“But what does the science say? Do pregame speeches work? Do they make a difference?
‘The research would say that pregame speeches are inconclusive on whether or not they work or don’t work,’ Dr. Justin Anderson, a sports psychologist at Premier Sport Psychology in Edina, said. ‘It depends on the relationship between the coaches and the athletes. It depends on how that message is presented.’
In other words, how they say it is almost more important than what they say.
‘The inflection, the tone, the way I deliver it, the mannerisms that I’m using to deliver it, will all impact on how you receive it,’ Anderson said. ‘What we do know is that emotion can have a significant impact on performance. So those coaches that can spark an emotion in a positive way will have an impact.'”
Watch the video and read the full transcript here.