Criticism from teammates
Annoyed gesture, loud comment, looking away after a misplaced pass.
Someone snaps at you after a misplaced pass. You don't automatically know what they think of you. But you're still allowed to say if their tone crosses a line.
What can help you right now
- 1As long as the ball is in play, move on to the next job: track back, pick up your player, make yourself an option.
- 2A quick response is often enough: 'Tell me where the space is – not that I'm rubbish.' You don't need to resolve an argument right now.
- 3Call out repeated comments away from the game. If a group turns on you or it doesn't stop, bring in a coach or another adult you trust.
Here's what that can look like in handball
If someone says 'You always lose the ball', tell them at half-time: 'I was too late on that pass. Next time, just call out who's open.'
For your next training session
Agree on clear team calls like 'open on the left' or 'got your back' instead of pointing fingers. Try it out in a match drill and talk about what helped.
How you can bring it up
'That comment after my mistake really hurt. I want to know what you need from me, but without being insulted.'
Things you don't have to deal with alone
Don't just brush off hurtful comments as 'stress'. Team spirit doesn't mean putting up with everything.
If you want to keep working on this
Suitable Mental Hacks
Methods and boundaries of these tips
The linked methods outline general approaches. They don't prove that these exact steps will work for you. These tips are ideas to try out, not a guarantee of better performance or more minutes.