IntelliSport

Summary

Steven Kerr explains that many coaches reward athletes for behavior that contradicts behavior that the coach hopes to encourage. For example, "Most coaches disdain to discuss individual accomplishments, preferring to speak of teamwork, proper attitude, and one-for-all spirit. Usually, however, rewards are distributed according to individual performance. The college basketball player who passes the ball to teammates instead of shooting will not compile impressive scoring statistics and is less likely to be drafted by the pros." Coaches should re-examine whether they are hoping for one behavior, while rewarding another.

Implementation

• Examine what behaviors are currently being rewarded, not just by your coaching staff, but by other athletes, your athletic department, and by fans. Are these behaviors the same as the behaviors you hope to encourage?
• Reward both on highly visible and less visible behaviors. For example, it is easy to reward statistics such as points scored or winning percentage, but it could be more important to reward less "visible" behaviors, such as teamwork and honesty. After all, good teamwork is usually the precursor to better statistics.
• Align your coaching mindset to encourage the desired behaviors. It is important to show your athletes that you get excited about the behaviors you are trying to encourage.