Leadership

The Training Ground Edit: Your Plan for On-Field Teammate Feedback

Rhema Adelaja · National Champion & 4x DUX · August 2026 · 6 min read

Afraid to give feedback to a teammate? Learn a simple, conflict-free method to share honest advice that lifts your team's performance and builds trust.

You see it. The same mistake again. Your teammate is a good player, but this one habit is holding them back. It is holding the team back. You open your mouth to say something, then you stop. What if they get defensive? What if it starts an argument or makes things awkward? So you say nothing. The moment passes. The standard drops a tiny bit.

This hesitation is normal. But it is also dangerous. You feel like you are keeping the peace, but you are actually letting a problem grow. Silence does not fix things. It allows small issues to become big ones. Over time, these unaddressed problems hurt the team. Unresolved team conflict can reduce performance by 15-20%. Staying quiet feels safe, but it costs you and everyone on your squad.

The Choice Is Not Silence or Conflict

You think you have two options. Say nothing and watch the standards slip, or speak up and risk a fight. This is a false choice. There is a third option. An option where you give honest feedback that helps your teammate, improves the team, and actually makes your relationship stronger. It is not about being confrontational. It is about being clear and supportive.

This requires a plan. You would not go into a match without a game plan. You should not go into a difficult conversation without one either. Having a structure for your feedback removes the emotion and guesswork. It gives you a clear, simple path to follow. This is not about becoming a robot. It is about being an effective leader.

A Framework for Clear Feedback

The best way to give feedback is to make it objective. It should be about the game, the drill, the action. It should not be about the person. When you take the personal judgment out of it, your teammate is more likely to listen. We are going to look at two simple frameworks you can use on the training ground.

Start with SBI: Situation, Behaviour, Impact

The SBI model is simple and direct. It is perfect for in-the-moment feedback during a training session. It has three steps.

It sounds like this. Instead of saying, “You are too slow on the ball,” you say, “Situation: In that last possession drill. Behaviour: When you received the ball and took an extra touch. Impact: The defender had time to close me down and I was no longer an option for a pass.”

See the difference? The first version is a personal criticism. The second is a tactical observation. It is about helping the team solve a problem. I played with a winger at my academy who was incredibly fast, but he often held the ball for too long. I waited for a quiet moment during a water break. I used this exact model. I said, 'In that last attack, when you beat your man but took that extra touch, it allowed their second defender to get across. I was open in the middle.' He did not get angry. He nodded. He knew I was trying to help us score, not criticise him personally.

When the Problem is Bigger: The DESC Script

Sometimes the issue is not a one-off mistake. It might be a recurring behaviour that affects the whole team dynamic, like someone who is consistently late for warm-ups. For these situations, the DESC script is a powerful tool. It helps you structure the conversation clearly and state what needs to change.

Describe, Express, Specify, Consequences

This four-step model adds an emotional component and a clear request.

Describe the situation with facts. Express how it makes you feel using “I” statements. Specify the change you need to see. Explain the positive Consequences of that change.

For example, imagine a teammate is always talking while the coach is explaining a drill. You could pull them aside and say, “Describe: When the coach is talking, you often make jokes with the person next to you. Express: I feel frustrated when that happens because I miss important details about the drill. Specify: I need you to listen quietly while the coach is speaking. Consequences: That way, we will all know what to do and can run the drill properly from the start.”

This script works because it is direct but not aggressive. You own your feelings without blaming. You are clear about what needs to happen next. You finish by showing them how their change benefits everyone.

The Foundation Is Always Trust

These frameworks are just tools. They will not work if your team does not have a foundation of trust. If your teammates think you are trying to make them look bad, they will not listen, no matter how well you structure your words. Building that trust is your first job.

How do you do that? First, give feedback privately whenever possible. Public criticism can feel like an attack. A quiet word on the side shows respect. Second, make sure your feedback is about raising the team's standard, not just pointing out a flaw. Your intent matters.

Remember that good communication is not about talking all the time. The quality of communication matters far more than how often you talk. Make your words count. Over time, you build a culture where honest feedback is seen as a gift. It is a sign that you care enough to help someone improve. Teams that get this right are more connected and effective. In fact, well-connected teams that communicate well see a 20-25% increase in productivity.

Your voice has power. Research on handball players showed that encouragement from teammates had a bigger impact on performance than encouragement from the coach. You can lift each other up. Giving good feedback is a part of that.

Your Next Step

Knowing the theory is one thing. Putting it into practice takes courage. But you do not have to become a perfect communicator overnight. You just have to start.

This week at training, I want you to find one small opportunity. Look for a moment to use the SBI model with one teammate. Just once. 'Situation: In that drill. Behaviour: You did X. Impact: It meant Y.' That is it. Keep it simple and direct. See what happens.

The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to begin. This is what leadership looks like in practice. It is taking shared responsibility for the team's standard. It is building people up, not tearing them down. It starts with one honest conversation.