Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Helping Athletes Understand Sport Performance Evaluations

Helping Athletes Understand Sport Performance Evaluations

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Apr 03, 2017

No Comments

Athletes working to improve their mental toughness and athletic abilities can accelerate the process by learning how to interpret and use the evaluations and feedback provided to them by coaches.  In order to maximize the information given, it also helps to understand how coaches make their performance evaluations, particularly as this applies to both objective and subjective measurements and feedback.

Subjective & objective data

Understanding the difference between subjective (biased) and objective (empirical) evaluations is an important first step toward effectively using coach feedback to improve mental toughness and athletic performance.  Most coaches use a combination of both when providing kids advice on how to improve their game — for example, a coach might tell one of his athletes that he needs to “work harder” (a subjective evaluation based on what the coach sees relating to the athlete’s effort), but also needs to improve his batting average (an objective statistic generated exclusively by how many hits the kid has, not the coach’s opinion).  In a best-case scenario coach feedback includes both objective and subjective feedback, providing for the most comprehensive information to develop future goals.

Subjective feedback

Examples of subjective coach feedback include the following, but keep in mind what one coach’s opinion is may be very different from another coach, depending on what each coach looks for and values in an athlete:

  • Hard worker
  • Hustler
  • Disciplined
  • Self-starter
  • Tough

Objective feedback

When it comes to objective feedback there isn’t much room for human opinion as the numbers tend to speak for themselves.  The only question, therefore, is how coaches vary in their interpretation of objective data.  For example, a hitter in baseball might have a .275 average — one coach might be thrilled with the average, while another might suggest the kid do more to improve.  Additional objective measures include:

  • Batting average
  • Race time
  • Pitching velocity
  • Touchdowns scored
  • Jump length or height

Some sports, like wrestling, are very objective in that two kids wrestle on the mat and one emerges as a winner based on the total number of points scored in the match.  Other sports, like basketball, have fewer objective measurements and more subjective “coaching calls” when it comes to what players display the best skills and should receive the most minutes.

What to do with the feedback you receive

When it comes to objective data the old saying goes “the numbers are what the numbers are.”  You might think of these measures as simple facts that don’t carry any opinion (other than the opinions others have about the data).  Objective data is nice because you know exactly what behavior to target for future improvement, and you can specifically monitor your progress as you work to get better.  For example, a basketball player shooting 60% from the free throw line can precisely count his shots each day to see if he can average better than 6 makes out of every 10 shots.  Generally speaking, the more objective feedback you receive, the easier it is to set future goals to measure future improvement.

Coaches also provide a lot of subjective feedback, but interpreting this kind of advice can sometimes be tricky without asking for additional clarification.  For example, if the coach says you need to “get in better shape,” that advice can be interpreted in a number of different ways.  Does the athlete need to lose weight? Increase strength? Improve stamina?  Without asking the coach specifically what he or she means, the advice given could be very difficult to interpret and apply.

Final thoughts

Any feedback received form the coach is worth examining, but some athletes get lost in the subjective feedback they receive (i.e. “work harder”?).  When you are unsure what the coach means, it is important to ask for additional clarity so that you actually target the behavior(s) the coach would like to see improved.  Objective feedback is generally easier to understand and implement, but sometimes coaches struggle to find specific metrics to offer athletes.

www.drstankovich.com

Coaching, evaluation, goal, parenting, psychology, setting, sport

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • December 8, 2023 The Psychology of Successful Sports Coaching
  • December 4, 2023 Turn off the Noise for Improved Mental Health
  • November 28, 2023 Understanding Psychology: The Backfire Effect, and Why Facts Don’t Always Matter
  • November 28, 2023 Artificial Intelligence is Delivering Your News More Often than You Think
  • November 20, 2023 Experiencing Depression isn’t a Bug, it’s a Feature of the Human Condition

PREVIOUS POST

The Athlete’s Mind: SOCIAL MEDIA

NEXT POST

Learn How to Immediately Relax Before Big Pressure Games

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Coaching , Evaluating Talent , Goal Setting , Mental Toughness , Prep , Pro , Sport Psychology , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized , Youth and Interscholastic Sports

Tags

Coaching, evaluation, goal, parenting, psychology, setting, sport

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • The Psychology of Successful Sports Coaching
  • Turn off the Noise for Improved Mental Health
  • Understanding Psychology: The Backfire Effect, and Why Facts Don't Always Matter
  • Artificial Intelligence is Delivering Your News More Often than You Think
  • Experiencing Depression isn't a Bug, it's a Feature of the Human Condition
  • Rather than Focus on Youth Sport Results, Try Embracing the Power of Play
  • Exercise Patience with Growing Kids Working Hard for Sport Success
  • The Impact of Psychological Identity Development on Young Athletes
  • Here's What Your Kid Might Not Tell You, But Tells Me
  • Examining Mental Toughness: Attitude, Desire, & Determination
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1207 Grandview Ave., Suite #218, Columbus, OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482

    Media & General Inquiries

    information@drstankovich.com

    Sales & Product Support

    sales@drstankovich.com

  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓