Tips: How players should communicate with the media

Attire: One of the most important things an athlete can do for a press conference is to dress like a professional. You want to be as presentable as you can, because ultimately you are representing your team.

Responses: These need to be thought about before taking the microphone. Responses should be safe, and direct to avoid any media conflicts.

Answers: Each question should have an answer in a timely manner. Do not rush yourself and do not take too much time in responding to one question.

Be Prepared: Do not answer any questions that you are not prepared for. Players do this all the time when asked a tough question about contracts or referee calls, the best thing to do is just sidestep the question with another response. You want to refrain from giving too much away as a sports athlete, you don't want to give too much away about your team, just keep it simple and respond to the questions that you are prepared for.

Be Positive: Focus on the good things, and the success of yourself and your team. Example: If a teammate is leaving the organization: tell the media that he was a great teammate, but whatever happens is for the better of both the player and the team. Be sure to let them know that there are plenty of possible prospects looking to fill the position.

Relationship: Keeping your media relationship on a respectful level is important. These reporters, columnists, and sports radio hosts can make or break you. Depending on what they report, your popularity can change in an instant because ultimately they have control of the public eye.

Eye Contact: Be direct with your responses and make sure you are not looking down or away. Who ever is asking the question will have their eyes on you, so be respectful and return the look. This displays confidence and will make the media believe you are not a liar.

Weakness: At times these conferences can be emotional depending on the purpose of it, but if the media sees weakness for any other reason they'll try to bring that out of you every chance they get.

These are all very important aspects involving the image of yourself and more importantly your organization. These basic tips can help a player on avoid negatives of media and maintain a positive view of yourself as well as the organization you are representing.