Move Forward, Not Backward: A New Approach to Coaching Feedback

If you watch a coach on the sidelines of a youth sports game, you might notice them giving feedback on a play that just happened. This makes sense—the athlete likely tried to execute a move, missed the mark, and the coach responds by critiquing what went wrong. But what if we flipped this approach and focused on Feed Forward instead? Rather than dwelling on a past mistake, Feed Forward shifts the focus to what can be improved for future success.

Feed Forward, a concept introduced to us by our National Advisory Board member Colleen Hacker, creates a more positive environment by helping athletes move beyond their mistakes and focus on opportunities for growth.

Consider this example from a soccer game: an athlete gets close to the goal, should take a shot, but dribbles too much and loses the ball. The coach says, “You were close enough to shoot, but you took too many touches and missed your chance.” In this case, the athlete only hears about what went wrong, without any guidance on how to improve next time. This can lead to frustration and defensiveness, making it harder for them to move beyond the mistake.

Now, imagine the coach saying, “Next time you’re that close to the goal, try taking the shot sooner so the defender doesn’t have time to pressure you.” This small change shifts the focus to future action, giving the athlete a clear, positive direction.

Reframing feedback as Feed Forward:

  • Emphasizes potential over past performance
  • Provides athletes with clear, actionable steps to foster growth and improvement
  • Encourages a forward-thinking mindset by focusing on future opportunities rather than past mistakes

Next time you’re coaching your athletes, try using the Feed Forward approach to help them focus on the possibilities of ‘next time’ and embrace opportunities for growth.