In team sport, where connection and collaboration are vital, sarcasm should be used gently if at all.
The author points out that even young children recognize sarcasm, for example, "Yeah, right."
We use it to poke fun at ourselves. We slip and nearly fall, noting "Just call me, Grace."
We use it to recognize our "limitations..." as in "Keen sense of the obvious."
Coach Ellis Lane used it for humor or as a commentary on practice. "You know what I like about you guys?" We'd answer, "Nothing."
Sarcasm, used indelicately, can inflict pain. The serve that lands at the base of the back wall can't get, "That's my All-American" or the net violation shouldn't earn, "We're thinking about electrifying that net."
Sarcasm can strengthen connection when trust is already strong. It is a poor tool for creating trust.
Correction should reduce ambiguity, not increase it. Sarcasm is indirect. Good coaching inhabits clarity: “Get your toss farther in front.” “Stay off the net.” “Read before you move.” The athlete should leave the exchange knowing what to do next.
Humor belongs in sport. So does teasing. But the best teams understand the difference between laughing with someone and making someone the joke.
Understanding when sarcasm can lighten the mood (self-deprecating) or hurt (withering criticism) will help our communication. Good teammates don’t just know what to say. They know how it will land.
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