Feedback Ain't a Bad Thing

Feedback Doesn't Have to Be Bad

Feedback has a bad rap. As a player, nobody wants to get into the coaches doghouse, get screamed at or sat down for a lecture. But it shouldn't be that way. As a player, you are actually looking for feedback, both from your team and especially your coaching staff, though not everybody provides feedback in a helpful way. It doesn't mean you are looking to get chewed out when a plays goes poorly. You want good feedback. The kind of feedback you are looking for has the following characteristics:

• It's Intelligent - Puts me in a better position than the direction I was going.

• It's Constructive - The instruction is delivered in a positive manner, that confirms what we did well, brings awareness of what could've been done better or differently in way that builds on past successes. [REFINE]

• It's Timely - Delivered when it's fresh so the impact can be processed.

• It's Intelligible - We can easily comprehend the concepts being delivered.

• It's Tactically Sound - Good for what I was doing at that moment.

• It's Strategically Connective - Connects the feedback to the overall direction, the grand plan.

Feedback Analysis

A Bad Example: "That was not good defense."

No kidding.

Better: "That was not good defense. A better way to accomplish that would've been [XYZ]."

This is called "joy-sticking". The player knows what to do, but not why and under what circumstances.

Best: "A better way to accomplish that would've been [XYZ] because when [so and so does something] doing so would've provided [so and so] with an opportunity to [do the next think we are looking for] for you here if he's successful."

This feedback provides specific guidance, an explanation of the guidance and under what situation it should be used, and how it connect to what we are attempting to accomplish.

It's up to you to pursue good feedback

When it comes down to it, you can turn a bad situation poorly guided into good feedback back by pursuing it with good, thoughtful questions. Once a coach knows are looking for feedback, and aren't likely to shrug off his direction he will spent time articulating the concepts you need to know. This is to your immediate advantage.