The Coaches’ Clinic - Positive & Negative Goals

This week the Falcon’s coaches are attending the annual Perceptual Psychology Coaches Clinic at the University of Chicago. Below is a copy of the program. They are especially looking forward to hearing Dr. Pierro’s presentation on Positive and Negative Goals and how they can use this information in coaching their young Falcon players. Notes and takeaways below.

Coaches’ Clinic

University of Chicago - April 19-20

Theme: Setting and Reaching Your Goals

Time: Presenters/Topics:

9:00 a.m.

Patty Graves, EdC The Use of Senses in Setting Goals

10:30 a.m

Harry Dievers, UH Visualizing Your Goals

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m.

Peter McGahey, WVU Player-Centered Coaching

2:30 p.m.

Carol Hunter, NW-St. Working with “B-team” Players

4:00 p.m.

Rudy Druid, OK A&M Writing Your Goals Correctly

Dinner 7:00 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Peter S. Pierro, EdD

Turning Negative Goals into Positive Goals

Positive and Negative Goals

Children, that is you and me and everyone else, have goals that determine their behavior. The concepts stated here agree with the work that was done by Rudolf Driekurs and Albert Adler. They asserted that the child’s behavior is based on his search for significance within the social setting – in this case, on his place on this team.

Positive Goals are beliefs and actions that are acted upon by the child to achieve a desired place on your team – a place that they hope to have. The person’s behavior is in agreement with the behavior that has been determined to be necessary to attain the goals of the specific social

group – she is acting in a manner that is enabling her to belong to and contribute to the group.

Negative Goals are beliefs and actions that are turned to and acted upon by the children who feel that they are not being allowed to reach their desired place on the team – a place that they deserve to have. The person’s behavior is in conflict with the behavior that has been determined to be necessary to attain the goals of the specific social group – he is acting in a manner that is not allowing him to belong to or contribute to the group.

Here’s a list of common behavior goals.

Positive Goals (+) Negative Goals (-)

Acknowledgment Attention

Acceptance/Belonging Power

Justice/Fairness Ego Fulfillment

Involvement Inadequacy

Autonomy Revenge

Community Preference

Accomplishment Assumed Disability

Negative goals are simply Positive goals that have been turned inside out. Not really different, just a difference in perception taken on by the player. And this perception results in a different reaction and action from the players as they attempt to use or reach those goals.

It is important that we realize that misbehavior in one group could be acceptable or even desirable in another group. We are dealing here specifically with an athletic team. Therefore, it is imperative as a coach that you establish clear and consistent behavior expectations and boundaries.

Below are generalized descriptions of the behavior associated with each of these Goals. These are indications of behaviors that may be impeding growth. Note the difference between wants and needs. And be careful with putting labels on individuals as you process and recognize their behaviors.

Positive Goals

Acknowledgment - I want to be acknowledged for what I do and for who I am - give me a pat on the back, a smile, a “nice job,” a nod, any action to let me know that you know that I exist and that you care about me - about who I am not just about what I do on the field.

Acceptance/Belonging - I want to be accepted – to be a member of your team. I want to belong - to do something worthwhile. I want to be sure that I am a member of this team. I qualify for membership simply by being on this team.

Justice/Fairness - I want to be treated as an individual person and to know that I will be on an equal basis with everyone else on the team. I want to trust you that you will be fair to me and to everyone else. I will respond by being fair to you; by trusting you.

Involvement - I want to be a contributing member of this team and I want to help make this team become the best that it can be in every way that I can.

Autonomy - I want to be heard when I have something important to say. I want to help this team by giving positive, helpful, suggestions.

Community - I want to belong to a positive, caring peer group - to be a member of a great community. I am willing to be a responsible, contributing member.

Accomplishment - I want to be a success. Success for me is doing my very best to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself as an individual player and as a team member.

Negative Goals

Attention - I need to be noticed a lot so I will make sure you pay attention to me and to what I am doing, I will behave in such a way that you will not be able to ignore me. I have noticed that if I misbehave in any way, I will get your attention, so I will figure out some ways to really ‘bug’ you and you will have to give me your attention.

Power - I need to be able to take over sometimes, to tell people what to do, and to be able to do whatever I want to do regardless of what is best for me or for the team. If I have to fight for it, I will.

Ego Fulfillment - I need to have people tell me how good I am. If they don’t, I will remind them how great I am. Maybe, if you don’t tell me how good I am, I will believe that I’m not an O. K. person or an O. K. player.

Inadequacy - Sometimes I need to leave the playing field when you want me to do something that I’m not good at. I don’t like to be made fun of for my “poor” playing, by my teammates and by my coaches.

Revenge – I don’t like what you are doing to me. I’m going to make you uncomfortable for

treating me this way.

Preference - I’m supposed to be given preference in the game and at practice because I’m better than the rest of those guys. After all, I’m the guy who wins the games - that makes me special, and I should get special privileges.

Assumed Disability - I really don’t like that I never get to play and I’m not getting anything out of this game. I’m going to quit without really quitting - I’m going to ‘forget’ my soccer shoes, or I’m going to act as if I’m hurt, or I’ll pretend that I don’t care about not getting to play.

Impact on Coaches

The Command Coach will never figure out what’s going on with the Kids and will get into trouble because he will not notice the differences in how they express positive and negative goals. Actually, he probably won’t care about the way the Kids are operating and what they want. He would probably consider any of the Negative Goal activity to be Misbehavior – to be suppressed with punishment imposed.

The Transformational Coach will take advantage of the knowledge she has about each of her unique players and use it to help them succeed in having a significant position on the team and in the game. She would be inclined to interpret the Negative Goal activity to be cries for help and to use appropriate means to help the child.

How do I take advantage of understanding about the unique goals of each player?

I Keep Learning and Growing.

Note that with the Positive Goals the term “want” is used – with the Negative Goals the term “need” is used. Most often when dealing with Positive and Negative factors we are concerned with entirely different factors.

In this case, however, we are dealing with differences in Quality and in Quantity. The player with the negative goal needs more of your time and your empathy than the one trying for positive attention. She needs a higher and deeper level of interpersonal interaction.

All the goals listed above will be acted out in some form of behavior. In your interactions with your players, you will be promoting the achievement of positive goals. Along with your players you want them to be Acknowledged for who they are and what they do; you want them to feel that they Belong in your organization; you want them to feel that you are being Fair in your dealings with them; you want them to be Involved in the process; you want them to have Power in the process; and you want them to have some measure of Success in the endeavor.

While all of this is happening, you don’t want to have any of the unfortunate actions that would be carried out with your players’ achievements of the negative goals. The problem facing the coach is in identifying which trait is being acted out and then dealing effectively with it. One way is to learn all you can about how people operate in this world (and don’t ever be surprised when they act “strangely”). One very valid way is, “Trusting your gut.” - Does this sound right?

Does this feel right? Notice the “Gut feelings” in the following scenarios:

Attention/Acknowledgement – A Scenario

Ben Johnston has been a member of the Adams High School Basketball team for two years. He is far from being one of the stars. In fact, he gets into the game only when the Rockets are either far ahead or far behind. Since he is a junior there is a possibility that he will do better next year. But, that is “next year.” One function he has this year is playing defense against the starting point guard during practices and he really gives him fits. He is very valuable in that role but not many of the game crowd gets to see that.

Head Coach Schmid has his eye on Ben but Assistant Coach Clark spends more time with him. These two men are aware of Ben’s abilities and, more than that, his dedication to the team. So they acknowledge his presence constantly during practice and during the game, they make it a point to speak to Ben and other “subs” when it is appropriate. This is not a “Gut feeling” – it’s more of a heart and head process.

Attention/Power – A Scenario

Betty Irving is the biggest star on the Adams High School Volleyball team. She is a senior and working on her fourth varsity letter. In fact, she has seniority over Head Coach Laura Brovelli, who is in her second year at that position. It seems that Betty feels that she, Betty, ought to have more to say about all aspects of the game than Coach Brovelli has given her. A few of the other seniors on the team kind of lean in that direction. Coach Brovelli observes this and trusting her gut feeling, she knows that it is a

potential problem. What to do?

Coach Brovelli has been around awhile and has seen coaches confront their players; My

Way or the Highway; and knows some not-so-good things can happen – including parents getting involved.

What does Betty want? She wants something to do with running the team. She believes her history with the team gives her some power in running the team.