Why body language is hurting your playing time?
93% of communication is nonverbal. The single most important factor that influences a coach (in any sport) when determining playing time is trust. The coach awards the bulk of the minutes to the players they trust the most. Simple as that. As a player, the next logical question is, “how do I earn the coach’s trust so I can get more playing time?”. There is no one answer and preferences can vary by coach, but I will tell you that a major part of building trust between you and your coach is your body language. Body language communicates so much, intended or not. Coaches are masters at reading body language so how you react in both good and bad situations will help or hurt your chances to grow the trust your coach has in you. As a current coach and former player I will say that negative body language will break (or diminish trust) more than good body language will build trust. It may not seem fair but it’s just the way humans are wired. We are more likely to remember the negative. So knowing that as a player, you want to avoid repeated episodes of poor body language. Any of the following qualify as bad body language:
* Keep in mind that the above list is not exhaustive, but merely a small sampling of things a coach notices. Another very important point is that negative body language is not to be confused with disagreement. Coaches are not perfect and as a player you have every right to disagree with them BUT…and this is crucially important…it’s how you go about showing this disagreement that is the key. A positive response in front of the entire team followed by a private conversation with the coach or teammate AFTER the heat of the moment is generally the best approach (see 4:00 mark in this tribute speech by Gregg Popovich for Tim Duncan for an example). One last thing to clarify is that indifference (or glazed over look) will negatively impact a team just as much if not more than an active negative response. This look tells a coach or teammate that you have completely ‘checked out’ and have no desire or passion to change your behaviour or actions on the court. The rest of this post will be broken down into three sections: 1. Why do players project negative body language? 2. What does positive body language look like? And, 3. What does positive body language tell your coach and teammates, and why is this important? For a player to begin the process of improving their body language they must first identify the reasons why they are reacting the way they are to a situation. This is going to require humility, an open mind and some honest self-reflection. 1. Why do players project negative body language? Most of the following reasons stem from the root of the problem….selfishness. However, there is some value in mentioning the other potential reasons, even if it’s only to help players to self-identify. If you’ve thought any of these thoughts…chances are you’ve demonstrated some “less-than-stellar” body language to a coach or teammates.
2. What does positive body language look like? Positive body language is simple and straightforward and because it’s non-verbal, you don’t need to worry about crafting some eloquent response! Here are some markers of someone that is engaged and listening to the feedback they are receiving from a coach or teammate:
Another good piece of advice that I found from this great article from the folks at PGC is, “listen, with intent to understand. Miscommunication happens when we listen with intent to reply”. Listen to what your coach is saying before immediately trying to respond…you’d be surprised how this will help improve your body language. 3. What does positive body language tell your coach and teammates, and why is this important?
A team’s culture hinges on the body language of its members. Watch any successful team and see how they react to their coaches and teammates under pressure and I guarantee you’ll mostly see players that give some semblance of positive body language. Some players are more subtle with how they respond, but you certainly will not see much of the negative body language responses outlined at the beginning of this post. So next time you find yourself ready to slough off your coach or look away when you are being corrected…stop yourself and think about how that action impacts your team. It may seem subtle but bad body language spreads across a team, is very detrimental to success, and can stifle cohesion and growth. If you feel like your bad body language is legitimized because you are being picked on or your coach doesn’t like you then try to remember this statement uttered by one of my former coaches, “If I stop yelling at you or coaching you then you should worry…because I’ve decided I’m just not playing you in games”. Coaches challenge the players they feel have potential and can positively contribute to the team’s success. How will you respond the next time a coach or teammate challenges you? Will you affirm and respond positively or will you revert back to blaming or feeling sorry for yourself?
5 Comments
Jen Dyck
2/8/2017 11:02:01 am
Great Article, very practical advise.
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11/17/2017 09:45:23 am
The article talks about the body languages that basketball coaches notices in his/her basketball players. It is good for the athletes to read this article in order to help them avoid bad body language and acquire to give them the idea of the good one. Avoiding and acquiring necessary body languages can earn trust to the coaches as they watch you play or practice. This article provides the proper knowledge needed by the athletes and coaches. This kind of articles can help many players around the world.
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Mike
2/8/2017 05:34:47 pm
Thanks for the comment, Jen. We can all self-identify times when we showed poor body language. This not only applies to athletes but employees, students, parents etc. The goal is we improve our body language and hopefully this article can help people do that.
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aa
9/4/2017 11:16:58 pm
nc
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5/11/2023 11:04:55 pm
I appreciate the practical tips provided in this article for players to improve their body language on the court. It's a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their performance.
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