Build Listening Skills

QOTD: pic.twitter.com/BG1y3vIaH9

— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) June 26, 2025

Listening better helps you in every domain - home, school, and sports. Failure to focus and listen during key moments separates success and failure. 

Advice:

• Prioritize listening with summaries. What was the message? "Don't just watch the ball; get to your spot." 
• Listen actively and ask clarifying questions.
• Use eye contact.
• Minimize distractions.
• Check your listening practices (am I all in?)

MVB churns out elite student-athletes. Own high performance in school and should model excellence for all teammates. “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Proven suggestions from DeepSeek:

1) Active listening

2) Mindfulness 

3) Team-based listening

Here are three evidence-based approaches that athletes can use to develop better listening skills:

**Active listening during coaching sessions.** Research shows that athletes who practice focused attention techniques—like maintaining eye contact, asking clarifying questions, and paraphrasing instructions back to coaches—retain significantly more tactical information. This involves putting away distractions, mentally summarizing key points as they're being explained, and confirming understanding before moving on. Studies in sport psychology demonstrate that athletes who engage in this type of deliberate listening show measurable improvements in skill acquisition and tactical execution.

**Mindfulness and present-moment awareness training.** Meditation practices specifically designed for athletes, such as body scan exercises and breath-focused attention training, directly improve auditory processing and reduce mental chatter that interferes with listening. Elite athletes often use these techniques to stay present during high-pressure situations where they need to hear and process quick instructions from teammates or coaches. Research indicates that just 10-15 minutes of daily mindfulness practice can enhance sustained attention and reduce the tendency for minds to wander during important communications.

**Communication role-playing exercises with teammates.** Structured practice sessions where athletes take turns being speakers and listeners, focusing on sports-specific scenarios, build both listening skills and team cohesion. This might involve one player explaining a complex play while others practice active listening techniques, or simulating high-stress game situations where clear communication is critical. Team-based listening exercises have been shown to improve not just individual listening ability but also overall team communication effectiveness and trust.

These approaches work because they address the cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of effective listening in athletic contexts.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Lagniappe. The coach points out that with excellent platform skills, you can compete without great hitting. Without platform skills, you're toast.