The main problems in the
communication process
According to Laios (1999), the main
communication problems, between coaches
and athletes, are the following:
. Limited time. During games the coach has
limited time to communicate with his
athletes. In this short period of time, the
coach should transmit directions and
thoughts and also be assured that the
athletes have understood everything,
although they are tired and not in their
best mental condition. Limited time is
more obvious during half-time breaks,
time outs and extra time periods.
. Language. Another important
communication problem is the language
used. Many European teams are
composed of players from different
countries who speak their own language,
especially after the Bosman case.
. Ability of perception. The coach during the
communication process, even when the
roadblocks of limited time have been
removed, faces the problem of ``ability of
perception''. Ability of perception means
that every athlete perceives and decodes
differently the messages sent by the
coach.
. Negative attitude. The attitude that
athletes show is an important factor in the
communication process. Young players'
attitude greatly affects the way they
perceive and execute the directions of the
coach. Negative attitude shown by
athletes during practices and games
creates an unhealthy climate and
negatively affects team performance.
. Emotional condition. Refers to forces
within the communication that interfere
with the ability to express or understand a
message accurately (Alder and Rodman,
1994). Very often athletes do not understand the message sent by the coach
because it is perceived as something else.
. External factors. Factors that are not
directly related to the coach or athletes
could also affect the communication
process. These factors are called external
and are hard for the coach to control.
Such factors are the spectators, the
officials, the opponents and the noise.
The reaction of spectators, the behavior
of the opponents, the noise during games
and the whistles by the officials could
negatively affect the communication
process. All the above could distract
coaches and athletes, resulting in
ineffective communication and ultimately
in bad performance (Laios, 1999).