In sport, feedback is the information athletes need to receive about their performance.

The purpose of feedback is to compare present with desired performance - information athletes must have if they are to improve their skills.

Three Main Messages of Feedback

In coaching, while working with your athletes to bring out their best, effective feedback to the athlete will have three main messages:

• "You are okay as a human being."
• "Here's what you are doing well..."
• "Here's what you need to do to improve your performance..."

Tips for Giving Effective Feedback

So, after you have already given careful evaluation to the performance of an athlete, you need to decide how you are going to help them. Follow these tips to give effective feedback:

• Make sure that what you say tells the athlete more about their performance than the result already has.
• First, tell the athlete what they have done well.
• Be specific and precise about what the athlete should try to do to improve.
• Give direct feedback about changeable behavior. An error caused by lack of strength, for example, is not immediately perfected!
• Give feedback as soon as possible after the performance.
• Make sure the athlete understands your feedback.
• With young or less skilled performers, keep feedback simple.

Here is an example of effective feedback:

"Good effort, Cindy (you are okay). You were tight on the end of the board that time (what you did well). Now, for the next three dives, think of two things: knees up and arms straight (specific, precise, changeable, simple). Show me here what you are going to do (understood). You got it! Now go do it!"