subject: Accepting Constructive Criticism - For Basketball Coaches and Players [print this page] Accepting Constructive Criticism - For Basketball Coaches and Players
I am a Girls AAU Basketball Coach for a local and very competitive team in Virginia. As an AAU coach and parent of athletes, I am concerned about the unwillingness of athletes (regardless of sport) to accept criticism. I'm not talking about the kind of criticism that's demeaning and meant to devalue an athlete's belief in his/her skills or shatter hopes of achieving their dreams. I'm talking about the kind that is meant to develop them as players. The kind that gives them honest feedback on where they stand and what they need to do in order to improve.
When scouting a team, I look for weaknesses in the opposing team's players so I can exploit them. I use it to gain an advantage and ultimately defeat them. Knowing that coaches can do the same thing to my players I try to take a proactive approach and let my players know what exactly they need to work on. This way I'm able to let them know how they can prevent themselves from being out-played during games and how they can take their game to another level.
Oftentimes, the athlete takes this criticism in the wrong way and leaves the conversation angry, with the belief that "coach doesn't know what he/she is talking about". I cannot begin to tell you how many times this has happened to me.
One thing I have learned from athletes who made it to college and the few who made it to the professional level, is that criticism is a catalyst of their motivation to improve. If athletes and parents can accept when a coach gives them constructive criticism (containing good and bad points) that athlete could use that information to work on that area of their game.
One of my most favorite NBA players is Kobe Bryant and I am just taken back by the way he accepts challenges, which (in my opinion) comes in the form of criticism. He uses it to spend additional time in the gym to improve his game. This is why he's amongst the "elite" NBA players of this day.
Today's athletes are too often being told how good they are by coaches, parents and friends. The problem is they don't leave much for these kids to look forward to. When they get a new coach and are told they need to improve this or that, it's taken negatively. It's okay to give them "cookies" but when they hear it too often, their weaknesses become overshadowed and as a result, when they hear someone telling them of areas they should improve it goes unheard.
An athlete that can accept sound criticism is indeed "coachable". Coaches (like myself) can use that attribute to make him/her a bigger, better and stronger player and person. It drives them to take whatever methods and training available (i.e. additional hours in the gym after practice, training camps, etc) to reach their goals.
Coaches need to understand that not all of their players come from the same background or have the same personality. It's a good idea to sit down with your players on a regular basis and explain why you give out criticism and how you expect your players to take it. Assure them nothing is personal and that you are doing it because you care for them and want the best for them.
Players need to realize that getting criticism is a good thing. It means your coach still cares for you and has a lot of expectations for you. If you're not getting criticism it's not because you're perfect nobody's perfect. If Kobe Bryant accepts criticism and uses it to make him better, don't you think you can learn from that. You surely are not better than Kobe Bryant. If you're coach isn't criticizing you it means they have probably given up on you. It means they know you aren't taking it well and they have no more faith in you becoming better.
