This applies to everyone, but it s especially true for student-athletes. Combine what they want to hear with what you want them to know it gives them a reason to listen further rather than tune you out. Avoid outdated phrases, paint pictures with your words, but never use profanity or offensive language. Keep it short break up long speeches into shorter segments with breaks in between. Audio-visual aids can exponentially increase both understanding and comprehension.
Clarity is extremely important with young athletes because they have shorter attention spans.
You must connect with them both intellectually and emotionally, speaking to their hearts as well as their heads. Look to their generation of star athletes for stories to inspire them. The Gender Approach Today s female athletes are reaping the benefits of Title 9 and the popularity of the WNBA and Women s World Cup team. Scholarships and other opportunities are more plentiful for today s female athletes, which makes them more goal-oriented. Many coaches and athletes agree that female athletes tend to lose themselves in team effort while males are more individualistic and comfortable in the spotlight.