A positive performance on the field is determined by more than just a player’s skill. Players can be affected by things as varied as their mood and their perceived abilities. Coaches play an active role in not only determining what may be affecting a player but also finding ways of helping the player to solve the issue.

Chris has been playing soccer for two years and has the potential to be a great player. However, she appears to have self-esteem issues both in practice and in games. Chris gives up easily and often appears unhappy. Her parents wanted her to play soccer in order to improve her self-esteem, but they are concerned that soccer is not having the desired effect. As Chris’s coach, I can utilize strategies to improve her skills and her self-confidence.

Since Chris has potential but often shies away from challenges, she needs help improving her self-efficacy. Gill & Williams (2008) made note of six primary types of information that impact efficacy expectations: performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, emotional and physiological states, verbal persuasion, and imaginal experiences. They also noted that performance accomplishments have the most powerful effects on self-efficacy.

So how do we apply this concept to Chris’s unique situation? First, we need to increase the number of tasks that Chris accomplishes successfully. To do that, she and I need to set realistic and achievable goals for her during practice and games. It may even be helpful to set short-term goals that can be achieved in a single practice session to allow Chris a sense of accomplishment during each practice. These accomplishments set up a foundation for Chris to build her self-efficacy upon.

Asking members of the team to demonstrate a particular skill for the group that they do well can help Chris (as well as her teammates) to improve her skills. The players may offer their own tips on how they mastered the skill or how they approach completing the skill. Chris may also benefit from being partnered with another teammate to practice her skills or from some additional time working on skills with me.

To help Chris feel more supported, I would encourage the entire team to give positive feedback and encouragement to every member of the team during practice and games. Hearing her teammates cheering her on and having them compliment the things she does well can help Chris to feel more confident in her skills as she progresses.

At the end of each practice, I can go over some of the healthy habits the teams should have both for practice and games. I can stress the importance of good nutrition and being well-hydrated as well as getting enough sleep. Helping Chris (and the team) to understand the link between good health and a positive performance will help her see how feeling better physically will make her a better player.

Chris and I can work on imagining positive outcomes when she attempts something. If she can focus on visualizing herself completing a task successfully, she is more likely to succeed when she attempts it.  And as Vargas-Tonsing & Bartholomew (2006) found that emotional pleas before a game increased the self-efficacy of the team, I’ll also focus on motivating the team before each game as a way of improving Chris’s (and her teammates’) self-efficacy.

Chris has voluntarily continued playing soccer for the last two years, so it’s obvious that she enjoys the sport. Her tendency to give up easily and be unhappy during games may mean that she simply hasn’t been given the encouragement and support that she needs to become confident in her skills. By employing the strategies above, I can help Chris develop her self-efficacy and she can start to really enjoy playing soccer.

References

Gill, D. L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3^rd

      Ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Vargas-Tonsing, T. M., & Bartholomew, J. B. (2006). An exploratory study of the effects of pregame

     speeches on team efficacy beliefs. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36, 918-933.