Jim Davis, Ed.M., MA, USAW
The Good Athlete Project is an international education consulting foundation (501c3) shining a light on how athletics and physical education develop character and social emotional learning. Our team of experts travels the world conducting professional development sessions, contributing to field-related research (concussion prevention, character development, and social-emotional learning), and – what we’re most excited about – coaching coaches.
Football as a Learning Platform
Through the lens of cognitive neuroscience, football appears to be one of the most powerful learning platforms in existence. Teamwork, novelty, and motivation make the brain especially receptive to receiving and encoding new information. And while some students begrudgingly slog through their physics curriculum, football players show up thirsty for the approval of their coaches, hoping to learn from the unquestioned authorities on their favorite subject. We have observed players who stayed home sick from school, but rolled out of bed in time for practice. That desire, that level of commitment, makes football a unique space for all sorts of education. Where else can you, the teacher/coach, find such a learning environment? Not in the classroom, unfortunately. Not in social situations either. It exists in football, which combines social and educational elements.
We recently worked with a male athlete who couldn’t control his emotions and often found himself in trouble. By the time he was a junior in high school, he had been pigeon-holed as a bad kid, messed up too many times, and was on the brink of being expelled. We were able to create ‘wins’ for this student on the field and in the weight room, cultivate his work ethic and dedication to his teammates, and provide an atmosphere where he could be disciplined without feeling like he was being called out by another teacher who didn’t understand him — this all lead to the embodiment of a more positive sense of self-worth, resulting in improved behavior and academic performance. That student went from nearly being expelled, to being enrolled in a top college. Football provided a unique third space for this sort of education.
We all have stories like that. And if you’re dedicated to professional development (like readers of AFM), you probably have plenty. But while we all understand its incredible potential, let’s be clear: football does not teach life lessons, character, or how to be a productive member of a community. Rather, for well-intended, deliberate teachers and coaches, football serves as a platform to accomplish such things. This potential is only realized if coaches recognize the pivotal role they can have on the psychology of their players and continually create those opportunities. We have to acknowledge the incredible amount of responsibility that comes with such a high-potential position.
A member of the Good Athlete Project Advisory Board, and Senior Lecturer under the Human Development and Psychology Program at Harvard University, Richard Weissbourd adds “It’s not sports, per se, that builds character in children. Poor coaches can create cultures that lead children and youth to be more selfish, to demonize their opponents or to scapegoat a referee. Good coaches, on the other hand, can create cultures that enable children, among other benefits, to tune in to others and to sacrifice for a common goal, to learn about fairness and to appreciate their opponents,” Weissbourd said. “With around 40 million children playing organized sports, these potential benefits are no small matter. Jim is creating a program designed to do the deep work of enabling a wide range of coaches to create positive cultures that build these vital aspects of character. Because of Jim’s own athletic experience, his sensitivity to the needs of young people, his wide-ranging intelligence and creativity and his fine ethical sensibilities and commitments, he’s the right person for this job.”
Healthy Leadership
One of the essential components of coaching is communication. At the Good Athlete Project, we are continually enhancing documents on healthy leadership, which acknowledge that there is no easy path to success – each student, each situation, is complex and requires coaches who are willing to put in the work. Be suspicious of coaches who say “it’s easy, just tell him (x)” – while successful leadership is intentional and streamlined, be wary of over-generalization.
When we consult with those coaches who are willing to do the work, we refer to Five Areas of Healthy Leadership, which include:
1) Voice
2) Posture and Physical Proximity
3) Timing
4) Attention
5) Relationships.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll highlight a few keys of category one, Voice.
Positive demonstrations of Voice occur when vocal intensity is raised or lowered to meet the demands of a situation – it must work in concert with that of the athletes. There are moments when the coach must be the calm in the storm, moments when the coach needs to be the energy catalyst on the field, and moments that call for acute displays of authority. In those later cases, one’s voice should only raise for as long as is necessary – if the desired effect is not achieved, or the raised voice begins to degrade the quality of the experience, the coach should pull back. Read the field, and make sure your athletes are receptive to your style.
Language should be deliberate, regardless of the intensity, and refer to the rules of the field, as they pertain to the individual. I phrasing (I hear you, I need you to, I will talk to you later about this) are valuable in the moment; We phrasing (how do we avoid this in the future, how can we better prepare) can be used in one-on-one follow up to reiterate a team’s community, while additional I statements can reinforce the idea of the coach as an advocate (how can I help you feel more prepared, how can I help you understand our expectations). Coaches, please remember that this technique is not “soft” – rather, it is deliberate. And once you are consistently deliberate, feel free to ramp up the intensity and let your passion lead the way. But remember, you shouldn’t hit the gas on a car pointed in the wrong direction.
Incomplete use of language will fail to explain the logic of a situation, while negative use questions the integrity of the student, rather than the student’s behavior. Do not degrade a student, but correct a student’s actions. And never resort to insulting a student for sake of control. Control, when attained by degrading an athlete, loosens the soil of individual relationships and the overall integrity of the team. Instead, correct behaviors constructively, and don’t be afraid to praise in public!
Once you understand some of the theory, refer to these four keys to using Voice:
- Practice Self-Appraisal. What’s in your toolbox? Is your voice deep? high? squeaky? piercing? Be honest with yourself about the natural characteristics of your voice, and play to your strengths. When in doubt, find a whistle!
- Be Pavlovian. Praise an athlete when praise is appropriate, and when it’s time for discipline, do not allow time for ambiguity – the athlete and the team need to hear you address the issue. Athletes gravitate to leadership, and move away from uncertainty. They should be able to expect this from you every time.
- Be Inclusive. Whenever possible, use language that supports the athlete and the community – using phrases like “we do not support that behavior on this team” reminds the other athletes of team expectations, and creates positive peer pressure in the direction of good behavior.
- Use Range (find your place in the storm). Once you have a sense of your vocal ability, explore its range to fit the situation. At times you will have to be the foghorn, directing at full force; at times you’ll have to be the calm in the storm, biding your time until it settles. Be ready to adapt.
Conclusion
One thing that excites us at the Good Athlete Project is that football has potential to be a universal language: a touchdown is a touchdown whether we’re in Ireland or Indiana, Baltimore or Brazil. There are a set of standards, rules of the game, expectations that are understood by all. And as the sport continues to expand internationally, we hope to be right there with it, encouraging and tutoring those who hope to do it well.
We have a message for many of the teams we work with, in hopes that they will be deliberate in their practice: no one ever tripped and fell into a championship. In the same way champions aren’t created by accident, we cannot count on good people to simply appear – we have to coach for it, we have to identify human development as one of the core aims of our profession. If you are a football coach, you better be way more than that. If your duty ends when an offense has been successfully installed, then you have missed a tremendous opportunity.
But you won’t miss the opportunity. You’re elite in your field. You know that football has the potential to be one of the world’s most powerful learning platforms – the question is, how will you use it? We hope that you’ll use it for good.
Please feel free to contact us with questions, comments, or to schedule an on-site meeting.
Jim Davis’ email is davisj@newtrier.k12.il.us and his twitter account is Twitter@
Coach4Kindness.