How important is a speech to rally your players?

According to Jolyon Finck, it's crucial. Jol is the Director of Swimming at Millfield School and was the successful coach of the England Squad in the Commonwealth Games of 2014.

Recently Jol spoke about having to deliver those "Golden Moment" speeches to his athletes ahead of each heat, semi-final and final.

In total, Jolyon gave 57 speeches.

In these moments the coach aims to focus, relax, motivate or positively distract the athlete to help them get into their ideal performance state.

As Jolyon was speaking, my mind started to drift towards the Golden Moments that cricket coaches have with their charges throughout a given day:

1. Motivating the team ahead of fielding and bowling.
2. Last words of encouragement, motivation or focus to an opening bowler.
3. 5 seconds or so with the batter as the previous wicket falls.
4. Drinks break opportunities to refocus or to positively shift behaviour.

And the effects can be very powerful indeed.

I can think back to 2005 when I was coach of Somerset. On three or four occasions, Graeme Smith would deliver a 10-15 second rally call that always got his team going. On one occasion, we needed to beat Gloucestershire in our last T20 group game in order to progress to the ¼ finals. Graeme Smith rose to his feet and said,

"It is days and times like these that can define any man and any group of men. These opportunities are rare and we have one today. Let’s go and be brilliant."

On paper it reads like any quote. In the context of that moment and with that group of players, it meant everything. Smith and his opening partner strode to the wicket. Somerset scored 228 that day and won by 96 runs to go through to the quarters.

24 days later Smith held the T20 trophy above his head at the Oval.

That's certainly not the only example.

England were in trouble on tour of New Zealand in 2008. After being bowled out for 253 on a first innings road of a wicket in Napier, England were up against it. New Zealand had cantered to 93 for one at lunch on day two and the game and the Test Series was in their hands.

Peter Moores realised this was the moment to inspire. Mooresy made the biggest impact on a game of cricket that I have seen from any coach:

"As support staff, we aim to take the pressure off of you guys as much as we can. This works in the main as it allows you to relax and play your best cricket. Now is not the time for that. Now is a time for you to put yourselves under pressure, to raise your own individual because as unless you do this now, in this next session, then this series is gone."

I watched as some of the players looked shocked by the directness of the feedback, but that quickly passed and a newly found focus spread across the team.

An hour later, New Zealand were 137 for six and eventually 168 all out.

Ryan Sidebottom had followed his coach's lead and picked up seven for 47 in a MoM performance. England ended up winning the Test Match by 121 runs and the Test Series 2-1.

These are examples of how two leaders nailed some 10 second team based Golden moments. Can you be as good as Smith and Moores? Of course. It just takes practice and desire to make a real difference in a short space of time.

Limit yourself to 10 seconds and see what positive impact you can make on team performance.