Reinforcing Team Culture with Targeted Symbolic Rewards

What coaches reinforce has a better likelihood of getting done because it sets expectations for players.

 However, external rewards can undercut internal motivation, especially when players know the reward before the act (this is called “contingent reward” and should be avoided).

Targeted symbolic rewards are a tool to reinforce desired actions you want from players without undercutting internal motivation. A symbolic reward is not something of value in and of itself, but something that represents a sentiment (i.e. a game ball, lollipop, picking the music to play at next practice, etc.). After games or practices, recognize players using a targeted symbolic reward for valuable, unsung activities. Some examples of actions to hand out targeted symbolic rewards for:

• Marking opponents on defense
• Hustling after loose balls
• Supporting a teammate
• Bringing positive energy
• Sharing about themselves
• Overcoming a mistake and hanging in there
• Being graceful in defeat
• Using self-regulation to calm emotions in a heated moment