Press Release - 5th January 2006

Sports Coaches Learn How to Communicate

Why is it that you can get two sports coaches (tennis, basketball, baseball, cricket etc) with the same qualifications, approximately the same age and same ability but one is twice as busy as the other? After a couple of years of research which involved among other things observing hundreds of hours of sports coaching, Serena Greenslade B.A.(Hons) A.N.E.A., voicecoach, concluded that it had nothing to do with their tennis , football, basketball skills – it was because of their communication skills.

Those coaches with the busiest classes and longest lists were the coaches who were able to talk to their athletes. They could chat with the children, their parents, adult learner and managers without wasting valuable coaching time. These coaches could explain techniques more easily, they could be heard more easily and just as importantly they listened and remembered what they’d been told.

“I’m astonished by the little importance most coaching courses put on communication skills. They put aside a very small amount of time to cover this topic, if any at all and if it is included in the course it’s taught by someone who knows very little about effective communication,” says Serena. Her answer was simple – write a book about communication skills specifically for Sports coaches.

“It’s written so that any person who understands sport can understand speaking skills. For example, all coaches know the importance of exercising daily, I explain how we also need to exercise our lips, tongue and jaw. When most people speak they speak too quickly, I get coaches to think of words as a ball in a sport and sentences and paragraphs as games and matches. Athletes automatically take a breath after scoring a goal or hitting a winning shot – this gives them time to get their breath back and prepare for the next shot it also gives the spectators time to applaud and cheer. When speaking they need to take a breath at the end of a complete thought, this gives them time to think about what they’re saying next and gives their athletes time to think about what the coach has just explained,” says Serena who finds that this approach works wonders with coaches of any sport. If a coach can communicate his skill and enthusiasm with his athletes not only will he be busier but the standard of performance will increase.

For additional information visit the following pages Tennis coaches or Other Sports coaches where you will find more information on speaking in any situation and details of courses and books available.

Afraid-of -Speaking–A-speech.com is an independent company offering advice to children and adults on speaking at weddings, college, auditions, presentations and any other public speaking. Serena Greenslade was terrified of speaking as a child and knows only too well how frightening a prospect it can be.

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