EP 100: The Best Way to Start Practice

🎙️ The Hours

Author

Tyler Coston
January 21, 2026

Hey Coach,

Last week, I caught myself doing something I knew I shouldn't have...

I walked into a gym and immediately started scanning for:

  • missed assignments

  • lazy closeouts

  • and the other usual things I see going wrong

I know better than this.

🤦

I fell into the same trap I thought I'd gotten over years ago...

Looking for problems, instead of looking for progress.

My filter was broken. Even after years of telling myself to do the opposite.

If this sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Your default lens is probably broken. Most coaches naturally scan for mistakes. That means you're entering practice looking for problems, and your players feel it immediately.

  • The 6-to-1 ratio isn't arbitrary. Research shows negative feedback impacts players five times more than positive feedback. If you're not deliberately stacking positives, you're operating at a psychological deficit.

  • You can still teach without correcting. Find a player doing it right and spotlight them. The rest of the team will self-correct by comparison. You're still coaching—you're just changing the delivery system.

  • Specific beats generic. "Good job" doesn't count. Name the behavior: "Tyler, I love how your hand and foot hit the floor at the same time on that stride stop." That's what creates clarity and confidence.

  • What they remember isn't what you think. Your players' strongest memory of you will likely be a negative moment—even if you were a good coach overall. That's human psychology. The question is: are you intentional enough to change it?

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Set a timer for the first 15 minutes of your next practice. During that window, you are only allowed to give specific positive feedback.

No corrections.

No "but."

Just find and name what's working.

Track your ratio if you can. Most coaches land around 1-to-3 (one positive for every three corrections). Even getting to 1-to-1 is a massive shift.

Listen to the full episode here:

Stay SAVI,

-Tyler

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