I agree that “talk more” can become meaningless very quickly.
Useful communication should help a teammate make a better decision, not simply make the team louder.
At U12, I’d focus on a few simple types of information: what is behind the player, whether they have time, where support is available and when a teammate needs encouragement after a mistake.
I’d also include non-verbal communication. Pointing, scanning and moving into a clear position can be just as useful as shouting.
A good training challenge is to ask the players after a game: “What information helped you today?” They usually identify much better examples than adults expect.
I would praise specific communication rather than volume.
“Great information there — you told them they had time” is far more useful than repeatedly asking the whole team to be louder.
