This is a guest article from Laurie Ward

In modern cricket-speak, losing captains are quick to say “we will take the positives from this game” when they have been played off the park.

But do they really? Or is it just fluff for the media?

In reality the team and coach will look at what went wrong in the cold light of day and then work hard to put things right.

Yes, positives will be reinforced but negatives will be assessed too and solutions and strategies to learn and improve will be developed.

 It is the way in which you deal with them that is the true reflection on the players, the team and the coach.

When things don’t go right in the middle it is often the team that copes with setbacks that will overcome a team with less resistance, fight and team spirit.

Apart from the specifics there are some other key points to cope with setbacks:

• Keeping the body language and talk positive is key. Blame, tantrums and negativity, be it verbal, emotional, in actions or even in the eyes of the captain or players will destroy team spirit, divide the team and unite the opposition.
• Fear of failure or making mistakes are part of sport but everyone has differing levels of expectation, psychological hang-ups or levels of fear.
• Often, a sensible discussion or a clearer definition of a player’s role and game can overcome major obstacles to getting the best out of that player. These discussions need to be done far away from the match environment though. Knowing the time and place is crucial to getting the best results.

It is down to the coach to discuss and try to understand his/her players’ feelings, emotions and what drives them to perform.

Different players respond to different stimuli. Some need nurturing, others pushing and cajoling, some firing up. A good coach will know which buttons to press to get the best out of each individual.

That even includes the more quirky pre-match routines or superstitions. They may be extreme, such as Neil Mackenzie taping kit to dressing room ceilings through to lucky charms such as Steve Waugh’s red handkerchief.

But the key is not just to take the positives, but to weed out the things that don’t work while keeping everything that does.

In short; learn from the negatives and promote future positives.

This is a guest post by Laurie Ward of the Complete Cricketer Academy.With thanks to Richard Pybus, Cape Cobras Head Coach.