NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

 Two nights a week when I leave the NCSA campus I morph into my other role as a girl’s travel hockey coach. I have been a coach for the last ten years and during that time I have noticed some major changes in the young athletes I work with. One of the biggest shifts is the way these student-athletes communicate.

When I began my coaching career cell phones were a rare sight on college campuses let alone on grade school playgrounds. The thought of an eight year old child with their own mobile device seemed preposterous. If a player was sick and could not make a practice or game they were forced to pick up the phone and call their coach. If a player was stuck in traffic they knew they would have to face the consequences once they arrived at the rink because there was no way to notify their coach or teammates. My, how the world has changed! On a typical night I receive two or three text messages from my players telling me they are running behind, and sometimes their texts ask detailed questions.

“Call me so we can discuss this,” I say.

“Ok latr,” is usually the response.

My phone rarely rings. Yesterday, I received an email from a player who was ill and could not make it to practice. The email arrived at 7:55pm, five minutes before practice was scheduled to begin.

Modern technology has made it too easy for us to avoid human interaction. The trend to write an email when it would be simpler and quicker to pick up the phone pervades offices, campus and even homes across the country. As coaches, parents and educators we must help our youth learn the value of a genuine conversation. As our youngsters turn into college prospects they must have solid communication skills in order to interact with college coaches. I recommend that high school athletes follow these basic steps when interacting with their coaches.

1. Call, don’t text: Texting is fine in some situations, but if a player is communicating with an adult chances are the adult is more comfortable with old fashioned verbal dialogue.
2. Call, don’t email: Even if a coach is on-line all day at work, a phone call will always receive more attention than an email. It is often difficult to interpret tone and emotion when communicating through email so the phone is always the safest bet.
3. Use proper grammar/spelling: If an athlete must text or write a coach they should always use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. Student-athletes should treat coaches the same way they would treat a teacher.
4. Be timely: If a student-athlete needs to miss a practice or a game they should always give their coach enough time so they can plan for the absence. Do not call a coach two hours before your practice is scheduled to begin unless it is an absolute emergency.

Another critical mistake many student-athletes make is relying on their parents to act as a mediator between the athlete and the coach. Many high school students tend to hide behind their parents and coaches who do not force athletes to speak up for themselves perpetuate this communication breakdown. Most high school and club coaches, like my self, prefer to be approached directly by one of their players rather than a parent, even if the parent has good intentions. College coaches have the same mentality so communication at the high school level is actually practice for the recruiting process. When a student-athlete communicates directly with his or her coach it ensures that the message is not lost in translation and it also shows the coach that the young man or women is serious and passionate about their athletic career.

Never approach a coach immediately after a game. Whether their team won or lost, coaches and players will have high emotions following a competition and it is always wise to wait twenty four hours before initiating a serious conversation. The coach deserves time to cool down, relax or clear their head, and sometimes players will have a different perspective after removing themselves from an intense situation.

Listen. Any conversation with a coach is an opportunity for a player to learn something about his or herself, their team and sport. Let the coach talk and hear what he or she says. Even if one disagrees, they should try to remain calm and speak rationally. Most coaches want to help their players, although they may not always be able to provide the exact answers the athletes seek. Remember that even the most intimidating of coaches are involved for their love of the game and their desire to help young athletes improve.

High school student-athletes will be ahead of their peers if they can master verbal communication skills at an early age. Whether an athlete is concerned about playing time, coaching style or wants to ask some basic questions, it is important that they address their coach in a mature and respectful manner. Mastering the art of communication early on will help student-athletes as they advance in school, social situations and eventually in the working world. Don’t wait until it is too late to teach these valuable lessons to your young athletes.

Tags: college coaches, college prospects, school athletes, student athletes, texting, travel hockey, verbal dialogue

This entry was posted on Friday, November 7th, 2008 at 11:42 am and is filed under Athletic Scholarships, Coach Communications, College Hockey. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.