How to Improve Player Buy In

We can write the best training programme in the world, but if players don’t buy into it then it can be all for nothing.

Football is a complex team sport, in which you have to deal with different nationalities, personalities and individual preferences.

What might work for one player, might not work for another.

More experienced players, who are used to a certain way of working, can be difficult to gain buy in from.

Even young players, yet to mature fully, can cause problems with programme buy in.

Improving player buy in isn’t a simple, overnight approach.

It can take a while to engrain certain practices within the minds of a player.

One example was when I first started using GPS devices with players back in 2009.

Wearing GPS during training was a new concept, and as you can imagine most players didn’t take kindly to it (some even hid the devices in the training ground!).

It took months of persuasion and education before players were happy to consistently wear the devices once they saw the benefits for their performance.

So how can you improve your own players but in?

Let’s dive in.

Build Trust and Relationships

It’s likely that you will spend more time at the training ground with players than you do at home.

There should be ample opportunities to build relationships with players on a personal level.

Whilst we should keep a professional boundary, finding out more about the players goals, experiences or interests can help with general buy in.

In the book ‘How to win friends and influence people’ by Dale Carnegie, he talks about the importance of letting the other person do most of the talking and for you to be a good listener.

The same for remembering small details – for example, their children’s names, things they have been up to recently, etc.

One of the best ways to build trust with a player is to go through a difficult time and come through the other end in a positive way.

This might be following a string of bad results, or helping the player through a long-term rehab process.

As mentioned earlier, trust and relationships are built over time. It takes conscious effort to put yourself in from of players and engage in conversation.

Educate the Players

One of the biggest mistakes we make as physical performance practitioners is underestimating players knowledge and curiosity.

We can be guilty of talking down to players or thinking because they don’t have a bachelors degree in sports science that they won’t understand what we do.

One thing I’ve found over the years is that players are quite inquisitive about their training, nutrition, performance, etc.

Therefore, don’t be afraid to explain the science behind what you do. Obviously, you need to pitch it in a simple and relatable way, but don’t keep things a secret from them.

The use of data or visuals can also be a huge help in educating players.

Having objective information about the impact of a particular aspect on their performance is the golden ticket.

You can also explain the long-term benefits of what you are doing.

With players now having careers into their 40’s, it’s now clear that by adhering to physical performance principles, players can have both a longer career (increased earning potential) and career longevity (i.e. playing for longer at a top level).

Leverage Leadership and Peer Influence

Getting team captains and senior players on board with your way of thinking is going to make or break your player buy in efforts.

That doesn’t mean that you should ignore the more junior players in the squad, but tackling the big fish first is a wise move.

Ideally, your senior players will be the most professional of the group anyway.

However, if for example you move to a new club and try and bring a different way of working in, senior players will naturally put their guard up.

By utilising the two principles previously outlined to build relationships and education, having senior players on your side will then filter down to the rest of the squad.

One key thing is to be adaptable and open to change.

Keep an open mind to modifying training plans based on individual player needs.

Don’t just ignore what the senior players say, listen to find out what they are used to, stick with what works and make some subtle suggestions on how to improve certain areas for them.

Take Home Messages

Improving player buy in is the crucial step between theory and performance outcomes.

Below are some key take home points around how to improve player buy in:

- Build trust and relationships with players over time. Become a good active listener and find out what makes them tick individually.

- Use the power of education to enhance your player buy in. Don’t be scared to share information with players, but do so in a simple and effective way.

- Make sure you get senior players on your side. This will help to filter down to the rest of the playing squad.

Do you struggle to get player buy in with your work and feel like you are hitting your head against a brick wall?

My Football Physical Performance Community is designed to help practitioners improve their skills and career level.

Check out the community here.

That’s all for this week. See you next time!