Last week, former Corinthians coach, Geraldo Delamore graced these shores to deliver sessions at the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) A License Coaching Course.
Delamore is a senior instructor with the Brazilian Football Confederation Academy and has worked as an assistant to ex-Brazil 2018 World Cup head coach Tite while at Corinthians, Gremio and Atletico Mineiro.
He’s coached teams which included Ronaldo Phenomenon, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos, also winning FIFA World Club Championship with Corinthians as an assistant coach when they defeat Chelsea 1-0 in 2012.
When Delamore speaks, you can’t help but listen attentively, even if the conversation goes on and on. Aside from getting to inquire more avout his experiences working with some of the Brazilians greats, there were a couple points that I picked up during his presentation to the coaches last week. Among them was his emphasis to coaches that it was vital they had one or two players on the pitch that was strong enough to convey the coach’s message at any given time during matches.
“The coach can’t have the attitude that he or she owns the game. The game belongs to the players. As coaches we are here to support and develop. We are here to influence their performance to a certain point but it comes a point where it’s up to the players on the pitch to sort things out,” Delamore told me.
We know for a fact that while coaches on the sidelines are most times able to get through to their players even in the loudest atmospheres, there also comes a time they just cannot get the message through even while screaming their lungs out. I’ve experienced scenarios with our national teams in places like Guatemala City, the Azteca in Mexico City and also San Pedro Sula, Honduras where you could not even hear the person next to you on the technical bench.
Delamore continued, “It’s important that you have someone in the field, one or two players with that kind of leadership skill, that he or she can be your voice on the pitch to support the team.
"There comes a time where the communication process from the bench towards the pitch is not perfect or it’s not effective. And if you don’t have within the pitch players with that sort of responsibility, with that type of character to ensure the other guys are following what you planned for the game, it’s going to be hard for you to change it from the outside,” he added.
When the events of a game suddenly takes a different turn, one may also observe the head coach immediately pulling his player to the sideline to relay instructions on how the team will approach the match from that point onwards. The rest is now dependent on what happens out there.
Quite often, coaches and players encounter misunderstandings and breakdowns when communicating. It can be difficult for coaches to send messages or instruct players, because individuals react differently. Furthermore, it can be difficult for players to understand what their coach wants if they are not clear on the message or instruction they give This is where during tense moments of a match, it helps to have a leader on the pitch who can pass on the message and keep the team motivated or switched on regardless of the circumstances around the game at any given time.
Communication is a two-way street; there is always a sender and receiver of a message. In sports, the coach is usually the sender while the player is the receiver. Players can misunderstand coaches for a variety of reasons: unclear or irrelevant information, failure to provide honest feedback, or inconsistent and confusing messaging, just to name a few.
According to Delamore, it's not about the coach having favourites, but sometimes its just absolutely necessary that he picks out a player or two who are not only strong on the pitch, but also one that possesses proper leadership and communication skills. This is the only way you can fix that break-down in communication that may occur between other players and the instructor positioned within the technical area.
Many times, it can be difficult for an athlete and coach to have good communication. Sometimes, athletes are reluctant to communicate with coaches because they believe their coaches will not listen to what they have to say; they believe that silence is better than expressing how they feel. This should not be the case. As a coach, make sure players know that they are free to express how they feel at all times. This shows trust and it in turn can help the player to pass on the right message on the field, knowing well that there is a level of confidence between both parties. Coaches who promote a democratic style rather than purely autocratic may see more success. Players who feel they have a say in things will have a better experience which may ultimately lead to better performance. Therefore, coaches should adopt a democratic style and encourage a trusting relationship by creating an open-door policy for their players.
Positivity is always the best approach
A coach should always use a positive approach when communicating with their players so it is easier for the player to receive the message. This is similar for other players, who will feel more confident receiving messages from the captain or whichever other player who's been designated by the head coach to lead the show on the pitch. When coaches use a negative approach, the player may listen to the tone of the message rather than the message itself.
Breakdowns and misunderstandings between coach and players can be the difference between a winning or losing. Communicating properly will enhance performance because players will be able to learn and receive better instruction. Furthermore, coach and player relationships are enhanced because players feel valued, there is a trusting environment, and a positive coaching style is used.
Shaun Fuentes is the head of TTFA Media. He was a FIFA Media Officer at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. The views expressed are solely his and not a representation of any organisation. shaunfuentes@yahoo.com
