Shared Language = Shared Boundaries

I didn’t pick this graphic just because we covered consent yesterday. I picked it because we, as coaches, already live by the rule that words matter.

We build entire systems around shared language.
• Football: route trees, blitz pickups
• Basketball: closeouts, screens, shell
• Baseball: hit-and-run, sacrifice, shift
It’s not just helpful — it’s essential. We don’t expect players to guess what we mean or hope they "figure it out." We teach it. Drill it. Quiz it. Because we know: words shape action. Verbiage fuels behavior.

So why not apply that same principle to this?

This graphic is an EASY, VITAL tool to help your players understand that these are not mixed signals, not “tests” to push past, and not phrases that a guy with “rizz” can charm his way through.

They are STOP SIGNS.
They are END POINTS.

If you’ve ever circled your team and delivered a “word of the day,” do it again. But this time, use one from this list. One a week. One minute. One word.

Teach consent the same way we teach cover-2.

Coach Prompt:
What’s one word or phrase from this list that you’ve never defined for your team — but you should have?

Player Prompt (Optional):
Have you ever been in a situation where someone said one of these — and you didn’t know what it meant, or didn’t know how to respond?