When it comes to team talks and effective communication as a field hockey coach, the one lesson that stands out from Mati Vila’s masterclass is this:
Before you speak, read the emotional state of your team and empathize with what they’re experiencing in that moment.
It’s a deceptively simple concept and, for many experienced coaches, perhaps not even new. But its importance—and the impact it has on performance and buy-in—cannot be overstated. In the high-pressure contexts we face in the Hoofdklasse, international fixtures, or at the youth level, emotional pulse sets the stage for whether your technical and tactical messages will land, or simply wash over distracted minds.
Why Does This Matter?
Hockey is no longer a “one speech fits all” game. Since the introduction of the four quarters, matches themselves are a sequence of emotional arcs, requiring the coach to recalibrate and refocus at multiple moments. If you launch into instructions without connecting with your team’s state—whether they’re flat, anxious, angry, or already confident—there’s a high chance your message will miss the mark.
Players—senior or junior—bring the whole week with them to game day: stress, fatigue, excitement, nerves. Approaching team talks first as an exercise in emotional alignment is crucial for resonance. As Mati Vila shares, “If you are like in a too much different emotion than your team or you try to speak in a different emotion... you are not going to really connect with them.”
How To Use This – Your Practical Routine
Pause and Observe: Before you start talking, take 30 seconds to observe your players. Read body language; listen to what’s buzzing through the group. Are they scattered, focused, tense, or out of energy?
Acknowledge, Then Address: If your team is tense, acknowledge it. “I see we’re a little tense. Let’s use that—tighten up, but let’s keep our heads clear.” If they’re flat or distracted, name it and bring them back. “Eyes in, switch on—let’s reset for the next quarter.”
Adapt Your Tone and Message: Match your tone to the moment. Don’t overload detail if attention is low; keep things pointed and concrete. If the mood is flat, bring energy (without becoming a caricature). Empathy doesn’t mean coddling—sometimes, matching firmness to their state is what’s required.
Connect Individually, Even in Groups: Vila recommends occasional brief, personal messages—“find a moment to whisper a word just for them before play resumes.” That establishes trust and reminds everyone they’re seen, not just herded.
Make Every Talk Matter: Keep it short, clear, and always with an explicit sense of purpose. “Why does this half matter?” As Mati Vila says: “What are the stakes? Why do you care? Why should they care? Sometimes it’s about winning and sometimes it’s about pride, progress…”
Integrating Empathy: Day to Day
This isn’t a game-day-only strategy. Integrate emotional checks into your training week. When debriefing after practice, open the floor for a few observations—not just about tactics but about how the team felt about the session. Over time, this teaches your team that their emotional state matters and that you are attentive to it. Players become more likely to share what they’re experiencing, and you get better at reading what’s unspoken.
In summary, the finer points of team talk structure—who speaks when, how much detail, tactics vs. “let’s go!”—matter. But none of that matters if you aren’t tuned to the group in front of you, right now. Empathy before strategy is a force multiplier for everything you try to achieve in critical moments.
The 3 Main Takeaways for Field Hockey Coaches
Let’s dig deeper into the three most impactful lessons from Mati Vila’s approach to team talks—each one with practical frameworks you can use immediately in your coaching.
1. Team Talks Are Not Monologues—Active Engagement Unlocks Solutions
Many of us grew up with the image of the coach as a solo voice, dictating what happens next. But as Vila highlights, the modern team talk is far more about orchestration and dialogue, not lecture.
Practical Tactics:
Brief & Focused: “Keep it short, brief and simple,” he insists. The modern player—especially at senior levels—“just wants to get back in the game or go and play. They aren’t really in a listening mode.”
Clear and Consistent Directions: Don’t overload—stick to “one or two big themes or ideas,” always grounded in what you’ve worked on during the week, not on game-day inspiration.
Open the Floor Intelligently: At crucial moments (especially halftime), invite opinions—“Better few relevant coaching points with also an opinion from players than monologue.” This isn’t group therapy, and it isn’t democracy, but it is engagement: ask “How did that first half feel?” to the right leaders, not everyone at once.
Coaching Is Problem-Solving, Not Problem-Pointing: “We are there for giving solutions on the problems.” If emotions are high or attention is low, don’t just call it out—offer a clear way forward.
In Your Training:
Regularly build moments into practices where players diagnose issues or set priorities for a drill’s focus. Get them used to articulating, not just receiving. This not only raises their tactical IQ but establishes the habit of engagement, so when you need honest feedback on match day, you get it.
2. How You Deliver Is as Important as What You Deliver
Consider the “how”—your demeanor, tone, body language, the physical proximity of your squad during team talks. These “soft skills” are actually high-performance levers, and hockey teams—like all human groups—mirror the leader they see.
Key Insights from the Session:
Emotional Calibration & Composure: “The team at the end is like a reflection of the coach. So the way you show, the way you act is what your team is going to also show.”
If you’re out of control, your team will reflect this.
Conversely, display composure and clarity, especially when the game turns chaotic or emotional.
Energy Management – Not Volume for Volume’s Sake:
“Don’t confuse positive energy at certain moments with emotional outburst… One thing is to have a very positive energy; another is to be just on screaming and yelling.”
In tense moments (e.g., after a contentious umpire decision), add energy or calm as needed, but always intentionally—never habitually.
Physical Closeness Matters:
Mati Vila: “Stay close, maintain physical proximity during team talks. Feel close to each other. This will foster a sense of teamwork… the human being is about this to get good connections…”
Implementation Tips:
In matches, especially in the short two-minute breaks, call the group together (not some spread out semi-circle). You can even sit with backs to the stands so focus stays inward.
Use silence strategically; a few seconds’ pause can sometimes command more attention than raising your voice.
If you need to call out a player or give a “whispered word,” do it discreetly before the restart.
Apply this to your staff as well—avoid four people talking during breaks. Most points in-game should flow through the head coach. Keep the “one voice” principle to preserve clarity and impact.
3. Adaptation Over Dogmatism – Know When to Stick and When to Switch (with Player Buy-In)
Perhaps the most underrated—and least formulaic—element of Vila’s philosophy is the ability to pivot mid-game, and to do so in a way that brings players with you, not behind you.
The Decision Tree
After a poor quarter or first half, ask yourself:
Was the game plan correct, but not executed?
If so, double down—reinforce positively, get team leaders to verify, and repeat the central messages from the week’s prep.
Are there doubts?
Solicit quick, targeted feedback from experienced or influential players. Do they see what you see? “If you are not sure… let some experienced players also have an opinion to see.”
Is it clearly failing?
“If definitely it’s a no… just change. But then convince the team that you have to switch and go immediately on a plan B…”
But this switch isn’t a surprise—“be a coach who likes to have at least a plan B which is already also talked and trained during the week.” Panicked, off-the-cuff tactical shifts usually create uncertainty and erode trust.
Practical In-Game Usage:
At Quarters: Use the two-minute break to gauge, not micromanage. If things are simply off, focus on energy, attention, and a couple of cues for the next period—save wholesale changes for halftime.
At Halftime: If a tactical change is required, use this longer window, with clear visual aids if possible, and make sure key players are on board before rolling it out.
Player Involvement: Involve the right voices in confirming or adjusting the plan. This both disciplines your instruction (as impulsive new systems rarely thrive) and generates buy-in.
In Your Weekly Work:
Set up “if-then” scenarios in sessions. If we’re 0–2 down, what’s our adjustment? This makes switching plans second nature, rather than a shock.
Honorable Mention: The (Often Forgotten) Emotional Debrief
At the end of the game, don’t skip the immediate huddle—even (or especially) if emotions are raw. Vila notes, “if every player goes off the game with a different idea, then they go in an interview and one says one thing… or parents or public or whatever.” Use this quick meeting to:
Acknowledge emotion (win or lose, anger, pride, frustration)
Set the shared narrative (“Here’s what we learned, here’s what’s next…”)
Reinforce continuous learning—“every match into a lesson and transforming mistakes into opportunities for growth.”
This not only solidifies your leadership but ensures the group moves forward together, with a unified sense of what matters.
Bringing It All Together for Training and Match Day
Empathy first—diagnosing where your players are, coaching the actual people in front of you, not the team you wish you had. Brevity and clarity over volume and detail, using dialogue and select key voices for input. Composure and energy management—setting the team’s collective emotional state by example, not just words. Flexibility, building tactical adjustments as part of the week, not as desperation. And finally, create shared meaning and closure right after the final whistle, every time.
If you internalize these three principles, you’ll find your messages land cleaner, your teams remain more responsive when under pressure, and your squad invests more deeply in your approach. This is what generates not just “performance,” but sustainable development and a true team identity—no matter what level you coach.
