Posted on July 2, 2010: How should I coach my team after they lose a lead?
A Responsible Sports Fan suggested the following Scenario Question:
It seems that in every game my team loses a lead, our kids hang their heads instead of fighting back to regain the lead. How do you get the kids to know its okay to fall behind but to keep on fighting to win at the same time?
Dear Jack,
It sounds like your team is in need of a specific ritual they can use to bounce back when the other team scores. In many sports, scoring is contagious. This happens not only because the scoring team is riding high, but because the scored-upon team tends to play tight right after suffering a set back.
PCA and Responsible Sports talk about using a “mistake ritual” to process and move out of these tough times as quickly as possible. This mistake ritual starts with the coach. Perhaps your team adopts “brush it off” as their ritual. When the team gets scored upon, and many of the players look at the coach, he takes his hand and brushes off the front of his shirt, reminding his players to brush off the last play and to focus forward. The players can also use this ritual with each other, or even on their own.
Most players tend to ruminate after being scored upon, leading to continued poor performance, but the best players quickly shift their focus forward and even use the adversity to fuel their effort.
One more coaching tip on this front: have your players focus on giving 100% effort right after being scored upon. Right after the other team scores, the coach would yell to the players, “Next five minutes!” signaling to the team that their effort over the next five minutes needs to be at its highest level. This can counter the players’ usual tendency to slump during these crucial moments of a game.
For more, please visit the Responsible Coaching Guide.
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