Coaching Education content presented in partnership with The FA Learning

Speaking With and Without Words

Effective coaching is not just about developing skills and improving performance; it is about building good relationships with players, parents, other coaches and officials. The skill of good communication is a key component of successful coaching. To become an excellent leader/coach you must develop the communication skills to move people into action. Coaches must be able to interact with a variety of people in a range of situations and styles. The situations vary from coaching sessions and team talks to meetings with parents and league officials, while the styles vary from casual and informal to formal.

A Broader Understanding of Communication
Communication is a two-way process—one of giving and receiving information. It has many aspects, both verbal and nonverbal, such as talking, listening, pleading, arguing, negotiating, encouraging and consoling. It is often assumed that giving information is more important, but this is rarely the case. Coaches need to understand their players and to do this they have to listen to them and ask questions.

Verbal Communication
Verbal communication involves conveying messages that have both content (i.e. what is said) and form (i.e. how it is sent). Many coaches are very good at giving information that is high in content, for instance, when introducing new tactics or technical skills. However, players may “switch off,” become bored, confused and even frustrated if too much instruction is given. Furthermore, when coaches continually use verbal instruction, they become the main actors in the coaching theater thereby limiting or stopping the active participation of the players. However, by involving the players through asking questions and listening to them, a coach obliges them to think, collect information, evaluate and create. This involves and encourages players to take more responsibility for their own learning and development.

Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communications are the messages we send to people without uttering a word—“It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” Research from Albert Mehrabian in 1968 on communication between two people has shown that the relative impact of the message is as follows:

Words contribute to just seven percent.
How words are spoken contribute 38 percent.
Non-verbal information contributes 55 percent.

This research suggests that over 90 percent of information is conveyed non-verbally. Consequently, coaches should recognize the impact of non-verbal information they send (often unconsciously) through gestures, bodily posture, etc.

Paralanguage
This refers to all the vocal components of speech, considered separately from the actual meaning of their words. Often, the way information is conveyed (pitch, rhythm, speed, loudness) can hold greater meaning for performers than the actual content of the words. Coaches often say, “A picture paints a thousand words.” What type of picture are we presenting with our non-verbal behavior?

Gestures
Gestures and various body movements also have particular meaning. Contrast the coach who stands or sits with his arms folded with the coach who shakes hands with a player or gives them a thumbs-up gesture in a game. The latter is a positive message while the former may show a lack of interest in events or a lack of openness.

Posture
We communicate with our posture and the way we walk. An erect posture with a purposeful walk displays feelings of openness, confidence and energy. This is important in the soccer environment because it will influence how other people interact with the coach. Players recognize when coaches are not feeling their best and may not fully cooperate with the coach during a training session. If the coach displays confidence and enthusiasm, this is a far better starting point for a coaching session or team talk.

Touching
In soccer, the coach could use touching to calm a player (i.e. a hand on the shoulder), to express satisfaction with a player’s performance (i.e. a handshake or pat on the back) or to interrupt a conversation (i.e. a light touch on the arm) depending on the context.

Facial Expressions
The face is a powerful source of expression. The eyes and mouth communicate a great deal. Coaches communicate a variety of messages from dissatisfaction and frustration to interest in what is being said. The amount of time we spend in eye contact with someone shows interest in what is being said and, likewise, make sure to maintain eye contact when you have some criticism to give to a player.

Personal Space
People communicate by the way they use space—the distance between the speaker and the recipients. This can also include how a meeting is planned with furniture, seating arrangements and so on. Coaches need to be aware of this when communicating with individual players and groups. Respect individuals’ personal space and avoid rows of seats when conducting meetings with players. A circular or horseshoe arrangement of chairs is less threatening and more inclusive.

Observation of Players
The players’ non-verbal language will also give the coach information regarding the effectiveness of his or her own verbal and non-verbal language. The coach will gain some indication of their interest levels, attention and understanding.

Congruence
It is important in coaching that there is congruence (a match) between what is being said verbally and what is being expressed non-verbally. To illustrate, the coach says they are happy with the players’ performance and this is reflected in their body language (open body language, facial language) and tone of voice. This match is important, otherwise players and parents may get mixed messages from coaches.

The question posed earlier asked, “A picture paints a thousand words. What type of picture are we presenting with our non-verbal behavior?” If you’re only using words, chances are it can’t be a pretty one. Think of each communication line as a color. The more colors you use, the brighter and better the picture will be. Young players are an empty canvas waiting to be painted.