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Verbal encouragement in coaching: enhancing small-sided game performance in youth basketball players
Osman Yılmaz1, Haitham Jahrami2,3, Ladislav Batalik4,5,6,7
1School of Physical Education and Sports, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Osmaniye, Türkiye.
Background:
Verbal coach encouragement is a key motivational strategy that enhances skill development, game strategy execution, and team cohesion. In youth basketball, where players are still developing technical and decision-making abilities, coach encouragement can play a crucial role in sustaining effort, improving focus, and fostering resilience under small-sided games (SSGs). This study investigated how coach encouragement (CE) influences young basketball players' technical performance and psychophysiological responses during competitive gameplay.
Methods:
Sixteen male basketball players (age = 15.19 ± 1.05 years) voluntarily participated in the study. Heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, mood states and technical activities were recorded with coach encouragement and without coach encouragement during SSGs.
Results:
The results showed that SSGs with coach encouragement were associated with significantly higher heart rate (p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.69), maximum heart rate percentage (p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.15), ratings of perceived exertion (p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.69), enjoyment (p ≤ 0.007, d = 0.86), technical abilities (e.g., successful passes and shots; p ≤ 0.05, d ranging from 1.08 to 1.25), and fatigue (p ≤ 0.03, d = 1.47).
Conclusion:
The findings of this study highlight the importance of CE in improving the psychophysiological and technical abilities of young basketball players during SSGs. CE improves coach-athlete relationships and increases game performance.
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