Understanding How to Encourage Your Teammates
When you’re playing or coaching on a team, one of the most underrated skills is knowing how to talk to your teammates. Especially when the pressure’s on, how you encourage someone can be the difference between a clutch win or a total meltdown. Some players need a fiery pep talk to rise to the occasion, while others crumble under that same heat. Figuring out what kind of motivation each teammate responds to can turn a good team into a great one.
This topic has come up a few times on recent episodes of the Aimlabs Podcast. It was first explored with Sentinels’ Coach Kaplan, and Jimmy Lin broached the topic again with Emotiv’s Tan Le when he had asked if EEG data would be able to reflect these differences and offer insights. It is something that coaches consider often, and it’s something that has a lot of different answers.
Take the classic “This is a must-win game!” approach. For high-energy, competitive players who thrive on challenge and hype, this kind of call to action can light them up. They want the smoke. These are the players who perform best when they feel like the outcome rides on them, and they’ll rise to the moment if you frame it like a final boss fight. But try this same line on a more anxiety-prone or quiet player, and you might accidentally send them into overthinking mode before the round even starts.
On the flip side, there are players who play best when you take the pressure off. For them, encouragement might sound like, “Let’s just play our game,” or “Win or lose, let’s have fun with it.” These players tend to thrive on flow and comfort. When they’re relaxed, they click heads like nobody’s business. They’re consistent, composed, and often the emotional glue of the team, so keeping them in a good headspace is key.
Then you’ve got the low-maintenance motivators… The players who don’t need a speech or a strategy session. Sometimes, all it takes is a fist bump, a quick “You got this,” or a goofy inside joke on comms to keep their morale high. These are your vibes players, the ones who bring the energy up by keeping it simple. They don’t want the spotlight, but they love knowing their team’s got their back.
The trick to getting this right is paying attention. Listen to how your teammates react in different situations. Do they get quiet under pressure? Do they get more focused? Do they hype themselves up? Ask them how they like to be supported, or watch what works and what doesn’t. There’s no single script… adaptability is the name of the game. The more you tailor your encouragement to the individual, the more cohesive and confident your team will be.
At the end of the day, motivation isn’t about saying more; it’s about saying the right thing at the right time. Whether it’s a rallying cry, a calm reminder, or just a fist bump between rounds, encouraging your team is a skill you can train, no different from your mechanics.