Voice projection is something I’ve had problems with for quite a while. I was told that raising my voice is bad manners and, in most cases, there is little need to do so anyway. However, the coaching world knows that it is the fulcrum of a well controlled coaching session with responsive pupils. If the pupil finds it hard to hear the coach, he/she will a) have little respect for the coach as something barely audible isn’t worth saying at all, or b) lose interest fairly quickly because of the lack of control and command of the coach. It also goes without saying that the pupil will not relate well to the coach without clear communication, and some unheard or misunderstood instructions may result in incorrect practices and wasted time. The key factors in good communication are: Clear and comfortably audible voice. Good eye contact. Appropriate body language and cues. Succinct and clear explanations/instructions/commands. I have noticed that competence in all of these areas requires good confidence. How is good confidence developed? Is it just good background knowledge of the game, or is there a social factor that determines good confidence? Do we just need to be less self-conscious? Do all these things improve with age? Aleik.
For me confidence comes in knowledge of the part of the game I am expaining and familiarity with the subjects. Once you are familiar with the students, it becomes much easier. I wouldnt raise my voice, just tell them to go home if they were misbehaving, and tell them to miss the excercise you are explaining if they are just talking.
