Here are five tips to help you get the most out of your pre match pep talks and some pitfalls to avoid.

#1 Plan it

Plan what you are going to say, to gain maximum impact you need to know what chords you are going to strike and not ramble on. Bullet point key facts, tactics, reminders. Review and edit several times to get the right balance. Write them down.

#2 Be brief

Use your bulleted list. Your pep talk should last no longer than 5 minutes, absolute. The shorter the better.

#3 Don’t coach in the pep talk

Only reminders and gentle memory joggers are needed in the pep talk. Any significant coaching should be done during training and not in your 5 minute pep talk.

#4 Address the whole team

Your pep talk should be aimed at the whole team. There will be time to give specific reminders to individuals before and during the game if this is necessary. A pre match team talk is just what is says "Team talk"

#5 Be positively inspiring

Before you send your team out on to the pitch they should be flying high and eager to taste success which will only occur by hard work, effort, good attitude, excellent skill and effective teamwork.