ESTABLISHING "GROWTH MINDSET" 
Using Feedback as a Tool

PLAYER FEEDBACK MEETINGS (Formerly and sometimes referred to as EVALUATIONS).
The same concepts below are applied to WSA Coach & Director feedback meetings and WSA Board and Executive feedback meetings. 

PURPOSE OF FEEDBACK: 

1. Begin or expand a conversation and dialogue with the athlete (and stakeholders/parents). 
2. Objective is for person to exit with desire to improve - build a growth mindset in the person. 
3. Objective is for person to develop a pathway towards improvement. 
4. Goal is for evaluator and person to learn more about each other through the process.
5. Purpose of feedback is to deepen relational equity between player & coach.

6. Successful feedback engages both coach and player in the "process" of growth, positive change, and improvement. 
 

NOTE ABOUT THE TRUTH: Feedback is well known to be highly sought after, and disliked.  An odd combination of attributes.  Most studies have found, especially in adults, in corporate settings, that feedback is NOT DESIRED (even insomuch as adults claim they prefer feedback).  In most cases people want affirmation, and confirmation of their VALUE and NOT actual feedback. A person who desires feedback, actual information from another that constructs an opinion of how they have gone about performing, is rare and unique.  In fact genuine desire of FEEDBACK Is uncommon based on almost all studies. 

THREATS OF FEEDBACK:

1. Receiver feels disenfranchised or alienated. 
2. Receiver believes the authoritative figure does not believe in or will rely on the athlete. 
3. The authoritative person misplaces and/or abuses authority in the feedback loop. 
4. Bad information is shared, and the wrong focus is developed for the Action Plan towards improvement. 

MAKING FEEDBACK USEFUL:

1. Person of authority must embrace GROWTH MINDSET (belief that failure is part of a process towards becoming more and believe that everyone can in fact become more). 
2. Person of authority retains HUMILITY to UNDERSTAND that they do not KNOW ALL.  The feedback they supply may in fact be wrong, is really only worth an "opinions" (and opinions as they say are like....). 
3. Environment to supply feedback is safe, comfortable, and understanding. 
4. Athlete embraces a Growth Mindset. 

• A process should be established from training ground, to game day, to the feedback meeting of what "growth mindset" is.  If the coach has been applying this to the culture and environment of the team, then this should easily transfer to the feedback meeting. 
• If the coach in fact is of "fixed mindset" then it will require much work to radically change both the coach and athletes "mindset". 
• WSA Soccer DEMANDS that "Growth Mindset" is the applicable learning and teaching methodology practiced.
• The most common mindset that is currently operable is a FIXED MINDSET.  It is not a "bad" way to think.  It simply limits our capacity. Some of the greatest in their field possessed fixed mindsets (John McEnroe, tennis, Kobe Bryant, basketball, Henry Ford, automobiles, Muhammad Ali, boxing). 

THE PLAYER MEETING

Setting the Scene:  Set a tone and create the environment

• Safe - athlete should feel confident to communicate openly 
• Comfortable - athlete should feel comfortable (i.e. not an examination or evaluation or review)
• Honest - athlete and coach must agree to speak honestly (not hurtfully) and to become offended towards an end of agreeing on deliverables 
• Accountable - the action plan should become written with at least nominal metrics towards accountability (i.e. athlete wants to become a more vocal leader - create a mechanism to practice, and to measure progress by assigning 3 training sessions where athlete is responsible to coordinate the backline, and then journal success and challenges). 

COMMUNICATE OBJECTIVES OF THE FEEDBACK MEETING TO CREATE FOCUS
Examples Below:

1. We are going to try to reach an agreement today on one improvement code that will best transform you as a player.  

2. You will tell us what can make your team  better.  You can be honest.  You cannot be disrespectful.   We (coaching staff) can agree or disagree, but we promise to listen and write down your suggestions (one of our staff takes notes - even if illegible). 

3. The IDAP: You will create an INDIVIDUALIZED DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN for the next 6 months.  When you leave this meeting you will have something in writing that is your IDAP (Individualized Development Action Plan) or begins your IDAP. 

WRITTEN, SCORE EVALUATOR METRICS 

A "player evaluation" is a written detailed list of player attributes with scores assigned to each. 

This can be a valuable tool for many athletes, and not useful or potentially hurtful to other athletes.  

The coach should produce an understanding that the subjective score metrics are simply a "coach opinion" if a written evaluation is used.  Scores should be kept from "meeting to meeting" to evluate and benchmark improvement or regression.  

These tools are great to instigating and catalyzing discussion. Often the details in the evaulation will produce a better understanding for athlete (and stakeholder/parent) of the comprehensive toolkits of well-rounded players, the comprehensive view of the game, and also the enunerous decisions a coach is using in determining all manners of coach decisions.  This tool, as a means of revelation can be VERY HELPFUL. 

It is important that the coach does not isolate this tool as the ONLY portion of feedback. 

It is also important that objective analysis is offered in the evaluation: attendance scores, on time scores, juggling scores, timed runs, sports performance metrics, fitness scores, ground cover scores, statistics tracked (turnovers, possession stats, goals/assists, key passes, recovery runs, max velocity), etc...  Information and data that is available will vary per team, and age and level of team. 

EXAMPLE OF WSA'S CONDENSED PLAYER FEEDBACK WRITTEN TOOL

EXAMPLE OF WSA'S WRITTEN PLAYER EVALUATION TOOL MS EXCEL

SUMMARY: THE HALLMARKS of this FEEDBACK EVALUATION IN REVIEW:

1. Player Participates
2. Agreement is Reached

3. Honest Debate is Required
4. Hurt Feelings are Allowed – But hurting each other is not  

5. Commitment is “Line in the Sand” – no “lukewarm” commitments (any player using the word “I’ll try” or “I’ll probably” should be checked on their "conviction")

6. Permission – players have permission to “not commit”.  The highest source of motivation is internal motivation to do for others.  If the athlete does not feel like they have permission to elect out of this, then they will not fully internalize the decision to take on the commitment with conviction. 
7. Engaging in Process is the real desired outcome (not a better left foot, or faster defender).

8. Process Changes Us –  Engaging in a process of work, sacrifice, effort, will change us, even we don’t reach the goal.  Young athletes may not understand this yet.  That is OK.   

9. Celebrate – if the player genuinely participates in the process - CELEBRATE this.  It is not easy to determine how much effort an athlete puts in "behind closed doors".  Try to tune in to this, remind the athlete only she/he will really know and be sure to help celebrate the athletes EFFORT when you are confident she/he has put in the EFFORT. 

WSA PLAYER FEEDBACK DURING PLAYER PLACEMENT (aka "Tryouts)