When things are going well, and everyone is getting along, maintaining and developing a relationship is easy work. But what do you do when there is a disagreement? What if you don’t see eye-to-eye on a situation or topic? This is when communication breaks down, and a relationship can become strained.

We’ve put together a short guide for how to communicate effectively in difficult situations, whether it’s with your teammates, coach, or even a friend or family member.

ACTIVITY TIME
READING TASK:

If you are having a conflict or disagreement with someone, whether that is your coach, a teammate, or someone else, it can be difficult to not get too emotional, and to become defensive. Remember when we introduced you to the concept of ‘objective’ vs ‘subjective’? You will need to separate the parts of the argument that are objective and based in fact, from the parts that are based on emotion…

LET’S HEAR FROM PAUL ON HIS EXPERIENCE oN
DEALING with uncomfortable conversations:

“I got really upset once when my coach didn’t play me in a game. When I asked why, she said it was because some of the less experienced players needed more playing time and confidence. I just thought that she didn’t like me.”

B R A D L E Y , 1 3 , T E N N E S S E E

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Handling Conflict