Managing Behaviour In Trainings: Lessons From The Classroom
The most common challenge a youth basketball coach faces is behaviour management at trainings: it’s after-school, the gym is noisy, players are bouncing balls, chatting to friends, and only half the group is listening. Managing behaviour isn’t about shouting louder than the noise. It’s about clear expectations, calm authority, and building a respectful team environment.
Education expert Bill Rogers has spent decades studying behaviour management in classrooms, but many of his principles translate perfectly to sport coaching. Here are some practical ideas basketball coaches can apply immediately, with a one-page tip sheet provided at the end.
The First Sessions Set the Tone
Behaviour patterns usually emerge in the first few sessions with a new team. Players test boundaries and figure out what the expectations are.
You might see:
Players calling out or chatting to friends
Dribbling balls while you’re talking
Fidgeting with equipment
Players struggling to focus during explanations
This is normal. The key is how the coach responds.
Lead with Calm Confidence
Players respond best to coaches who project calmness and confidence - not arrogance or anger. Your tone matters.
Instead of asking players to behave, effective coaches give clear, respectful directions that signal the expectation is already understood.
Use “Thanks”, Not “Please”
One of Bill Rogers’ simplest behaviour strategies is surprisingly powerful: use “thanks” instead of “please” when giving directions.
When coaches say “Can you stop talking please?”, they are often asking for permission rather than giving direction. Players may hear it as optional.
Instead, Rogers encourages coaches and teachers to phrase instructions as clear expectations. For example, instead of
“Can you stop talking please?”
Try:
“Alright team, settling down thanks.”
Or:
“Balls on the ground thanks.” “Eyes in thanks.”
Using “thanks” assumes the behaviour will happen, rather than negotiating for it. The tone remains positive - you’re not demanding compliance, you’re signalling that the expected behaviour is already understood. Over time, players quickly learn that these short cues mean “the coach expects our attention now.”
It’s a small language shift, but it can make a big difference in how players respond.
Tell Players What TO Do
A powerful behaviour strategy is to focus on the desired behaviour, not the mistake.
Instead of saying:
“Stop dribbling.”
Say:
“Balls on the ground and eyes on me.”
This keeps communication positive and instructional.
Settle the Group Before You Speak
One mistake many coaches make is beginning instructions while the group is still unsettled.
For example:
“Alright everyone, today we’re working on passing…”
…but half the players are still bouncing balls.
Instead:
Settle the group first
Then start speaking
Example:
“Alright team, balls on the ground… eyes in… settling down thanks.”
Once attention is there:
“Great. Today we’re working on passing.”
Scan the Group WHILE TALKING
Effective coaches constantly scan the group with eye contact.
Often this alone corrects behaviour.
A quick glance toward chatting players signals awareness without needing to interrupt the whole team.
Tactical Ignoring
Not every reaction needs attention.
Eye rolling, sighs, or small protests often disappear if they aren’t fuelled by a response.
Rogers calls this tactical ignoring.
If behaviour needs addressing, it can happen later in a one-on-one conversation, rather than during the session.
This keeps the session flowing and avoids power struggles.
Use the “Excuse Me Team” Reset
When a few players are distracting the group, Rogers recommends a brief reset without confrontation.
Example:
Signal to the group you are pausing the instruction: “Excuse me for a moment team”
Briefly address the disruptive player: “You’re still chatting there, I need your attention.”
Refocus to the group and Immediately continue with the session.
Correct → refocus → move on.
The 1–2 vs 3+ Rule
A useful reflection rule Rogers uses:
1–2 distracted players → likely a player issue
3 or more distracted players → check your coaching
It might mean:
The explanation was too long
Players waited too long for a turn
The drill isn’t engaging enough
Sometimes behaviour problems are session design problems.
Ignore Minor Reactions
Eye rolling, sighs, or small signs of frustration don’t always need a response in the moment.
Often the best strategy is tactical ignoring.
You can always address behaviour later in a quiet 1-on-1 conversation:
“I wanted to circle back to the 1v1 drill where you looked frustrated after my feedback”
The Power of the “Micro-Conversation”
One of the most effective coaching tools is what Rogers calls micro-teaching — a short one-on-one conversation while moving around the group.
Instead of confronting behaviour publicly, try:
“How are you finding the drill?”
“Where are you up to?”
“How can I help?”
This shifts the conversation from discipline to support.
Give Players Ownership
Rather than issuing punishments, give players choice between engaging in the task or taking the space required.
For example:
“You can keep working on the drill, or take a minute on the sideline and come back ready.”
Then give them time to make the choice. This is called “take-up time” - allowing players space to correct their behaviour themselves.
Build Trust by Asking “How Can I Help?”
Instead of asking:
“Why aren’t you working?”
Try:
“I noticed you’re not working - how can I help?”
This avoids putting players on the defensive, keeps the focus on the task and keeps the relationship positive.
Partial Agreement
When players push back, Rogers suggests partial agreement.
For example:
Player: “This drill is boring.”
Coach: “Maybe it is for you right now - I’m sure you can still give it a go.”
You acknowledge their feeling without giving up the expectation.
Focus on the Environment You Control
Coaches cannot control everything happening in a young person’s life. But we can control the training environment.
Our job is to create a space that is “SWISH” (credit: Forward Pivot):
Safe
Welcoming
Inclusive
Structured
High Energy
When players feel that environment, behaviour usually improves naturally.
Other TIPS FROM THE MBA’S DIRECTOR OF COACHING
Be a “streetsweeper of negative behaviour” - your energy and instruction should set a standard urgency and engagement.
Use countdowns (5..4…3..2..1) to get players hustling to set-up activities, and and challenges to motivate them in activities (your challenge is to be the first pair to reach 5 passes)
Link their behaviour to their individual goals and aspirations (“I know you want to make the 1’s team next year, and I want to see you achieve that goal, so we need to work on your behaviour”)
Engage parents if their child is misbehaving early, and approach from a place of care. For example “I want to get the best out of Johnny”, rather than “Johnny is distracting the other kids”.
CLOSING THOUGHT
Behaviour management isn’t about punishment. It’s about creating a team culture where players want to participate and support each other.
When expectations are clear, communication is calm, and relationships are strong, behaviour problems become much easier to manage.