Public Speaking Skills and the College Athlete

After a game, who cares. But if you are going to put players in a more formal interview environment (media days, etc), then imo you've got an obligation to make sure that they can represent themselves--and the university--in a manner befitting a place of higher learning.

Unless you're Auburn or F$U, in which the primary goal is to make sure they say nothing incriminating.

I don't want to carry this subject outside the realm of sports, but I have always thought that with each new generation people become less able to articulate themselves with good grammar. Can your average teenager today utter a sentence without incorporating slang, "um", or "like"? Even at my age, I wish I could better convey my thoughts.

"I'm on the tidefans website, and you know...we were like, talking about whether or not athletes should...um...be able to like talk better and stuff."

If it means that young men become equipped to express themselves, I'm "All In" for someone giving them instruction.

Interesting subject. Frankly, I think we recruit student-athletes who are focused on their total development. That certainly includes communication skills. I know there is some prep work for future interviews.
Public speaking, like all skills, is something you learn to do by doing. Practice is the only way. The key is learning to do it in a comfortable environment, and you can learn to do it successfully. Fear of failure is the greatest single killer of success in all endeavors. Until anyone learns to address and overcome those fears, effective communications at any level is difficult.

Capstone46 said:

Frankly, I think we recruit student-athletes who are focused on their total development.

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I agree for the most part. I had classes in the last 5 years with many of the players - and I did see that some of them are unfortunately not terribly engaged in the classroom (but that's just how college is, football or not). That being said, though, I also had classes with many of them that were totally dedicated and extremely smart. For example, Arie K is a super sharp and really nice guy.

Anyways. As I recall, our guys do get some overarching guidelines about talking to the media, but I'm not sure how much coaching they get individually.

I would like to think that everyone in America is capable of learning to communicate effectively. Anything beyond that is just a bonus, and I don't mind slang. But when I listen to some people speak, they convey a steam of consciousness instead of a well considered message. They seem to be in too large a hurry to answer a question or to express themselves to carefully consider exactly what they want to say. The result is a mess.

For a great example, listen to Jameis Winston - anything at all that he has said. Not to pick on him, but he probably has no idea what he just said after having said it, and his listeners have no chance.

It should be enough to simply think before you speak. If people are going to judge your choice of words even though you expressed your thoughts clearly, that is on them.

BamaMoon said:

Communication is hard and some will misunderstand you, even when you try and are trained. To choose to mumble and stumble through life without trying will make it all the more difficult.

Some of us have had to work at it harder than others, but the point is, if you struggle with something it'll take some effort from you or someone who cares about you to help you overcome it.

I'd be shocked if this is something that CNS hasn't built into his "process" to help student athletes.

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This. Coach is such a stickler for all the details. He wants people to represent the University and team in the right fashion. I would guess that extends to interviews and if the players aren't required to take some coaching on it, at least it is available for those who want it. As you know given your background, the hardest thing to do is to maintain your poise and eloquence when you are excited, tired, in pain, etc. Unfortunately, it is just those times that the media most want to talk to the players. It is not just grammar, pronunciation, pauses, structure, etc. I would also coach the players on dealing with really stupid questions, because there are a lot of them. Before the raw video of interviews and press conferences started appearing on the internet, I didn't realize how many stupid questions were out there.

To some extent eloquence is a gift and some people just will never have it. Certainly, being a good athlete doesn't guarantee it (unlike other traits -- every good athlete I have ever been associated with had a really good sense of balance).

I think you make an excellent point. Reminds me a little of the scene in Bull Durham where Crash makes Nuke write down his interview cliches.

I took a couple of public speaking classes at Bama back in the mid 90s and they really helped me out.

I would be happy if the person being interviewed could put a complete sentence together.

jthomas666 said:

Unless you're Auburn or F$U, in which the primary goal is to make sure they say nothing incriminating.

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That's a skill in and of itself which the Barn and Free Shoes University have excelled at. :biggrin2:

Oh my gosh! How funny that I check TideFans, and this is the first thread. I teach high school (primarily juniors, some seniors). We have a new principal this year, and one thing he is requiring all classes to have is a student representative each week. The student rep has certain tasks. For example, he or she has to stand each day, introduce himself or herself, read the outcome, and the before/during/after strategies (which are listed on the board, so they have a cheat sheet). At the end of the block, the rep will stand and call on classmates to answer 4 basic questions. If a visitor ever comes to the room, the student rep is to stand, go to the visitor, shake hands, introduce him/herself, welcome the visitor, tell what we are doing in class that day, and ask if there are any questions. All this is doing is teaching these kids how to COMMUNICATE effectively because communication is a huge part of the college and career ready standards, and potential employers expect potential employees to be able to communicate. You would think we are asking the kids to cut out their own kidney.

Public speaking comes with experience, although I'm sure it could be taught....but experience is the best teacher. I mean look at TJ Yeldon...He's able to speak to the Media more and more today than he was as a sophomore. Although TJ may be a quieter type person, the experience in public speaking for him, I imagine has helped his person, as it would for all young folks. Heck, I still hear professional atheletes who are horrible with grammer when it comes to public speaking. So to some it may help, and to others during their life cycle revert back to a lot of slang and not very good sentence structure when they talk. JMO

Even the POTUS struggles with this . Every sentence he utters has an umm or ahh !

BamaMoon said:

Communication is hard and some will misunderstand you, even when you try and are trained. To choose to mumble and stumble through life without trying will make it all the more difficult.

Some of us have had to work at it harder than others, but the point is, if you struggle with something it'll take some effort from you or someone who cares about you to help you overcome it.

I'd be shocked if this is something that CNS hasn't built into his "process" to help student athletes.

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Could Roy Johnson & the L2L group help them? Hey more trophies right??

Dadleyblane wrote
"Public speaking comes with experience, although I'm sure it could be taught....but experience is the best teacher. I mean look at TJ Yeldon...He's able to speak to the Media more and more today than he was as a sophomore. Although TJ may be a quieter type person, the experience in public speaking for him, I imagine has helped his person, as it would for all young folks. Heck, I still hear professional atheletes who are horrible with grammer when it comes to public speaking. So to some it may help, and to others during their life cycle revert back to a lot of slang and not very good sentence structure when they talk. JMO"

Experience is only the best teacher in building confidence and overcoming the fear of speaking if it is a successful experience. Voters in READER'S DIGEST polls have always voted public speaking as the #1 fear (dying is #7 so most people would rather die than speak in public). William James, the father of modern psychology in the states once wrote, "do the thing you fear the most and do it successfully and the death of fear is certain". Th key to developing any skill is to do it in slow, gradual, easy steps never asking the person to do something they cannot do successfully. The reason CNS keeps practically all freshmen away from the microphone is not only to keep them from saying something inappropriate, but so they will get accustomed to the spotlight and be more comfortable in it. Courtney Upshaw is a tremendously success story of how someone developed well in the spotlight. When he first got at the University, he spoke so softly you could not hear him. He and Terrance Cody were almost afraid to talk to people. Both are more effective communicators now. I don't mean they are polished public speakers but my definition of effective communications is being able to take the thought, the picture you have it in your mind and put it in the mind of your listener. I know we help our players grow successfully and mature through our program.

Communication skills are probably the most important skills a person can have as a young adult coming out of college. You can be the most brilliant person in the world, but if you cannot articulate that to others around you, they will assume you're dumb as a brick. I work in IT as a consultant, so I have to use communication skills every day. I have interviewed countless individuals and can tell you that someone who cannot communicate properly has very little chance of getting a job worthy of their talent level.

As for athletes, being able to communicate properly will help them later in life, especially during and immediately after college. Things like dating, working with professors, and interactions with fans are only successful if you can communicate clearly. When you graduate, you'll either have to interview for a job or you'll be talking to agents and owners. No matter what, if you can't speak and communicate clearly, you have a greater chance of failure or of making mistakes.

It has nothing to do with race...as others have said. When someone constantly says "uh", "um", and "like" they are just as bad as someone who mumbles or mispronounces words.

Most colleges make freshman take a communications/speech class within the Alabama University system. And just as I am a prime example, not everyone who takes the class comes out able to perform. It teaches techniques, styles, formats, and methods. But it does little to alleviate the fear. That can only be diminished through practice and experience.