WAS THIS ESSENDON GOAL A PRODUCT OF POOR JUNIOR COACHING LANGUAGE?

Over the weekend I posted a clip from the Essendon/Collingwodd game on some of my socials with this message -

"...Coaching Language Fails‬

‪“Push over and help” when you miss a kick.‬

‪Drummed into players very early and works at training as the drill/play is all in front if you but in a game it looks like this.‬

‪Coach Better..."

Here's the video from the Essendon/Collingwood game in question along with my follow up video:

If it was indeed a past coaching laguage fail we'll never know unless we get to ask Varcoe directly but this just shows exactly how the use of language in coaching can have a strong affect on game outcomes, both positive and negative.

For years coaches have used the "push over and help" thing at training which is a controlled environment against zero opposition but when there is opposition such as during a game then are you expected to leave your man and push over and help?

I sure hope not as you're now making a single problem many problems with far worse consequences.

I have another video below with what "I" think should have happened but does that matter going forward?

Not really because unless we can see what Varcoe saw at that particular time, then we'll never know why he reacted in that way.

As a coach you need to ask him "what did you see there?" and only from that answer can then you start to breakdown what happened and how to help him see more information and thus react differently next time.

Simply telling him what he should have done does nothing because it does nothing for the way he processes information. 

So make sure that you are using the correct language as often as you possibly can which will be hard with all the "filler" footy talk that goes on but it can have far greater implications on your players then you'll even know.

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