Just because we know how to talk doesn’t mean we know how to communicate. How many times have you been misunderstood or misunderstood someone else though you clearly heard what was being said? Have you ever had to say, “What I meant was…” or you’ve been told, “What I was trying to say was…”? We tend to overlook these statements because we usually manage to work things out and that is why the statement is being said to begin with. But how many times do our statements go unchecked? How many times are we not questioned because of our position or title? How often do we not communicate with each other when we think that we have?

At the freshmen level we play a fifth quarter after the regular game has ended to give the players who are still learning an opportunity to play and learn on the run. As such, coaches are allowed on the field to give instruction. During one such fifth quarter I noted a guard who was not getting his drive block done on our run plays. When the boys came back into the huddle I quickly explained to him his short coming and coached him up. I told him that the defensive lineman was nothing more than a blocking sled dummy and his job, like with the sled in practice, was to hit him low and drive, drive, drive to the whistle.

Back in the huddle I give the players the play. Up to the line of scrimmage they go. Down! Set! Hut! The center snapped the ball and this lineman firers off like never before! He hits the defender nice and low, gets his hands up under the kid’s pads and he drives him 10, maybe 12 yards. Back to the huddle he comes with the widest grin ever. “Kid, you did a great job on that drive block, one of the best I’ve ever seen. Too bad it was a pass play.” I forgot to tell him in my instruction that the drive block is used on run plays only. He did exactly what I told him to do!

It is so important to think before we speak. It’s too easy to fly by the seat of our pants, and some of us can do it fairly well, and hope to get by. Especially when it’s something important that needs to be said. If I’m planning on speaking to the team regarding an important matter I often will take a 5×7 card and just jot down key words or statements that I need to touch on. It doesn’t have to be a typed speech. Sometimes I can get by simply by just running through my mind what I want to cover and that will suffice. If I’m going to be speaking to a group of parents you better believe I’m going to have things written down! The bottom line is being prepared. I never trust to chance that which is important and risk not being understood. The last thing I want to have to do is explain myself later. If there is something that needs saying, then prepare a little, say it plainly and be done with it.