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Coaching Resource · Field-Ready

Developing the 5 Psychosocial Traits

02Communication

“My team goes quiet — or turns negative — when it matters most.”

Spot it Silence on the pitch Nobody organizes Talk breaks down under pressure Negative tone used by players
What to do

◆Model calm, clear, concise — out loud. Under pressure, players hear your tone before your words. Calm + specific gets acted on; loud + negative gets tuned out.

Instead of“What are you doing?! Mark up!” — they hear panic and freeze. Not the message.
Try“Sam — pick up nine.” — they hear the information and act.

◆Give them the words. Players can’t talk if they don’t know what to say. Teach 5–6 cues and use them constantly.

The team’s shared cues

Individuals: “man on” · “turn” · “time” · “switch” | Team: “shift left/right” · “step/drop”

◆Build talking into the drill — make it required to succeed.

Set it up

In a walkthrough, the team must hear “shift left/right” or “step/drop” before moving as a collective unit — no call, the rep doesn’t count. Then progress it to communicating as a team with opposition pressure.

?Ask, don’t tell

After a breakdown: “What did you need to hear from each other there?” Let them name it — then run it back.

👁What you’ll see on the field

Players calling for each other before the ball arrives, organizing the team as a unit, and staying composed under pressure instead of shouting — because clear info travels faster than emotion.