The briefing before the start of a match or a competition is a privileged lever of action for the coach: it is an opportunity to create conditions favourable to performance. But what is an effective briefing? It is difficult to make generalizations, as the context may vary: individual vs. team sport, the importance of the competition, the psychological conditions in which the athletes approach it (confidence, anxiety), the nature of the opponent, the possibility for the coach to intervene during the competition or not. Nevertheless, here are some important points of reference for a successful briefing:
- it should be short: people's attention span is limited, especially in a potentially stressful situation. It is therefore necessary to focus on the essential message(s).
- it must be specific: what could be more boring for a sportsperson than to hear the same phrases over and over again, competition after competition, match after match. A speech heard 10 or 15 times clearly loses its effectiveness. Especially as you don't approach a home competition the same way as an away competition, nor a game as a favourite as a challenger.
- It should be focused on what the athletes need to do, rather than on the issue or the opponent. This has the merit of giving the athletes a sense of control over the situation, and of focusing their attention on things that are within their control. It will also allow the athletes' performance to be evaluated after the game not on the basis of the result, but on the basis of the expected behaviour.
- it must be adapted to the needs of the athletes: some coaches even conduct interviews during the season, before the most important events, to ask their athletes what they expect from their coach in the minutes before the competition. Knowing the athlete well thus allows the coach to have the most appropriate posture.
- it must be positive: so-called "negative activation" should be handled with great caution. Insisting on risks, criticising and even more so threatening, generally causes excess stress in athletes. It is better to encourage, motivate and positivise.
- Finally, for all the reasons mentioned above, and given the impact it can have on athletes' performance, it must be prepared.
