ONE MINUTE ASSESSMENTS

If you want something that will greatly improve your communication and connection with your players during meetings, timeouts, practice, half-time and games, here it is!  I can remember the first time I heard Coach Don Meyer explain this and it had a "Wow!" effect on me.  It will take a commitment from you to make it habit but players respond to it.  I got this example directly from www.CoachMeyer.com. Here's how it works:

 

First, tell the player one thing that YOU are doing WELL and WHY.

Then tell the player one thing WE can be doing BETTER.

Before correcting a player, give them something they are doing well. By saying "you" you give the player ownership for the good deed.

The "why" is critically important. Don't tell a player he/she made a good pass. Tell he/she why it was a good pass. 

Wrong Example: "Good pass Katherine." Right Example: "Katherine, great job of utilizing the pass fake to set up the feed to the low post and giving her the ball away from the defense."

By telling "why" you allow the player to understand what she did well. She can process it as a good thing and work to repeat it. If you just say "good pass" she has no idea why so she may or may not repeat the action.

After the compliment, you will have the attention of the player and they will better listen to the correction. Coach Meyer likes to use "we" so that the player knows that we are in this together in terms of improving in that particular area.

Terminology is critically important. Good coaches work and practice at how they talk to the team and individual players.

 

Don't you get the feeling this will work off the court as well -- with people you work with, your children, or any other interactions you have with people?