Halftime speeches are often highlighted in sports movies as motivational tools to inspire teams to excellence. Movies like Hoosiers and Remember the Titans featured fiery halftime talks from coaches. A new study suggests anger might be more productive during halftime speeches than inspiration.

At the Haas School of Business, a research group analyzed hundreds of halftime speeches and final scores from high school and college basketball games. They found players seemed to play better after a more negative halftime speech from their coach. “That was even true if the team was already ahead at halftime. Rather than saying, ‘You’re doing great, keep it up,’ it’s better to say, ‘I don’t care if you’re up by 10 points, you can play better than this,” according to lead researcher and Haas professor emeritus Barry Staw.

Staw cautions against acting negatively too much since there’s a point where it begins to bring the team down. He warns coaches against displaying extreme bouts of anger and frustration that lead to hurting their players’ performances. “Our results do not give leaders a license to be a jerk,” Staw concludes.

Ephesians 6 – Do Not Provoke Your Children to Anger

Paul provides negative and positive advice for parents on raising children in Ephesians 6:4. The prohibition is explicit: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger.” We are not to provoke our children to the point that they begin to resent us. Often, a coach or parent will ask things beyond the child’s capacity with too many demands that lead to anger and frustration. Unreasonableness, fault-finding, and inconsistency are all ways to provoke anger.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete avoid provoking their athletes or teammates to anger. Instead, they “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (6:4). This includes providing for their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Bible Memory Verse – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 (LSB)