I wish more coaches would realize that once a game starts, errors from a lack of proper preparation cannot be corrected until the game is over. Yet, you continually see coaches reprimanding players during the games. Some coaches are notorious for this kind of behavior. I have watched football coach Rick Neuheisel repeatedly go ballistic on quarterbacks at Colorado, Washington and UCLA during games over the past 15-years, predictably making bad situations worse.

Athletes and people perform their best when they are well prepared and in a relaxed state of mind. This is what is often referred to as performing with a “mental edge” or “in the zone.” It’s very rare for a player to perform his or her best after being yelled at; more likely they will start to over-think what they are doing and become tight. This results in them becoming fearful of making another mistake, which usually leads directly to more mistakes and even poorer performance.

Contrast Neuheisel’s approach with that of Oregon football coach Chip Kelly. Often during their games, you will see a player who has just dropped a pass or thrown an interception receive a hug or a pat on the back and a few words of encouragement from Kelly. This usually does result in improved play by the players under his charge. Not only does it keep them loose and focused, it also builds trust and respect between the coach and his players.

Mark Sanchez is one of the hottest young quarterbacks in the NFL and his early success is a prime example of what a positive approach can do for a player’s development. I have never seen NY Jets head coach Rex Ryan yell and scream at Sanchez after he has thrown an interception. It’s safe to say that if Ryan had taken the yelling and screaming approach with Sanchez, that the Jets would be looking for a quarterback again this off-season, rather than feeling excited about their future with Sanchez at the controls.

A coach’s job is to teach, so it would be nice if more coaches approached their games like a professor approaches an exam given to his students. An exam, like a game, is a test to see how you measure up and to find out what areas need to be worked on more. Has anyone ever had a professor look over their shoulder while taking an exam and upon noticing you made a huge error, start ranting and raving at you about your mistake during the test in front of everyone? Of course not, but if they did, does anyone think that would help them do better on the rest of the test going forward? Of course not!

So why do so many coaches do this very same thing? The most likely answer is because they had a coach who did that to them. Some of them may think that it helped them perform better. The fact is they are probably unaware of how much better off they would have been with a coach who utilized more productive methods. Other coaches may yell at players to make up for not having prepared them well during the time leading up to the game. The best coaches prepare their players during the week and get out of their way once the game starts.

Can coaches change? Certainly they can, but more often than not, the people around them are afraid to suggest that they try another approach. Everyone has blind spots and needs an outside eye from time to time. The problem with some coaches is that their ego gets in the way, and they become their own worst enemy in that they get so insulated they forget how to learn and never hear what they need to hear.

Coach Neuheisel recently stated when asked about his excessive yelling at his quarterbacks: “You won’t see that anymore, I can fix that. I’m coachable.” The fact that he acknowledged the problem is a positive step for him and it will be interesting to see if he is able to follow through with this commitment. For the sake of those under his tutelage, I hope he can.

Posted in The Mind Side Blog