Basketball New Zealand

Communicating effectively

Communicating effectively is one of the keys to success in coaching and to building positive relationships with players and their parents and caregivers. Ongoing communication often deals with little problems before they become big problems.

Communicating effectively with your players

• Greet your players warmly by their name
• Wear appropriate dress
• Speak clearly
• Listen carefully
• Give and receive feedback:
  • Be positive and encouraging
  • Be specific so the player is clear about what you expect
  • Focus on behaviour or actions that can be changed
  • Use words the players can understand - keep it simple for beginners
  • Encourage your players to give you feedback about how their performance “felt”
  • Ask questions to show that their contribution is important
  • Ask open-ended questions that make your players think, take responsibility and become self aware.
• Be aware of your body language.

Communicating across cutures

Be aware of cultural differences in communicating with your players.

If you are unsure about how to communicate with players from a different culture, ask somebody for advice.

Communicating with others

Parents, caregivers and others can have a big impact on how players feel about Basketball.

It is important to establish a positive relationship with supporters right from the start of the season.

A good way to start is to hold a meeting to:

• Introduce yourself
• Discuss the season ahead
• Set expectations
• Thank them for support
• Allocate roles if required
• Establish your expectations of supporters’ behaviour while they are watching games.