Importance of a Motivational Patches Ceremony

How to Get the Best Results from the Patches

  1. Give the Patches in a Ceremony in Front of the Team and even the Parents. For the best results, keep in mind the benefits of public praise, competition, and group pressure. Everyone loves to be praised in front of a group and it is natural for kids to want to earn something that their teammates have earned. That is why it works best to give the patches out after practice or after a game in a ceremony in front of all the players and parents, and to be sure to PRAISE the players and tell them why they EARNED the patches. This will make them proud and will let the other players know the type of behavior that will EARN a patch. This will motivate all your players and teach what they can do to be PRAISED and REWARDED. If a player can't stay for the Ceremony, I suggest NOT giving them their patch until the next practice or game - you want to make a point that the Ceremony is important and that players are rewarded for participating in it. For that reason I recommend you encourage all your players to stay for the Ceremony - keep it short - about 10 minutes maximum. It is okay if the parents listen to the patch presentations. You might even quiz the players about how the patches are Earned - for example, "How did John earn a patch today?"
  2. Positive Reinforcement. A positive reinforcement approach gets better results than a negative approach and is a lot more fun for everyone.
  3. Visible Symbols. The soccer patches really work to motivate players and for positive reinforcement. They are a visible symbol of achievement.