| In an April 14th 2008 Sports Illustrated feature | | | | Mike Douglas show with Bob Hope. I'm confident |
| New Orleans Hornet forward, David West, spoke | | | | had Tiger's support system been full of negative |
| out about quitting his high school basketball team. | | | | thoughts and energy, his future would be quite |
| "When I lived in New Jersey, I had problems with | | | | different today. Maybe that is why Earle Woods |
| my coach. I wasn't the quickest guy or the | | | | didn't trust his son's coaching to anyone else, |
| strongest guy. I could play, but because I wasn't | | | | because he knew no one could believe in Tiger |
| the type you'd look at and say, he's going to be | | | | more than himself. |
| great, my coach wrote me off. He said I couldn't | | | | In February 2006, I coached the Sunnyslope High |
| do this, I couldn't do that. When you're a young | | | | School JV Baseball Team. Sunnyslope had a great |
| kid, you get broken". | | | | baseball program and while its Freshman and |
| Fortunately David West had the fortitude and | | | | Junior Varsity programs performed very well |
| strength to continue with his basketball career | | | | year after year, something happened that |
| where most kids would have permanently given | | | | prevented these young players from replicating |
| up and quit the game. You see, there are few | | | | their success at the Varsity level. For a team that |
| words that have a greater impact on a player | | | | won a state championship 10 years earlier, morale |
| than the words I believe in you. These powerful | | | | and player confidence were low. With a 12 |
| words have incredible meaning and will change | | | | member team including three freshman of |
| your players' lives not only athletically, but also as | | | | over-achievers, we were able to beat some of |
| members of our community. Coaches need to | | | | the more successful and powerful programs in |
| institutionalize these four powerful words into their | | | | the state. We did so by creating a strong belief |
| everyday interactions with their players both in | | | | system and environment where all players |
| terms of verbal and non-verbal communications | | | | believed in themselves and were given the |
| for positive player motivation. When we believe in | | | | freedom to make mistakes without fear of public |
| ourselves incredible things happen. When others, | | | | criticism. Our daily coaching focused on creating |
| especially our coaches, believe in us, magic occurs. | | | | individual player belief and on what we wanted |
| These words, I believe in you, are equally | | | | them to do through positive affirmations and |
| important to adults and children. | | | | instructions. Although they did not win all of their |
| I have seen this magic work over and over in my | | | | games, they won far more than they should |
| coaching career and usually without fail. My first | | | | have. Sadly, two years later there was only one |
| experience witnessing the power of these words | | | | player from that Junior Varsity team still with the |
| was while coaching a 12 year old little league team | | | | program even though they all still had a love for |
| in the championship game. Justin came to bat in | | | | the game of baseball. |
| the bottom of the sixth needing a hit for our | | | | I believe as the players matured through the |
| team to win the game. I could see nothing but | | | | program the game stopped being fun and the |
| fear in his eyes. I calmly told him I had been | | | | coaches started micro managing the players' |
| planning the entire season for this very moment. I | | | | every move. The small technical changes being |
| told him I knew he would be in this position and | | | | made created a lack of self-confidence and player |
| that is why all season long we had been working | | | | doubt. Instead of creating a positive focus and |
| on his hitting and why he was now one of the | | | | belief system in the players, the coaches' |
| best hitters on the team. (I think Justin had two | | | | negative energy became a team cancer. One of |
| hits all year). Looking deep into his eyes, I said, I | | | | the most talented players (a freshman) from the |
| believe in you and "you are going to watch the | | | | previous season quit the team his sophomore |
| bat hit the ball into right field" describing the | | | | year within the first few weeks of practice |
| expected outcome. I told him several times to | | | | because of the coaches' negative focus and |
| see the bat hit the ball and each time he told me | | | | baseball no longer being fun. Coaches who create |
| he could see himself getting a hit. More and more | | | | programs with a positive focus and energy level |
| confident, this moment became the defining point | | | | for their players will always achieve more |
| of Justin and our season. Justin hit the first pitch | | | | satisfactory results because the game will be |
| between first and second base allowing the tying | | | | more rewarding. |
| and winning runs to score and Justin became his | | | | In many sports, a coach's philosophy after a loss |
| teammates' instant hero. I know this story | | | | is often, "I will show you that you need to play |
| sounds hopelessly corny and some would say this | | | | better", and players run laps or sprints so the |
| hit was pure chance, but I know otherwise. Those | | | | coach can demonstrate his superiority over his |
| special words, I believe in you, made a connection | | | | players, thus motivating them to win. Research |
| with Justin and I'm sure he still remembers his | | | | demonstrates that discipline based motivation |
| incredible game today. Positive coaching methods | | | | seldom works, yet coaches repeat it over and |
| do make a difference! | | | | over. A much more effective yet difficult |
| Much has been said about Tiger Woods and his | | | | motivation practice is the use of positive |
| astonishing ability to focus, but where would he be | | | | reinforcement strategies (recognition and reward |
| if his parents and coaches hadn't believed in him? I | | | | systems) for player and team motivation. Most |
| believe his self-confidence and focus manifested | | | | coaches view this approach to be too soft in the |
| itself partially as a result of how much other | | | | trenches of sports, yet it provides for a more |
| people believed in him. Tiger didn't have people | | | | lasting and effective means for improving on field |
| telling him he couldn't play golf, rather his entire | | | | performance. By using this method coaches |
| support system told him he was the best young | | | | improve team morale, player self-confidence, and |
| golfer in the world. From my previous articles you | | | | game enjoyment which transcends to improved |
| know that you achieve what you focus on and if | | | | on-field performance. And a player who believes in |
| his focus was to become the best golfer in the | | | | himself, like a young Justin or Tiger Woods, with a |
| world, no one was going to stop him. His father | | | | strong I believe in you focus, will go on to |
| had so much confidence in Tiger that at the age | | | | accomplish great things. |
| of two he arranged for him to appear on the | | | | |