EP 99: How to Get Players to Learn Faster

Hey Coach,

When coaches talk too much, players learn too little.

The fastest way to help your players improve is to use the Plus One Principle.

In this episode of The Hours, Mark and I break down the Plus One Principle: A layered teaching approach where you identify the most foundational skill or behavior, master that first, then add one more thing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Teach one thing at a time. When you tell players to get low, catch ready, rip through, attack on the first step, and seek contact all in one breath, they only remember the last thing you said. Pick the most important foundational thing and start there.

• The three ways coaches impede the learning process. First, they give players too much at once. Second, they start with advanced concepts before the basics are solid (like putting the roof on before building the walls). Third, they move on too fast before players actually own the skill.

• Start practice with organization first, then observe, then plus one. Give them the basic structure (who has the ball, what game you're playing, the rules). Let them play. Watch for what breaks down. Then add one coaching point and let them work on just that thing.

• Turn players into problem-solvers by using discovery-based teaching. When players figure things out through guided exploration instead of being told what to do, they start coaching each other and stop depending on you for every answer.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

List every player on your team right now.

Write down one thing each player needs to get better at. It could be body language walking in the gym. It could be attacking closeouts. Pick the highest leverage thing. Coach that thing this week. Do it again next week. It doesn't have to change week to week.

You'll talk less, your players will improve faster, and you'll build something that lasts.

Listen to the full episode here:

Stay SAVI,

-Tyler

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