Negative players exhibit behavior that teammates may start to imitate, so it's important to nip problems in the bud. Negative players are difficult to motivate, so monitor your team's attitude and mood, especially after a significant loss. Encourage the team to focus on the positive aspects of playing by commending good performances and offering regular, constructive feedback.
Function
In any situation, players can take an optimistic or pessimistic point of view. A player with a positive attitude will encourage other players and focus on having fun. A negative player will downplay positive aspects of a situation and focus on the downside. The negativity introduced by a single player can infect the rest of your team, causing everyone's mood to suffer.
Disruptive Behavior
Many types of negative behavior can destroy your team's morale. Some examples of negative actions are cursing, being overly aggressive, complaining about difficult training exercises and throwing equipment. These types of behavior make a situation tense and disrupt everyone's concentration. Lacking sportsmanship is also a disruptive behavior. When a team wins, its players should be gracious to the losers. Gloating, bragging and teasing the other team are negative behaviors you should curb and punish immediately.
Poor Self-Image
Other types of negative players might react badly to a loss or failure by focusing on their poor performance. Beating yourself up over failure is understandable, but players should learn how to accept failure with grace. Otherwise, they can have a negative effect on teammates, who might start to examine their own performances and blame themselves. After a poor performance, players should resolve to work harder, but they should also be confident that they can improve.
Remedy
An effective coach recognizes the signs of a negative player and takes action to stop the bad behavior before it takes root elsewhere in the team. If you notice any players exhibiting negative behavior, take them aside immediately and warn them stop. If there is no change, consider benching them. For youth players, discuss any disciplinary actions with parents, who need to know about their child's behavior to help correct it. Deal with the situation as delicately as possible to avoid offending the parents and worsening the problem.
Member Comments