Marquise Watson

12/1/16
Berkos
Final reflection essay
Communication Changed My Life

Communication has many different definitions such as: The imparting or interchange of
thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs, passage, or an opportunity or
means of passage, between places. My definitions will be defined in this paper. When I first
came to Bryant University I was a football player and I knew that I wanted to do something in
business. I knew I wanted to run my own business but I hated speaking in front of people and
talking to people. I was someone who came from an urban area and a high school named
Paramus Catholic High School where communication and public speaking was not offered as an
elective. Everybody assumed that you should know how to talk and how understand non-verbal
signs while engaged with someone, but you need a class to know how to do it properly. My
freshmen year I took Intro to Communication. It opened my eyes to a brand new world, and I
immediately switched my gears of thinking about business to thinking about communication. My

peers said: Thats what everyone who cant handle business does. One of my friends stated:
Youre not going to find a job in communication, and you better hope you make it in football.
I found that everyone who was not a communication major would also downplay it and make it
seem like it was less of a major, or we were less of people.
As I progressed as a communications major, I took a class called Interpersonal
Communication with professor Berkos. She put me in a group with a really good friend of mine,
and it was one of my favorite classes. The class focused on how to talk to people, understand
people, and communicate effectively without being awkward, and I loved it. We had to speak in
front of the class, act out skits, and many things of that nature. This experience allowed me to
break out of my shell, which benefited me in the long run because I was named football captain
that spring, which required a lot of public speaking. Communication is the art of successfully
sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. Things
had changed drastically. As my love for communications grew, I declared myself as a
communications major. I feel as though this choice has lead me to my future career of being a
coach. With my degree I plan on becoming a coach. Coaching is something my grandfather did,
my father is still doing, and my uncle, along with my many mentors have also done.
Ever since I was a young kid, I would go with my father to his college meetings at Saint
Peter's University in Jersey City, New Jersey. Football is not just a game to me. Football is the
best teacher in America. I think football is a teacher because every phase of football, whether it is
special teams, off season lift, or the meeting room, you have a challenge and a task every day

that you have to complete. I personally want to be a coach because the game of football has
rewarded me with so many things. It has provided me with a scholarship to college and taught
me so many life lessons while creating unbreakable bonds. I want to be around the sport for the
rest of my life. My coaches have been my biggest mentors, and have made me the man I am
today. I think coaches can change, shape, or mold a young mans life for the better. Once a
coach gains a childs trust, your word becomes golden to them and they trust you with their life.
While I played, the coaches on my team saw me as a coach on the field. I was a captain for
every team I played on, ever since I was young. Serving my team was the best thing I could have
ever done. I learned so much while leading the team, and have many experiences where I had to
make a decision for the betterment of the team rather than worrying about my friends. I made
sure I knew my job and knew the assignments of the others around me so if they had a question
pre-snap, I could help them. I believe this made me and my fellow teammates better players.
Coaches wish to motivate the athletes they work with, and to provide them with information that
will allow them to train effectively and improve performance. Communication from the coach to
the athlete will initiate appropriate actions. However, this requires the athlete to receive the
information from the coach but also to understand and accept it. The very best coaches get their
athletes to believe in themselves. Coaches inspire their players to do more than they think they
can. In fact, all good teachers do this. They get their students to entertain possibilities that stretch
the limits of their beliefs. Part of this involves building the athlete up rather than breaking him

down. Good coaches always build self-esteem, rather than being negative about it. This selfesteem building is not a joke, nor is it done here and there. In other words the coach does not
praise average effort. Coaches simply make it a habit to watch athletes doing things right. A
good coach does not get caught up playing head games that leave the athlete questioning their
abilities.
All these things are communication tactics and things you must do to effectively to get these
points across. While taking all of these classes as well as covering several communication
theories, I think there are a few things a coach must have. The things that I believe in are: know
your message, having a message, and a having a purpose enhances your word and your bond. It
is also important to make sure you are understood by players and you are not offending any kids.
Next, make sure to deliver your message in the proper context. Using appropriate emotions and
tones will ensure that you do not say a joke at a wrong time or say something that will offend
somebody. Having and adopting a healthy communication style is very important. You must
decide: Are you going to be a passive coach or an aggressive coach? I personally am going to be
an aggressive coach, because I think that is the most effective way. Furthermore, it is essential to
be a good communicator and provide helpful feedback. Do not just repeat yourself, say
something of value. Be a good nonverbal communicator and understand when someone is not
happy with you. Love to be the same person, be consistent and be positive. Those are the key
things that I have learned throughout my life as a student-athlete. I have come a long way since

my freshmen year, both academically and athletically. I am excited to apply my communications

knowledge to my career as a college football coach. Being a communications major has brought
many benefits into my life that I am excited to apply to the future.