The Power of a Sticker

I have thousands of stickers. I have holiday stickers, fruit stickers, stars, smilies, animals, bugs, frogs, and on and on. I find it truly amazing what an athlete will do to earn a sticker during practice or a competitive event. I learned a long time ago kids need a nudge sometimes when it comes to motivation. I know many coaches will say the athlete should be self motivated and be able to push themselves. I believe this to a certain extent, but don't we all need a little outside motivation once in a while? Let me be completely clear, I do not believe in the type of bribery where if the athlete wins state, they get a new car, but I do think a sticker is a reasonable reward for a job well done.

In 1968, the Ohio State Buckeyes started putting leaf stickers on players' helmets for big plays. They would receive their sticker in front of their teammates at a team meeting following the weekend's game. Initially the stickers were awarded to individual players, but the reward system has evolved to focus more on the team. The leaf sticker has become a symbol a player did something well to help the OSU football team. If I am honest, the Ohio State sticker reward system is what inspired me to give the sticker game a try.

Sticker day was not a set day. Sometimes the athletes knew it was coming and other times, if they were not performing like I wanted, I would simply walk over, grab a sheet of stickers, and begin handing them out. You could get a sticker for effort, for making a change I was looking for, for making a skill, or being a good teammate. Sometimes it was a team challenge and other times it was individual. Many would put the stickers on their faces and finish their practice wearing them as a badge of honor.

The sticker held a lot more power than my praise. If the stickers came out, you could see the increase in their effort and focus. It is actually pretty simple to understand. Athletes want the approval of their coach. They want to be recognized for doing something positive. The sticker gives them something physical to prove to others and to themselves they did well. Once one athlete receives positive recognition, the other athletes then want that same recognition. It becomes a competition of who can get the most stickers without the coach even making it a focus.

I found the teenage athletes enjoyed it just as much as the younger athletes because it wasn't really about the sticker to them. It was about feeling like they accomplished something. It was about their coach patting them on the back and saying "good job" in front of everyone. It was about being able to go home and tell mom and dad they did well at practice that day. It was proof all their hours spent in the gym were paying off.

Did I award stickers to kids who maybe didn't do exactly what I was wanting? Of course, but I tried to make the goals achievable for all the kids. I wanted every athlete to feel like they did something well and improved in some area that day. I followed the "one positive for one negative" rule. For example, I would say something like, "I need you to push off your back leg more, but I like how you tried to use your arms the correct way" and I always tried to finish with the positive statement. Everyone has their own idea on how they correct an athlete. Some use the positive sandwich method, some say very little positive at all, and some only say positive things. It is all about your philosophy and goals.

I created a lot of games for the athletes. When they are training multiple days a week, it gets boring, even for a coach. I will share more of those games I created later on. The sticker game is an inexpensive way to motivate the athletes and the return on your investment is definitely worth it. It is fun for the kids, fun for the coach, and fun for the parents to see their athlete achieving things.