Communication

= ﻿Communicati﻿on﻿  =

Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. Coaches wish to motivate the athletes they work with and to provide them with information that will allow them to train effectively and improve performance. Communication from the coach to athlete will initiate appropriate actions. This however, requires the athlete to receive the information from the coach but also to understand and accept it.

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Coaches need to ask themselves:

 * Do I have the athlete's attention?
 * Am I explaining myself in an easily understood manner?
 * Has the athlete understood?
 * Does the athlete believe what I am telling him/her?
 * Does the athlete accept what I am saying?

Communication Blocks
D ifficulties in communicating with an athlete may be due a number of issues including the following:

These blocks to communication work both ways and coaches need to consider the process of communication carefully.
 * The athlete's perception of something is different to yours
 * The athlete may jump to a conclusion instead of working through the process of hearing, understanding and accepting
 * The athlete may lack the knowledge needed to understand what you are trying to communicate
 * The athlete may lack the motivation to listen to you or to convert the information given into action
 * The coach may have difficulty in expressing what she/he wishes to say to the athlete
 * Emotions may interfere in the communication process
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">There may be a clash of personality between you and the athlete

Effective Communication [[image:milwaukee-soccer-282-450x300.jpg width="378" height="252" align="right"]]
Before communicating with an athlete, coaches should consider:


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">WHY they want to communicate
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">WHO they wish to communicate with
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">WHERE and WHEN the message could best be delivered
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">WHAT is it that they want to communicate
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">HOW they are going to communicate the information

Effective communication contains six elements:

 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Clear - Ensure that the information is presented clearly
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Concise - Be concise, do not lose the message by being long winded
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Correct - Be accurate, avoid giving misleading information
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Complete - Give all the information and not just part of it
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Courteous - Be polite and non-threatening, avoid conflict
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Constructive - Be positive, avoid being critical and negative

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Be Positive
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">When coaches provide information to the athlete that will allow them to take actions to effect change, it is important that they provide the information in a positive manner. Look for something positive to say first and then provide the information that will allow the athlete to effect a change of behaviour or action.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Non-verbal messages
At <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> first, it may appear that face-to-face communication consists of taking it in turns to speak. While the coach is speaking, the athlete is expected to listen and wait patiently until the coach finishes. On closer examination, it can be seen that people resort to a variety of verbal and non-verbal behavior in order to maintain a smooth flow of communication. Such behavior includes head-nods, smiles, frowns, bodily contact, eye movements, laughter, body posture, language and many other actions. The facial expressions of athletes provide feedback to the coach. Glazed or down turned eyes indicate boredom or disinterest, as does fidgeting. Fully raised eyebrows signal disbelief and half raised indicate puzzlement. Posture of the group provides a means by which their attitude to the coach may be judged and act as pointer to their mood. Control of a group demands that a coach should be sensitive to the signals being transmitted by the athletes. Their faces usually give a good indication of how they feel, and a good working knowledge of the meaning of non-verbal signals will prove invaluable to the coach.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Coaches should:


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Develop their verbal and non-verbal communication skills
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Ensure that they provide positive feedback during coaching sessions
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Give all athletes in their training groups equal attention
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Communicate as appropriate to your athlete's thinking and learning styles
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Ensure that they not only talk to their athletes but they also listen to them as well

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Improved communication skills will enable both the athlete and coach to gain much more from their coaching relationship



Videos:
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Articles:
For the Athlete:

Journal Articles:




Books:
Strategic Sport Communication 101 Teambuilding Activities: Ideas Every Coach Can Use to EnhanceTeamwork, Communication and Trust [|High Impact Communications: How to Build Charisma, Credibility, and Trust]

Links:
Coaching Through Conflict - Effective Communication Strategies Communicate with your Athletes by the Australian Sports Commission Communication Skills for Athletes: Giving Feedback **References:** @http://www.brianmac.co.uk