Providing Feedback That Works

How to Give Feedback That Builds Trust and Drives Improvement**

Great feedback is a game-changer. It’s the difference between building a player and breaking their confidence.

But feedback only works if it’s delivered the right way. It’s not just about what you say — it’s about how you say it, when you say it, and how the player receives it.

Here’s how to make sure your feedback is heard, trusted, and effective.

🎯 Why Feedback Matters

You can’t build great athletes without feedback. It’s the mirror that shows them where they are and how to get better.

✅ Feedback provides clarity. 

✅ Feedback builds self-awareness. 

✅ Feedback motivates change and improvement. 

✅ Feedback reinforces progress.

But here’s the thing: 👉 Feedback is received in the context of a relationship. If the player doesn’t feel valued, respected, and understood, even good feedback will be ignored or resented.

🔑 Building a Foundation of Trust

Before you even start providing feedback, you have to build a relationship of trust.

📌 Build Trust By:

• Listening actively and consistently

• Showing genuine care and concern for their growth

• Being honest, but also fair and respectful

• Not only pointing out flaws but also recognizing strengths

• Staying aware of their emotional states and timing your feedback accordingly

  
  

💡 If the player feels like you care about them as a person — not just as a performer — your feedback will land better.

📌 How to Provide Effective Feedback

Here’s a simple process that works when you use it consistently.

1. Pick the Right Time and Place

Not every moment is a good moment for feedback. During a game? Too late. Right after a tough loss? Maybe not.

📌 Best times for feedback:

• During a planned session (film study, 1-on-1 meeting, practice)

• After emotions have cooled and focus is back

• In private, when possible, for constructive criticism

• Immediately after a successful effort for positive feedback

2. Make It Objective and Descriptive

The more specific and descriptive your feedback is, the more useful it becomes.

📌 Avoid: 

❌ General comments like “You need to work harder.” 

❌ Attacking the player’s personality: “You’re lazy.”

📌 Use Instead: ✅ Describe the exact behavior: “I noticed you weren’t closing out on shooters during the drill.” ✅ Focus on observable actions, not vague impressions.

3. Focus on Behavior, Not Personality

Feedback should target actions and decisions, not character.

💬 Instead of: “You’re just not a leader.” 

💬 Try: “I noticed that during the drill, you weren’t communicating as much as I know you can. Clearer communication would help your teammates understand their roles better.”

📌 Why it works: It’s about what they can change, not who they are.

4. Make It a Two-Way Dialogue

Feedback isn’t a lecture. It’s a conversation.

📌 Encourage Self-Reflection: 

✅ Ask them how they felt about their performance. 

✅ Encourage them to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement. 

✅ Guide them to come up with solutions.

💬 Example: “What do you think went well? What felt off? What would you try differently next time?”

📌 Why it works: When athletes have ownership of the feedback process, they’re more likely to apply it.

5. Offer Constructive Suggestions

Telling a player what’s wrong isn’t enough. They need to know what to do about it.

📌 Effective Feedback Formula:

1. Describe what you saw.

2. Explain why it matters.

3. Offer a clear path to improvement.

   
   

💬 Example: 

✅ “I noticed you were forcing your shots under pressure. If you stay patient and look for the extra pass, you’ll find better opportunities and help the team flow.”

6. Create a Plan Together

Feedback without a plan is just criticism.

📌 Mutually Agreed Action Plan:

• Identify what needs to change.

• Set a specific, measurable goal.

• Outline steps to achieve it.

• Agree on a timeline.

• Schedule a follow-up to check progress.

  
  

💬 Example: 

✅ “Let’s work on your decision-making under pressure. For the next two weeks, we’ll focus on reading the defense and making the extra pass during practice scrimmages. Then we’ll check back in and see how it’s feeling.”

7. Follow Up and Reinforce Progress

When you see improvement, acknowledge it. Reinforce what’s working and keep building on it.

💬 “You’ve been making great decisions under pressure lately. That patience you’ve been working on is showing up in games. Keep it up.”

📊 Feedback Methods

🔍 DESC Method

1. Describe: The issue you’ve observed.

2. Express: The impact of that issue.

3. Specify: What needs to change.

4. Consequence: The positive impact of making that change.

   
   

💬 Example:

• Describe: “You weren’t communicating during defensive switches.”

• Express: “It left your teammates confused about who was guarding who.”

• Specify: “Calling out screens early will help everyone adjust and play better.”

• Consequence: “If we clean that up, our defense will be a lot tougher.”

🥪 Feedback Sandwich

1. Start with something positive.

2. Offer constructive feedback with specific suggestions.

3. End with encouragement and actionable solutions.

   
   

💬 Example: 

✅ “Your effort on defense was excellent — you were really active. To make it even better, focus on calling out screens earlier. That way, your teammates can react faster. Keep bringing that intensity — it’s making a difference.”

🧠 Take These With You:

 ❤️ “Feedback builds players — criticism breaks them.” 

❤️ “The best feedback is descriptive, not judgmental.” 

❤️ “If the plan isn’t clear, the feedback doesn’t matter.” 

❤️ “Every conversation is a chance to build trust or destroy it.”