Communicating With Your Coach

   
Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to talk to your coach about a problem with something he or she is doing?  Piece of cake, right? 
There are many good approaches to talking to your cheer coach, but there are a lot of bad ones.  The most important thing to remember about talking to your coach is that he or she is a person, just like you.  Therefore, you should talk to him or her in the same manner that you would like someone to talk to you:

Don't confront your coach in an angry manner, whether at practice or in your private meeting.

Anger can interfere with your view and cause you to speak without first getting an understanding for what you are really angry about.  Sometimes it helps to give your problem a little time and space before acting on it.

Think about it before talking to your coach.  Once you have cooled off you see things a little clearer.  You may realize the reason behind your coach's decision .

Don't try to talk to your coach during practice.

The coach is trying to run a productive practice and many things are running through his or her mind.  Bringing up a problem at practice will only frustrate you because the coach may not be paying attention.  Trying to talk about a problem while at practice also wastes valuable practice time.  No matter how big or small a problem, you should consider waiting until after to discuss it.  The only exception would be when the problem pertains to the immediate practice.

Do set up a time when you can talk to your coach one-on-one.

This lets the coach know that you want to talk about serious matters and in private.  A responsive coach will understand and respect that you are being mature enough to approach her in advance of a difficult discussion.

 

This is the least effective method of approaching your coach.  Direct confrontation angers the coach and puts him or her on the defensive.  The coach thinks that he/she must defend his/her position at all costs.  When someone goes on the defensive, it is very difficult to change his or her point of view.

Do try and keep calm about the situation.

Be calm and try to conduct yourself in a respectful manner.  Your coach should treat you the same way.  None of this is to say that you should be avoiding the real issue.  If you have a problem with the coach or their coaching style, be honest and direct.  You will realize that most coaches welcome such criticism and feedback.  Just be willing to also receive a little criticism yourself.