If They’re Not Getting It, Try This: 10 Coaching/Teaching Strategies That Work

Have you ever delivered a well-prepared lesson or practice only to find it didn’t connect with your audience? Athletes and students bring diverse learning styles, experiences, and motivations that influence how they absorb and apply information. When athletes or students struggle to grasp concepts, it often signals the need to rethink your approach. As a coach or teacher, your ability to adapt your methods to meet these needs is crucial. After all, if they aren’t learning the way you’re teaching, it’s time to teach the way they’re learning. Below are 10 practical approaches to communication and teaching that can transform the way you connect with your team or class. Each approach will enhance engagement, understanding, and performance with teaching techniques that are appreciated by the learner and are both effective and easy to implement:

1. Clear and Concise Instructions: Communicate instructions in a straightforward manner, avoiding ambiguity. Use simple language and be direct to ensure understanding. Coaches tend to talk too much – Give intentional thought to how you will present or describe what needs to be said.
2. Positive Reinforcement: Provide praise and positive feedback when the learner performs well or demonstrates improvement. This encourages repetition of desired behaviors. Catch ‘em doing it right.
3. Active Listening: Pay attention to the learner’s concerns, questions, and feedback. This demonstrates respect and builds rapport, fostering trust between coach/teacher and learner. Remember what Dale Carnegie once said, "Most people listen so they can talk. People should listen so they understand"
4. Constructive Feedback: Offer specific feedback that focuses on behaviors rather than personal traits. Provide suggestions for improvement and highlight strengths to maintain motivation. Remember – never attack the person. Address the behavior. Avoid attacking a person’s character.
5. Demonstration and Modeling: Show learners the correct techniques and skills through your own actions or using visual aids. This helps visual learners and reinforces verbal instructions. If you are a coach/teacher who can actually demonstrate the skill, that’s great!  However, sometimes the best demonstrations can come from one of the other learners.  Don’t hesitate to use one of your learners/athletes to demonstrate skills that others need to learn.
6. Use of Analogies, Metaphors, and Examples: Relate new concepts to familiar situations, objects, people, or events that the learner can easily understand. Connecting the new concept to something familiar to the learner can simplify complex ideas and aid in retention. Develop descriptive verbal cues and phrases that chunk several parts of a skill or concept together. Chunking is a powerful and efficient learning tool.
7. Individualized Instruction/Coaching: Recognize that each learner may respond differently to teaching or coaching methods. Tailor your approach to suit individual learning styles, strengths, and areas for improvement. Remember that not every learner you are teaching or coaching learns the way you personally best learn.  Pay attention to how each learner best learns.  Then try to teach the way they learn.
8. Goal Setting and Progress Tracking: Collaborate with learners to set realistic and challenging goals. Track progress regularly and celebrate milestones to maintain motivation and focus. Set a long-term vision for the goal of each skill being taught, then celebrate each small improvement.
9. Interactive and Engaging Sessions: Incorporate drills, games, and activities that encourage active participation and foster a sense of enjoyment in learning and practicing skills.
10. Encouragement of Questions and Dialogue: Create an environment where learners feel comfortable asking questions and engaging in discussions about tactics, strategies, and techniques. This promotes deeper understanding and critical thinking. When I’m coaching, one of the phrases that I really like to say after a player does something better is, “How did that feel?”. If they say something like, “That didn’t feel very good.”, then I might say something like, “That’s ok.  You did (be specific) better.  We’ll just keep working on it until it feels really good.”.  If their answer is something like, “That felt a lot better.”, then I will say something like, “Great, let’s see if you can do it again.”

Each of these approaches are rooted in educational psychology and sports coaching literature, emphasizing effective communication, motivation, and skill development. Implementing these techniques can enhance the coaching experience for athletes and contribute to their overall development and success in sports. Remember, if they aren’t learning from the way I teach, then I need to teach the way they learn.