Training Coaches to Use Social Media in a Positive Manner · Training Coaches to Use Social Media...

Training Coaches to Use Social Media in a Positive

Manner Dr. Blair Browning Baylor University

Blair_Browning@Baylor.edu

GamePlan

Social Media Intro

Social Media and Sport

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Boundaries

Conclusion

Social Media 101

Social Media 101

Social Media 101

“The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s.”

–Dr. Robert Leahy, Psychology Today

Social Media Intro

Social Media Intro

What is social media?

Peer-to-Peer applications that are characterized by:

User-Generated Content

Collaboration

Community

Information-Sharing

Social Media Intro

Social media has turned every individual into a mass communicator – which is a very powerful thing

Social media is like a 24-hour press conference…it also enables everyone to be a photo/video journalist

Social Media enables individuals to build a personal brand and promote themselves and program

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Social media can be used to promote your program

Share the positive things happening your program

Encourage others to support your team/program

Great way to connect with external audiences

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Great way to connect with external audiences

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Social Media Tools to Promote Your Program:

Facebook – highest number of users, platform where most parents and coaches are

Twitter – where people go for quick information in real-time. Using hashtags (#SicEm) can be great way to connect people

Instagram – Visual platform that is very popular, great for images/short videos

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Tips for Promotion:

What makes your program distinct?

What makes it stand out?

What are the values of your program?

- character example

The answers to these questions represent content that you can share.

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Social Media to Promote Yourself

Share your expertise and knowledge

Connect with relevant stories going on in sport

Motivational

Promote camps/clinics

140 Character Resume

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Build Relationships

Social Media can be used to grow professional networks

Connect and follow others in your sport and in sport industry

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Social Media Tools to Promote Yourself:

Twitter – Platform used by many sport industry professionals, easy way to connect

Following “key” people

Initiating Interaction (e.g., “@xxxx really enjoyed your article on high school basketball)

Responding to those who initiate interaction with you

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Social Media Tools to Promote Yourself:

LinkedIn – most popular social media platform for business networking. Blogging feature is a great way to share expertise

Facebook – can be used to lesser extent to connect with people that you know personally

Facebook allows you to create events that can be easily promoted and can track to see who attended

Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool

Information Dissemination

Social Media is efficient way to disseminate information to audiences

Great way to communicate information to players parents and others (e.g., change in practice times, game delays).

How they Work Together

Twitter:

The “Hub” points people where they need to go

Linking to content on other platforms and outside content (e.g., news stories)

Connection to larger audiences – inviting

Using hashtags to promote games and other events

How they Work Together

Facebook:

Great place for visuals/videos that highlight program/culture

Invite people to share experiences and thoughts

Creating and tracking events

How they Work Together

Instagram:

Visually showcasing what your program has to offer/what makes it distinct

Use hashtags to encourage people to share

How they Work Together

LinkedIn:

Connect with people in sport industry as well as in local and area regions

Share expertise and knowledge through blogging feature

Endorse others for their skill sets and they will reciprocate

Boundaries

Social Media is a valuable tool for coaches with many benefits

However there are risks, particularly for high school coaches who are dealing with minors

Boundaries

Negative Feedback

Using social media opens up opportunities for criticism

While some critique can be positive, coaches should avoid getting into arguments on social media

“Keyboard courage” is evident when athletics are involved

DO NOT escalate situations

Handle through face-to-face interaction

Boundaries/Thoughts from Coaches

“I’m a social media basher. I hate it…Telling a kid not to read it, is telling a kid not to breathe.” – Tom Izzo, Michigan State

“I think what’s added to it now is the constant accessibility … fans can get to the players in more ways than just showing up to the game.” – Chris Collins, Northwestern

Boundaries/Thoughts from Coaches

“If you can’t trust your players on Twitter…you probably can’t trust them on 3rd down”

– Chip Kelly, Head Coach Philadelphia Eagles

Boundaries

Communication with Student-Athletes

Social Media is very efficient way to disseminate group information

However, coaches should be very careful with private communication with student-athletes (including text message)

Would LOVE to skip the obvious perils, but the quantity of stories shows that would be naïve

Boundaries

Boundaries

Recommendations

Coaches should not engage in private communication with any student-athlete on any social media platform including text message

Coaches should never send/request pictures from student-athletes on any social media platform including text message

A policy (in conjunction with school) about social media for coaching staff may be warranted

Conclusion

Social media can be a great tool to promote your program and yourself – use it positively to build and develop relationships

Try and stay mindful of technological developments. Teens are going to be early adopters.

Keep appropriate boundaries with student-athlete interaction and communication on social media.

Conclusion

Social Media is very powerful, but has to be used with caution

Take pride in who/what you represent.

As a representative of your school, people will judge the school by your social media content

You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourself!!

Conclusion

“The question isn’t whether we DO social media, the question is how WELL we do it.”

–Erik Qualman