Correction Is Not Criticism

# Correction Is Not Criticism

Coach stops the drill.

Looks directly at you.

And says:

**"Your platform is too high. You're creating that miss."**

What happens inside your head?

Do you hear the actual message?

Or does your brain translate it into something completely different?

*"Coach thinks I'm terrible."*

*"Why does Coach always pick on me?"*

*"Everyone saw me get corrected."*

*"She made the same mistake and Coach didn't say anything to her."*

*"Coach doesn't like me."*

This happens to athletes all the time.

The coach says one thing.

The athlete hears another.

That's why one of the most important skills you can develop is learning to separate:

CORRECTION

from:

CRITICISM.

Because if every correction feels like a personal attack, eventually you're going to make yourself very difficult to teach.

---

# Correction Addresses Something You Did

Let's start with an important distinction.

A good correction usually addresses:

A technique.

A decision.

A behavior.

An effort level.

A positioning mistake.

A communication issue.

Something that can change.

For example:

**"Your feet stopped."**

That's about your feet.

**"You need to communicate earlier."**

That's about communication.

**"You didn't transition hard enough."**

That's about effort.

**"You're dropping your elbow."**

That's about technique.

None of those statements mean:

**"You are a bad person."**

They mean:

**"Something you're doing needs adjustment."**

Learn to hear the difference.

---

# Your Performance Is Not Your Identity

You made a bad pass.

That doesn't mean:

**You are a bad passer.**

You made a poor decision.

That doesn't mean:

**You are unintelligent.**

Your effort wasn't good enough on one play.

That doesn't mean:

**You are lazy.**

Coach corrected your body language.

That doesn't mean:

**You are a bad teammate.**

It means there was something in that moment that needed to improve.

When athletes connect every correction to their identity, coaching becomes emotionally exhausting.

Every piece of feedback feels like a judgment of who they are.

Separate the two.

WHO YOU ARE

and:

WHAT YOU DID

are not the same thing.

---

# If Coach Corrects You, There May Be a Reason to Be Grateful

Think about this.

Your coach sees something that could make you better.

They stop.

They explain it.

They demonstrate it.

They watch you try again.

They correct it again.

They spend time helping you.

That's an investment.

It would actually be easier sometimes for a coach to say nothing.

So instead of immediately thinking:

*"Why is Coach always correcting me?"*

Try asking:

"What is Coach trying to help me see?"

That question changes everything.

---

# Correction Means Someone Believes Change Is Possible

Think about why we correct something.

Because we believe it can change.

If a coach says:

**"Your transition needs to be faster."**

They're telling you:

**You can transition faster.**

If they say:

**"You need to become more vocal."**

They're telling you:

**You can become a better communicator.**

If they say:

**"Your platform angle needs work."**

They're telling you:

**Your technique can improve.**

Correction often contains an unspoken message:

"I believe you're capable of doing this better."

Learn to hear that part too.

---

# Don't Compare Your Corrections to Someone Else's

This is one of the quickest ways to stop listening.

Coach corrects you.

Your first thought:

*"Why didn't Coach say anything to her?"*

Now your attention isn't on the correction anymore.

It's on fairness.

Maybe Coach corrected her yesterday.

Maybe she has a different responsibility.

Maybe Coach plans to speak with her later.

Maybe you simply didn't hear it.

Or maybe Coach genuinely missed something.

None of that changes the information you just received.

Ask:

**"Is there something useful here for me?"**

If there is, take it.

---

# Your First Reaction Matters

Correction can trigger an immediate emotional response.

Eye roll.

Shoulders drop.

Looking away.

Crossed arms.

Heavy sigh.

Argument.

Excuse.

Silence with obvious frustration.

Sometimes the athlete doesn't even realize they're doing it.

That's why emotional intelligence matters.

You need to become aware of what happens inside you when someone tells you something you don't want to hear.

Notice the reaction.

But don't let the reaction make the decision.

---

# Try the Two-Second Pause

Here's a simple habit.

When someone corrects you...

Don't respond immediately.

Take two seconds.

Listen.

Process.

Then say something simple:

**"Got it."**

**"Okay."**

**"Can you show me?"**

**"What should I feel there?"**

**"Can you watch the next one?"**

That tiny pause gives your thinking brain time to catch up with your emotional reaction.

Two seconds can save you from a lot of unnecessary defensiveness.

---

# Don't Explain Before You Understand

Coach says:

**"You were late closing the block."**

You immediately respond:

*"But the setter..."*

Stop.

Maybe there is context.

Maybe there is something Coach didn't see.

But first understand the correction.

Ask:

**"Where should I have been?"**

Then listen.

If clarification is still needed afterward, have the conversation.

The problem with immediate explanations is that they often sound like excuses—even when you don't intend them that way.

Understand first.

Explain second, if necessary.

---

# Correction Should Produce a Change

This is the part athletes sometimes miss.

Coach says:

**"Finish your platform."**

You say:

*"Okay."*

Next ball.

Same mistake.

Coach says it again.

*"Okay."*

Same mistake.

Eventually, Coach isn't looking for another:

*"Okay."*

They're looking for evidence that you're trying to make the change.

You don't have to execute the correction perfectly.

But your response should become visible.

HEAR IT → TRY IT → ADJUST IT

That's coachability.

---

# Ask for the Next Rep

One of the strongest responses to correction is incredibly simple.

**Want another opportunity.**

Coach corrects your pass?

Get back in line.

Coach fixes your footwork?

Ask for another ball.

Coach points out your blocking position?

Try it again.

Don't disappear emotionally after being corrected.

Correction should make you curious about the next repetition.

"Let me try that again."

That's an athlete who wants to learn.

---

# Tone and Message Are Two Different Things

Now we're getting into something more difficult.

Not every coach communicates the same way.

Some are calm.

Some are loud.

Some are extremely direct.

Some explain everything.

Some use very few words.

You may prefer one style over another.

That's understandable.

But learn to separate:

HOW IT WAS SAID

from:

WHAT WAS SAID.

Maybe you didn't love the tone.

Ask:

**"Was there useful information inside the message?"**

Take what helps you improve.

We'll go deeper into communication style later in this series.

For now, practice extracting the information before reacting to the delivery.

---

# But Not Everything Said to You Is Good Coaching

This distinction matters.

Being coachable does **not** mean accepting humiliation, threats, degrading personal attacks, discrimination, or unsafe behavior.

There's a difference between:

**"Your effort isn't good enough."**

and:

Personal humiliation.

There's a difference between:

**"You need to become mentally tougher in this situation."**

and:

Attacking someone's worth as a person.

Good coaching can be demanding.

It can be direct.

It can make you uncomfortable.

But athletes should still be treated with dignity.

Learning to receive correction does not mean surrendering your right to appropriate treatment.

---

# Learn to Find the Information

Imagine Coach says:

**"You're standing around after you attack. Get off the net and transition!"**

Maybe you don't like how loudly it was said.

Okay.

What is the information?

**I'm not transitioning quickly enough.**

That's the part you can use.

Now fix it.

Later, if there is a genuine communication issue that needs discussion, handle that appropriately.

But don't throw away useful information simply because you didn't like the package it arrived in.

---

# The Correction You Hate May Be the One You Need

Sometimes feedback bothers us because it's wrong.

But sometimes it bothers us because somewhere inside...

**We know it's true.**

*"Your body language changes when things aren't going your way."*

That hurts.

*"You stop communicating when you're frustrated."*

That hurts.

*"You're talented, but your practice habits aren't good enough."*

That hurts.

Before rejecting uncomfortable feedback, ask:

"Why did this bother me so much?"

Sometimes your emotional reaction is information too.

---

# Great Players Still Get Corrected

Don't make the mistake of believing:

**Good players don't need coaching.**

The opposite is often true.

Elite athletes spend enormous amounts of time studying tiny details.

Foot position.

Timing.

Decision-making.

Body position.

Technique.

Strategy.

Greatness doesn't mean graduating from correction.

It often means becoming better at using it.

The higher you go, the smaller the details may become.

---

# Don't Make Your Coach Afraid to Coach You

Think about this from the coach's perspective.

Every correction produces:

Eye rolls.

Arguments.

Excuses.

Bad body language.

Emotional shutdown.

Eventually, what can happen?

The coach begins thinking:

*"Is this worth the fight?"*

That's not where you want the relationship to go.

You want your coaches to feel:

**"I can tell this athlete the truth."**

That's a powerful reputation to build.

---

# Become an Athlete Who Wants the Truth

Praise feels good.

Truth makes you better.

Sometimes they're the same thing.

Sometimes they aren't.

If your goal is development, you need people around you who are willing to tell you:

**"This isn't good enough yet."**

And you need enough emotional maturity to hear it.

You don't need people constantly tearing you down.

But you also don't need everyone constantly protecting your feelings from useful information.

Find people you trust.

Then give them permission to be honest with you.

---

# From the Sideline

Over the years, I've learned that how an athlete responds to correction tells me a lot.

Not whether they make the mistake.

Everyone makes mistakes.

I'm watching what happens when I try to help them fix it.

Do they look away?

Do they explain?

Do they blame?

Do they shut down?

Or do they look at me and say:

**"Show me."**

Then try again?

That's the athlete I can coach.

And something interesting happens over time.

When coaches know an athlete can handle honest feedback, the conversations often become deeper.

The coach can teach more.

Challenge more.

Explain more.

Trust more.

The athlete has shown:

**You don't have to protect me from information that can make me better.**

That's maturity.

---

# CoachMikeDZ's Advice

I don't expect you to enjoy every correction.

You're human.

Sometimes feedback will frustrate you.

Sometimes you'll disagree.

Sometimes you'll be embarrassed.

Sometimes Coach may even be wrong.

But don't let your first emotion decide what happens next.

Pause.

Listen.

Ask yourself:

"Is there something here that can make me better?"

If there is...

Take it.

Try it.

Ask another question.

Get another repetition.

You don't need every message to make you feel good.

You need enough maturity to recognize the messages that can help you grow.

---

# YOUR CHALLENGE

At your next practice, we're going to track your response to correction.

Every time a coach gives you meaningful feedback, mentally go through:

PAUSE → LISTEN → FIND → APPLY

PAUSE

Give yourself two seconds before reacting.

LISTEN

Hear the complete message.

FIND

Ask:

**"What is the actual information?"**

APPLY

Try to change something on the next opportunity.

After practice, write down **three corrections you received.**

CORRECTION #1

**What Coach said:**

________________________

**What information was inside it:**

________________________

**What I changed:**

________________________

CORRECTION #2

**What Coach said:**

________________________

**What information was inside it:**

________________________

**What I changed:**

________________________

CORRECTION #3

**What Coach said:**

________________________

**What information was inside it:**

________________________

**What I changed:**

________________________

Then answer one final question:

WHAT WAS MY FIRST EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO BEING CORRECTED?

Don't judge yourself.

Study yourself.

Because before you can improve your response to feedback...

**You need to recognize what your current response actually is.**

---

# Key Takeaways

• Correction and criticism are not automatically the same thing.
• Separate what you did from who you are.
• A coach investing time in correction may be demonstrating belief that you can improve.
• Don't compare your correction to what another athlete receives.
• Notice your immediate emotional and physical response to feedback.
• Use a short pause before responding.
• Understand the correction before explaining yourself.
• Coachability requires attempting to apply feedback.
• Learn to separate a coach's delivery from the useful information in the message.
• Being coachable does not require accepting degrading, discriminatory, threatening, or unsafe treatment.
• Great athletes continue receiving correction.
• Build a reputation as someone coaches can tell the truth.
• The goal isn't to love every correction. The goal is to know how to use one.

---

# NEXT: HOW TO TAKE COACHING WITHOUT GETTING DEFENSIVE

You now understand that correction isn't automatically an attack.

But understanding that intellectually is easier than living it.

What happens when you **know** Coach is correcting your game...

But you still feel yourself getting angry?

Your face changes.

Your arms cross.

You start preparing an explanation.

You want to say:

*"But..."*

That's where emotional intelligence becomes a performance skill.

Next:

# How to Take Coaching Without Getting Defensive

Because coachability isn't measured when you agree with the feedback.

**It's tested when the feedback is difficult to hear.**