How to Keep Your Team From Playing Cautiously

Overly cautious play can mean the downfall of a sports team. This is especially true at highly competitive levels of a given sport. Calculated aggression is extremely valuable for a sports team. Players need to know how to go after the objective aggressively without losing control. Fear of injury, of penalties or of anything else results in a team holding back, and this reticence is something that is instantly exploitable by a savvy coach on the other side.

Instructions

    • 1

      Make a pre-game speech that truly fires your players up. Tailor each speech to the specifics of everything that surround that game. Consider factors such as your previous record, your record against your opponents, past insults from those opponents and other motivating elements, such as how in reach the playoffs are. Use these motivating factors to fire your players up and to get them to play with heart and aggression.

    • 2

      Set an example of overly cautious players. Sit someone down for a while if he is playing with reserve. Often, younger players will leap at the chance to get some playing time when a veteran sits out and will hit the game with a spark.

    • 3

      Designate a captain or leader that knows how to inspire a team on the field and to fire them up. A good leader who is in the game is a valuable tool in managing the aggression of your players. For instance, in football, a great middle linebacker who knows how to get his players to attack with all their intensity is a valuable on-field leader.

    • 4

      Encourage good, aggressive play in practice every time you see it. Focus on situations where two players have an even chance of making a play on offense or defense. Often, the one who hustles more and plays with a slightly tougher edge --- without playing dirty, of course --- will be the one to make the play.