Speak TO the Athlete, not AT the athlete
I had an elementary school teacher named Mr. Denton, who always seemed very put-together and organized. When I ran into him years later and asked him what his secret was, he pushed up his glasses like he always did before talking and said,
"A good teacher is not good because of the amount of knowledge he has, but in the number of ways he knows how to teach that knowledge."
Even as a student in his class, I knew he cared about us. He would teach something and then repeat it differently until everyone was on the same page. I pressed him, and finally, I got a formula out of him on how he teaches.
Now, I follow a four-step process I learned from Mr. Denton that day in the classroom and when coaching.
Educate. Break the lesson into bite-size chunks.
Demonstrate. Go as slow as your audience needs, and be sure the audience has the talent/resources/imagination to complete the task.
Imitate. Let the student do the task, and allow failure without rude or condescending comments.
Repeat. Some need longer than others to get it right, so be patient and tolerate a slow learner in exchange for a positive performance.
You don't see some words in that list: embarrass, bully, or patronize. These communication techniques are taught by sitcoms and news shows on network television. These communication techniques are valuable in teaching and coaching if your goal is to be as influential as a feather in a windstorm.
Leave the sarcasm and humiliating jokes to television. Show your student/athlete/child respect and watch them grow into the adult this world needs. We need more leaders, not comedians talking about how horrible the adults that raised them were.
