletes is having a touch time attacking then just say, “Hey – you’re a good hitter, do what you know how to do and kill your next attack.” Speaking to your athlete this way is an encouraging way to tell them you know their ability and you’re confident they can kill the ball. It also reminds them to just let instincts take over without having a lengthy conversation. Then, when they do kill their next attack, make it a point to say “See, I knew you could do it” or something along those lines.
3. “Take your time while you’re serving.” Most athletes (myself included) get really caught up in the game and sometimes rush their serve because we’re too hyped up from the current pace of the game. As a coach, giving your athletes a gentle reminder like, “Hey take your time” or “Take a breath” while they’re heading toward the serve line is important. It just reminds them of something that they already know but might not be thinking about at the moment – especially during a close game or when they’re on a good run of serves. This would also be important to tell your athletes if the opposing team takes a time-out in the middle of one of your server’s runs. You don’t want your athlete to rush their serve once play starts again because it might result in a missed serve – which was probably the opponent’s goal for taking the time-out in the first place!
4. “Look for opportunities to score during a long rally.” Basically, this phrase is a way to tell your opponents to take calculated risks while also playing smart. During long rallies, the play can sometimes get a little frantic because neither team wants to mess up the rally but they both want to score and end the rally. So, if you tell you athletes to look for opportunities to score, it’ll encourage the setters to set all available hitters to keep the play unpredictable or tip on the second ball if they can, it’ll motivate hitters to aim their attacks skillfully either by tipping or aiming for holes on the court, and it’ll remind the defense to get passes as perfect as possible to allow the setters and hitters the opportunity to score. During a rally, sometimes all you can do is just keep the play going because it isn’t the right time to score yet, so reminding your athletes of that is important too!
5. “Take calculated risks and score!” This phrase goes along closely with the previous phrase. You want your athletes to feel comfortable taking a risk and encouraging them to do that will help them. They’ll improve as athletes if they start taking risks and are successful doing so because their comfort zone will expand, and they’ll realize what they are actually capable of. Letting them know that you want them to take risks will encourage them to swing a little harder, set passes that seem a little tight to the net, or dig a ball that might seem out of reach even if they shank it. Be sure to remind your athletes that if they make an error taking a risk it’s not the end of the world. You want your athletes to feel confident in taking risks, even if it means making an error sometimes.
As a coach, you’re really a facilitator in the growth and improvement of your athletes. So giving them as many opportunities to do so and encouraging them along the way is a great way to do that. Speaking to your athletes using these phrases and other encouraging words will help them get to the next level – and you never know, maybe they’ll be thanking you one day once they’ve made it to the Olympics!
1.” Play point-by-point and don’t worry about the outcome of the match.” This phrase is important because it lets your athletes know that you are not only concerned with winning the game. Making it known that the expectation of a win is off the table will take some pressure off your team. It’s definitely important to let your team know a win would be awesome but it is not the priority. If their main concern is to play point-by-point, then they’ll be able to focus on moving forward even if the last point ended with an error. They’ll be able to (hopefully) recover from the error quickly because they’ll be focused on the next point. Naturally, if they are able to play point-by-point effectively, then the outcome of the match will be a WIN anyway!
2. “Kill your next attack.” Sometimes athletes start thinking too much. And focusing on what they’re doing is important, but they also need to let their instincts take over sometimes to help them avoid over-thinking. So, if one of your athletes is having a touch time attacking then just say, “Hey – you’re a good hitter, do what you know how to do and kill your next attack.” Speaking to your athlete this way is an encouraging way to tell them you know their ability and you’re confident they can kill the ball. It also reminds them to just let instincts take over without having a lengthy conversation. Then, when they do kill their next attack, make it a point to say “See, I knew you could do it” or something along those lines.
3. “Take your time while you’re serving.” Most athletes (myself included) get really caught up in the game and sometimes rush their serve because we’re too hyped up from the current pace of the game. As a coach, giving your athletes a gentle reminder like, “Hey take your time” or “Take a breath” while they’re heading toward the serve line is important. It just reminds them of something that they already know but might not be thinking about at the moment – especially during a close game or when they’re on a good run of serves. This would also be important to tell your athletes if the opposing team takes a time-out in the middle of one of your server’s runs. You don’t want your athlete to rush their serve once play starts again because it might result in a missed serve – which was probably the opponent’s goal for taking the time-out in the first place!
4. “Look for opportunities to score during a long rally.” Basically, this phrase is a way to tell your opponents to take calculated risks while also playing smart. During long rallies, the play can sometimes get a little frantic because neither team wants to mess up the rally but they both want to score and end the rally. So, if you tell you athletes to look for opportunities to score, it’ll encourage the setters to set all available hitters to keep the play unpredictable or tip on the second ball if they can, it’ll motivate hitters to aim their attacks skillfully either by tipping or aiming for holes on the court, and it’ll remind the defense to get passes as perfect as possible to allow the setters and hitters the opportunity to score. During a rally, sometimes all you can do is just keep the play going because it isn’t the right time to score yet, so reminding your athletes of that is important too!
5. “Take calculated risks and score!” This phrase goes along closely with the previous phrase. You want your athletes to feel comfortable taking a risk and encouraging them to do that will help them. They’ll improve as athletes if they start taking risks and are successful doing so because their comfort zone will expand, and they’ll realize what they are actually capable of. Letting them know that you want them to take risks will encourage them to swing a little harder, set passes that seem a little tight to the net, or dig a ball that might seem out of reach even if they shank it. Be sure to remind your athletes that if they make an error taking a risk it’s not the end of the world. You want your athletes to feel confident in taking risks, even if it means making an error sometimes.
As a coach, you’re really a facilitator in the growth and improvement of your athletes. So giving them as many opportunities to do so and encouraging them along the way is a great way to do that. Speaking to your athletes using these phrases and other encouraging words will help them get to the next level – and you never know, maybe they’ll be thanking you one day once they’ve made it to the Olympics!