Kuala Lumpur: Despite players displaying less-than-encouraging performances, the continuous use of motivational words may need to be reevaluated and, at times, replaced with constructive criticism, according to Rexy Mainaky, the Coaching Director at the Academy of Badminton Malaysia (ABM).
Rexy emphasized that commonly used words of encouragement such as ‘Come Back Stronger’ by netizens can have a lasting impact on players’ mentality. While such encouragement is not inherently wrong, if players receive constant positive reinforcement despite lackluster performances, it could gradually impede their career progress.
He suggested that constructive criticism might be more effective in motivating players to improve their future performances. Rexy believes that being too soft in waking up the player is not always beneficial, and occasional criticism can be necessary to foster improvement.
Expressing concern about the overuse of positive phrases like “come back stronger,” Rexy highlighted the potential ambiguity in how players interpret such statements. He stressed the importance of occasionally being more critical, as constant positive reinforcement might not always be in the players’ best interest.
Rexy rejected the idea of being a coach who merely encourages without offering constructive criticism, comparing it to parents who overlook their children’s misbehavior. In his view, being overly lenient with players could be detrimental to their growth, and a balance of criticism and support is essential.
“I don’t want to be a coach like parents who often tell their children it’s okay to do bad things. If I do that, I’m actually ‘killing’ them slowly,” said Mainaky.
He urged fans and netizens to understand the necessity of constructive criticism and not solely focus on providing comfort to players, as a constant stream of positivity, regardless of performance, could negatively impact their mentality.
“Let’s use on-court performances as an example,” Rexy Mainaky points out that many Malaysian players tend to lose their way when holding a significant lead. He states: “When the opponents make a lot of mistakes, allowing you to take a substantial lead, but then they counterattack and surpass the score, most Malaysian players lose their direction.”
“For instance, in last week’s BWF World Tour Finals, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik were leading 12-7 against Liu Yuchen and Ou Xinyi, but when the opponents reversed the score to 14-12, it seemed as if their minds went blank,” added Mainaky.
“As I mentioned, when players only hear positive words, it’s challenging for them to accept adversity. They tend to panic when they fall behind,” concluded Mainaky.
