Do you coach a sports team? If so, you will understand the importance of maximising your team’s morale.
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A number of factors can throw them off their game. A run of defeats, a loss of a team player because of a relegation or a sports injury and negative media feedback, can all play a part in affecting how your team focuses both on and off the field.
As the coach, you need to spur them on, encourage them to play to their best, and give them the tools to regain their self-confidence.
Consider the types of motivation tactics you use
Some coaches focus on the negative. If a player isn’t performing, threats are raised.
“If you don’t pick up form, I will drop you from the team.”
“If you don’t play well, I will relegate you to another club.”
Threats rarely work, even if they are honestly given. Not only will you lose the morale of the player you are confronting, but you might also induce fear in the rest of your players. While your threats could spur them on to work harder, your threats might also instigate a low morale across the team, as well as a lack of respect for you. If external factors have already affected their morale, your attitude will bring it down further.
Your best bet is to use positive motivation. Speak to your team kindly, and encourage them to play to their best strengths. Remind them of the good times, and congratulate them on things they have done well. And when you need to, use the carrot and stick mentality, dangling a reward in front of them to make them perform. You might offer them a holiday if they score a certain number of goals per season, for example, or promise a celebratory event when they achieve success. By letting your team know that you care for them, and by showing your players that you have faith in them, you might well improve their morale.
Ensure the environment inspires confidence in your team
If the changing room facilities are cramped and dirty, if the clubhouse offers little appeal, and if the uniforms your team wears are old and worn, then it will be difficult to raise their morale. A few tweaks here and there can improve your team’s morale, even before they get on the field, so be prepared to make a few investments. Invest in some new training equipment, hire a professional cleaner to work on the changing rooms, spruce up the clubhouse, and treat your team to a custom designed sports kit. A lift to the aesthetics can bolster the morale of your team, so don’t be afraid to spend money when you need to.
Remember that everybody is different
Each member of the team plays to their own strengths. If they aren’t playing well, it may be that they are in the wrong position on the team. Consider a few changes, taking each player’s skills and weaknesses into account. And work with them as individuals, getting to know them as people, so you can fully understand how they tick. When you know who you are working with, you might intrinsically know how best to improve the morale of each individual on your team, and how to get the best out of each player. This might involve offering extra training, or giving specific advice during a pep talk.
Finally
We hope this article has been useful to you, but let us know what you think. And if you have any advice for any team coaches reading this article, please share your wisdom with us. By working together, we can improve our own morale, as well as raise the morale of the players in our teams.
