Coachability, what is it?

Coaches,wouldn't you love finding that player who hangs on every word you say and then performs that skill you have described without on error? In a perfect world, or should I say an "unrealistic" world, this would be great. But then, who would need a coach? Throw in the human factors of various physical abilities, maturity, feelings of persecution, emotions teetering on the edge, etc., and you have what we coaches are paid the big bucks for! Getting the most out of a player, having them accept your coaching wisdom and corrections without feeling attacked personally, is the ultimate goal of our original coaching lesson. Then, the ultimate coaching goal is to have them perform efficiently the skill you're teaching . The PCA (Positive Coaching Alliance) says a coach should say 5 positive things for every 1 criticism. Others I have heard like to "sandwich" their corrections between two compliments. Either way of thinking is good food for thought. The players need to hear positive comments along with the corrections. I know I have done this in a practice, only to hear the players say I was too negative. Check what you're saying and make sure your players are hearing what you say to them. They tend to hear only the corrections. We can all learn from our mistakes. Keep the lines of communication open with your players. You are in charge, but it is good to ask their opinions. It is a great way to explain why you're doing something, and to stop and get their views about how it is working for them. They may not understand the point of the drill you have them doing. So, coaches, it is a must to know why we are choosing to do the drills we are asking them to do. They might work harder knowing that the shuffling drill is going to make them a better passer by getting them to the ball in the correct position. That's it for now. We'll definitely come back to this subject, because this is the crux of coaching. Happy Halloween!