The power of positive coaching

There’s more than one way for a coach to motivate an athlete. Vince Lombardi did it with inspiring speeches and a dedication to the game that set the standard for the National Football League. Bill Parcells was never afraid to employ a little sarcasm when the situation called for it.
Every successful coach has his or her own style but one fact stands out: Athletes respond to praise and encouragement. And the younger the athlete, the more they respond to positive reinforcement. High school provides the line of demarcation for coaches who often walk the line between positive and negative reinforcement.
 I went to a football game last week where an opposing fan said he’d never seen coaches so negative toward their players. I’m not sure I entirely agreed but I saw where he was coming from. There wasn’t a lot of praise, deserved or not, being passed around.
That’s what made watching Hall-Dale girls soccer coach Guy Cousins in action Tuesday afternoon so refreshing. This was a big game between two unbeaten teams (Lisbon was the other team) and Cousins could have easily been caught up in the atmosphere and got on his players from the start.
He took the other route, and he always does, and found something positive to say about nearly every play and player on the field and when they came to the sidelines. It helped that the Bulldogs played well, but in Class C high school soccer there are far more mistakes than great plays. When he did criticize, and that was rarely, Cousins got after the team as a whole and never singled anyone out.
The Bulldogs won 4-0 but as important as the score seemed Tuesday, it was outshone by the example Cousins set and the genuine affection he has for his players.