Post Game Talks
Avoiding Traps and Building Morale
It may seem odd, but I think everything surrounding post-game talks is fascinating. Rarely are emotions neutral after games…. people are either feeling pretty good or pretty bad. And those emotions are probably mixed among the team. After a win, there are likely a few players (at least) disappointed, mad, or frustrated with their performance or playing time. After a loss, there are probably a few feeling pretty good about their performance or looking forward to something they are doing after the game. Not to over dramatize it, but there are a lot of complex dynamics going on after the game.
In writing this post, I reflected on memories I have of post-game talks as a head coach or player. As a coach, all but one of post-game talks I remember are from when I blew up and acted in a way that wasn’t helpful and I regret. As a player, the only talks I remember are the ones where the coach blew up.
So, what do we do with that?
In our opinion at ICP, little is gained or learned from post-game talks and there is a lot that can be lost. Post-game talks, if not routine and intentional, are more likely to hinder the team and the relationships within it than help it. And very little will likely be remembered.
The game needs some sort of closure though, and everyone expects the coach to say something. So, what do you do?
Here is our suggestion…
Our football coach at Friends University is Terry Harrison. He is highly successful in terms of winning, having a positive environment, and off the field academic performance and behavior. He is very good at what he does. After a particularly bad loss in his first year, he followed the same routine that I had heard from previous games and didn’t blow up on the team. From my perspective, a blow up was probably understandable.
The following week, I asked him about the post-game talk. He said he had learned from someone to have a short routine after games that players know is coming and that keeps him from saying anything he would regret. He ever invited fans and parents out to the post game talk. I am not sure if that was for accountability to stay under control, but it seems like it would have that effect. His post-game talk went like this:
Ask 1-2 players to mention plays that changed the game (good or bad)
Have an offensive player put up a defensive player and a defensive player put up an offensive player.
Wrap Up, thank the fans, and then he tells them to go hug the people that came to see them play.
*If it is a milestone win, they also take a team picture.
I think this is ingenious. So simple and easy to follow. And in the bad emotional moments, there is a plan to go to instead of winging it. When Terry shared this with me, it immediately resonated, and I wish I had known this during my coaching career.
There are a lot of ways this can be done---if you have questions or want to talk about different ideas on how to execute it, don’t hesitate to reach out to us or comment below!