A Coach's Diary

The best coaches can look you in the eye and tell you the truth. The best players can absorb that truth, whether it's positive or negative. Handling adversity and handling truth is important. It may not be easy to hear, but you have to respect it. As coaches and parents, we have to be honest with our athletes. We can do it in a way that inspires them and doesn't bring them down. I like to use the sandwich method. The bread on the outside are positives, and the meat is the truth in the middle. When my athletes aren't playing as hard as they need to play, I start our conversation with something positive that they do: "You had some good touches out there." "You made some good passes." "You looked like you and your teammates were having fun!" Then, I give them constructive criticism, and I try to tie it to their goals and dreams for themselves: "You didn't play as hard as you could have. If you want to be t...