In a team sport, what a coach or manager says to a team is often shrouded in mystery especially when the team performs better after the break and ultimately wins. A legend is then born about what happened during the team talk.
As fans, one often wonders as to what may have been said to the players by their boss as a way of last minute tactical change. A fascinating insight was written by a former rugby player who is now a sports writer. He stated that as a professional rugby player, he could only remember ONE half-time team talk clearly. His team had struggled in the first half and he was on the substitute bench and t half time, this was what his coach instructed him, " Mate, I need you to do a job on on this p**k." This was of course a monstrously powerful French prop.
He was also part of a team that one underwent a psychological study as to how one best absorbed information when under mental or physical stress. As a control, the players were given a 'tip sheet' that contained as much as 78 tips. They were then bombarded with instructions and aggressive, sweaty affirmations to psych them up.
After a few months after the conclusion of the study, it was only when the psychologist had guided coaches and managers to rationally and calmly offer orders information that things changed.
Performance was better when only TWO tips were written on the 'tip sheet'. The shouting and back-slapping gee-ups stopped and simple and reduced communication started. All players then felt that they had a clearer role as what was expected of them. As elite players, they should be good enough to respond to actions.
Most coaches seem the need to shout things, almost as if that was what they thought they had to do. The best coaches always stay calm, take their time and give players as little as possible to remember. Shouting and balling means nothing.
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