NABC Chaplain’s Corner Game Changer Pastor Donnell Jones

“An athlete who fears failure is less resilient and coachable. Teammates who view each other as competition struggle to work together well.” GAME CHANGER

by Donnell Jones, Pastor, Grace Covenant Church DC

www .GraceCovDC .org

Coaching great John Wooden describes a coach as someone, “who can give correction without causing resentment,” . A coach’s correction is like fuel for the team . This fuel can be of low quality or of high quality . Lowquality fuel uses techniques of shame, while high-quality fuel uses techniques of respect . Have you ever harshly ridiculed a player in front of the team, or pitted players against each other through comparison? These are techniques of shame . Many coaches use techniques of shame to motivate their teams, viewing shame as an effective fuel, but shame is very damaging to performance . Ridicule creates an environment in which failure is feared and athletes are less able to cope with pressure . Comparison makes teammates’ competition . An athlete who fears failure is less resilient and coachable . Teammates who view each other as competition struggle to work together well . The documentary, ‘Gamechangers’, shows the results of pro athletes changing the way they feed their bodies . Fuel their bodies . As the lowquality fuel is eliminated and only high-quality fuel is depended on, their health and performance transform for the better . Your correction is fuel for your athlete’s performance and improvement . Put in low-grade fuel - harsh ridicule - and your athlete’s performance will degrade over time . Put in high-quality fuel - respectful correction - and your athletes will better be able to grow . In the 2018 World Cup, England finally ended almost 30 years of losses due to penalty shootouts . Dr .Pippa Grange has been heralded as the woman behind this transformation . She worked with the team to address their several shootout failures . Her strategy involved fostering a team culture of connection - players were instructed to get to know each other - and instilling the idea that, “you’re worth is not connected to whether you make that kick or not . ” Grange’s approach was successful because she disconnected a player’s worth from their performance, the exact opposite of what shame does . This produces athletes who, rather than fearing failure - and the ridicule that will ensue - are resilient and eager to learn from their mistakes . Players who are able to cope well with the pressure of the game . Grange’s focus on team culture created an environment in which players respect each other and respect the team . This allows for working together effectively . What is the form of your correction? Is it shame or respect? I challenge you, coach, assess the quality of the fuel you are using to drive your team . Your correction influences how resiliently your players respond to failure, and the culture of the team as a whole . Provide your players with high-quality fuel and it will be a game changer .

Pastor Donnell Jones is pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Washington, D.C., Character Coach for the Maryland Terrapins and Chaplain of the NABC.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the NABC.