Improve Player Understanding in Meetings with Targeted Questions
Each day, coaches gather their players in meeting rooms to review material for the next day and go over plays from the previous day. These meetings are one of the best things we can do as an organization and a system. However, there is still significant room for growth when it comes to player development in the classroom setting — beyond simply holding meetings, which is just the first step in the process.
As effective as these meetings may be, small improvements can still be made to enhance our instructional practices as coaches. Today, we’ll focus on one specific method to improve:
Checking for Understanding
“It’s not just about teaching; it’s about ensuring players understand. Asking questions and getting feedback during meetings helps you know if the message is landing.” — Tony Dungy
One common challenge coaches face is assuming that because we’ve explained a situation or concept, the players have automatically learned it. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Just because something has been taught doesn’t mean it’s been understood. This often leads us to ask, “Didn’t we go over this?” or “How did they not get that?” Avoiding these situations is critical to improving player development.
So, what is checking for understanding? Simply put, it’s the process of determining whether players have truly grasped what’s being taught. In schools, this is often done through tests or quizzes. But as coaches, we don’t have the luxury of time for formal assessments. Instead, we can ask questions — lots of questions.
Barak Rosenshine notes, “Questions allow a teacher to determine how well the material has been learned and whether there is a need for additional instruction.” By asking questions, we effectively gauge whether players understand the material. If they don’t, it’s a clear sign that they haven’t fully grasped the concept, and revisiting it may be necessary.
Rosenshine adds, “The most effective teachers also ask students to explain the process they used to answer the question, to explain how the answer was found.” Therefore, questioning should be a core component of our coaching sessions.
How Can We Do This More Effectively?
“The absolute bottom line in coaching is organization and preparation. You have to be organized to be a good teacher.”- Bill Walsh
Plan Questions Before Meetings
One of the pitfalls we want to avoid is asking vague questions like “Does that make sense?” or “Anyone have any questions?” These aren’t helpful; they are transition phrases that can give us a false sense of understanding. We assume that because no one speaks up, the players have understood, and we move on.
This is a mindset we must fight. Assuming understanding without confirming it can lead to missed opportunities for improvement — for both coaches and players.
One of the most effective strategies coaches can use is to plan their questions before a session. As Doug Lemov explains, planning questions “frees you from having to think of your next question on the spot. You can move through questions more quickly and listen more closely.” When we plan our questions, we free our minds to focus on what players are saying, rather than what we need to ask next.
By planning questions in advance, we give ourselves the chance to think about what we want the players to focus on, allowing for more precise and purposeful questioning. This helps us dig deeper into key areas and uncover gaps in understanding.
Planning questions before the meetings will free you to really listen during the meetings. Not having to think about what is going to happen next should be a goal. Your working memory as the coach is freed up so that you are able to listen closely without thinking about yourself the full time. The freeing up of your working memory will let you pay attention to other areas and the players understanding rather than putting the focus on what you need to do next, the focus is all on the players.
Moreover, having questions ready allows us to maintain the pacing of the meeting. A well-paced session keeps players engaged and allows us to move quickly through questions while paying close attention to how well players are mastering the content. No one wants a meeting to drag because the coach is unsure of the next question to ask. By planning ahead, we can reflect on the responses and seamlessly transition to the next teaching point.
Pete Carroll reflects on this:
“Keep meetings engaging and to the point. The worst thing you can do is lose the room. Players need to see the relevance of what you’re saying to their success on the field.”
Every question we ask should be seen as an opportunity to uncover gaps between a player’s current understanding and the way we want them to approach the game. Questioning is one of the most powerful tools we have in any teaching session. By thinking deeply about how we can improve our use of questions, we become more effective in every meeting we lead.
