To coach well we must be proficient communicators. Specifically, a coach's ability to actively listen, skillfully speak and articulate a message is vital. 

Coaching as an action can be distilled into nothing more than sharing information. Transmitting a concept or convention so clearly that it can be understood and applied by the player. It is for this reason alone that a skilled communicator is often the difference between an enjoyable coaching experience in hockey or a frustrating affair filled with confusion, ambiguity and negativity.  

It is the coach who uses age-appropriate and expressive language that transfers knowledge easily and in doing so becomes a convincing and affirming leader. The coach who struggles with messages and/or is unable to reach their players because of complex and convoluted language, or complicated content is the antithesis of a good coach. Far too often poor coaches hide behind confusing jargon and lengthy boring speeches. Players tune out and performance drops off.

To communicate well it is recommended that a seek-to-understand approach is used. Where both player and game needs are assessed and determined. As the expert in charge, the coach already has positional power. The message and manner in which the coach expert uses this power and position to disseminate this information is therefore vital. This is because quality communication builds acceptance, trust and player engagement. Engagement is necessary for players to learn, apply and invest optimal effort. The trust of the message, sent by the coach and its acceptance acts to reduce cognitive dissonance, that is the players questioning whether the skill, tactic or system offered will work.

Here are some quick tips to help you as a coach improve your skills as an effective communicator:

1. Understand that a message sent is not a message received. What you thought was clear may not have been. Say things in multiple ways. Show more than tell. Model more than mention.
2. Make sure your message and content are both age and stage-appropriate. Use words, phrases and concepts that match your group and players' readiness. Avoid treating kids like adults. Borrow ideas, concepts and lessons that they may be learning in school or from other sources. This will help connect and build context. Context drives understanding. 
3. Pre-plan your lessons by defining a few key objectives. Introduce and reinforce these concepts using key descriptors and learner-relevant cues/terms. Ones that they can easily comprehend and recall. Constantly verify that your message was received by asking.
4. Plan your talks using key points and phrases. But, also plan for when these key elements and objectives are not understood. Anticipate this failure to find additional analogies, similies and comparisons to clarify the message or lesson. Remind and link explanations to the last thing learned. And don't worry too much about perfection. As a coach, an effective way to teach something is to revisit it again and again in new, different and challenging ways. Give your players time to question, apply, try and retry. When it clicks they will ask for more.
5. Always seek attention when speaking and explaining. Command attention and focus. Do this by using purposeful and predictable techniques. Ask for "eyes here", "hands up" (to draw attention), or use a quick whistle. 
6. Begin speaking only when every player is attending. Don't be afraid to wait. Awkward silence delivers the focus needed.
7. Avoid continuously raising your voice. Volume often is confused with disapproval and scolding. But, experiment with voice. Alter and vary levels of speech, tone, pitch, and pace when talking. Remember speaking in a modified whisper draws far more attention and focus than attempting to talk over noise.
8. Remember that shorter is always best. Long messages are mostly lost. Be concise and to the point. For example, providing a few keys to a skating skill is far better than defining every joint angle and describing the minutia of skating biomechanics to a player trying to improve their stride.
9. When it comes to positive reinforcement and feedback more is still best but remember that variability is even better. Use general feedback for every player at every session. Use specific feedback as a corrective technique but use it intermittently. Catch them doing it right is always better than marking constant failure.
10. To garner concentration create teaching areas on the ice and in the dressing room. These areas can become locations of "business' where players and coaches gather to provide instruction and feedback. 
11. When instructing stay visual to players. Position yourself well about the players. If you can see all of them they can see you. Get eye contact. Give it back. And avoid turning your back on anyone when possible.
12. Use proximity, body language and posture as your go-to tools. Diffuse distractions and drive diligence using these tools. Stand on a bench, kneel on one knee or use your body to add convincing demos or gestures that contribute to the message. Add other conveyors of understanding like visuals, whiteboard diagrams, demonstrations, and video clips.  
13.  Purposefully limit possible distractions in all environments that may take away from the message and the task at hand. Use solid examples to add clarity and applicability for the learner.
14. Scaffold players' current knowledge by asking questions carefully allowing for as much time to play, discover and explore answers and solutions. Limit lengthy one-way didactic lectures. And also avoid lengthy debates. We want players doing. We want to drive movement. Let players participate in their improvement and learning. Sometimes we coaches need to get out of their way! 
15. Choose activity over discussion and use small area and low organizational games to reveal a tactic or strategy. Let the game teach. Teach skills not drills.
16. When using the questioning method to teach be prepared for all possible answers. This means you will have to know more than your players to answer their questions. 
17. At the bench and in the dressing room control discussions and dialogue. Running out of time during intermissions, time-outs and stoppages, and rushing messages are recipes for misplays and chaos. Use concise, direct and simple language. 
18. Be cool, calm and collected. Be prepared for the spontaneous teachable moments that arise by having coach cards, scouting reports, stats, information, and key plays pre-drawn or stored in an e-format that is ready to be referenced. Recycle dry-erase markers that don't work! 
19. Never miss an opportunity to teach an intangible or a life lesson. The game is rich with these.
20.  Give each player a chance to be part of the team's success. Recognize them for their contribution. Involve everyone.