Overall I feel over the last year I have much furthered myself as a coach. In terms of actual experience I am doing less than last year , however by being involved in the practical sessions at university and listening to a number of top professionals on their own coaching approach I feel I have gathered more practical knowledge than I could of picked up sticking to my same routine of coaching on a Saturday morning. As well as this extra level of knowledge I have acquired from university I have all so approached my own personal training in a new way. I am lucky enough to be coached by a number of former elite performers Olympians and world champions and listening to them is a massive tool to help myself , although training is not directly transferable as I compete in cycling and coach football , the approach , attitudes and techniques of these coaches are great examples to learn from. So I use my own training sessions as an opportunity to pick up possible ways to improve my own coaching.
In my Introduction back in October I mentioned I had a number of weaknesses. One of which was my tendency to want to join in the games , struggling to detach my playing and coaching heads. This is no longer an issue for me due to a number of changes. One of which is my attitude , I am enjoying my coaching a lot more now as a result maybe of my improved confidence in my own ability as a coach. I am happy to stand back and see the players enjoying or pushing themselves without myself feeling a desire knowing that I have guided them to that point.
I all so pointed out my lack of records , I rarely kept any reference of sessions , success rates or what worked and what didn't , as a result I often found myself questioning what I had done whether or not it was right and effective. As well as displaying things I have learnt through this blog I have began keeping a folder of notes from coaching sessions , with comments and feedback from players , parents and coaches. Which not only helps me review my practice but all so is a confidence builder to see the success and effect of my sessions. I have a very happy team of players around me that I look forward to working further (I have even gained a nickname). On the whole through the year I believe with a combination of inputs on my coaching world I have become a much better well rounded confident coach. But I wont stop looking for new ways to make sessions enjoyable , new and interesting. I never want to find myself running players through repetitive drills week after week and to avoid this I am going to have to constantly advance my knowledge of coaching and continue to think of new innovative approaches. This requires more than a coaching badge but instead the desire to learn from myself , both at university and outside in my own time. Something that I have the desire to do to become the best coach I can be , however long that takes.
Sunday 21 April 2013
Keeping it interesting !
A few weeks ago now I arrived at a session intentionally unprepared. Usually I would see this as a negative step immediatley to my session. Not that the players have come to expect or know a certain routine as I like to ensure my sessions are not repetitive or predictable , but for once I thought lets not go in with a set plan and instead see what happens.
I had back up plans in my head as a coach you always have a session you can pull out that you know will always work well and the children will enjoy. But on this occasion I asked them what they would like to do , rather than me asking them to do something. Before they could all say it though I made it clear that we had to do something constructive before we played a match. As happy as I am to let the children play a game as it helps them figure things out on their own (see Games based approach http://ali-thomascoach.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/games-based-approach.html ) They had a game in two days time and letting them play an hour of football was running the risk of injuries and fatigue.
So the children decided on races. They wanted to race each other , so accepted , setting up an obstacle style course , with hurdles , shuttles , cones , ladders and pole. It was basically an extended agility course. As they are still fairly young it is good for them to practice using their agility and balance , as well as giving their co-ordination a test , all whilst under the pressure environment of a race. But overall I wanted them to enjoy themselves. Previous studies have shown enjoyment in PE to be an important psychosocial variable linked with increased PA (Garcia Bengoechea,Sabiston, Ahmed, & Farnous, 2010; Pate, Ward, O’Neill, & Dowda, 2007; Papaioannou et al.,2006; Wang, Chatzisarantis, Spray, & Biddle,2002) If the children enjoy today they will be happier to come back and thats what I want. I don't ever want a child to go home and say I don't want to go there again.
The session went really well and after a while and several variations of the course they had forgotten all about wanting to play a game. They were enjoying themselves and laughing , whilst getting a good level of exercise and by still incorporating the ball into some of the games keeping up practice with the football.
This suggested to me the importance of variation and sometimes surprises Obviously I wont be doing it every week as we have other areas that need to be developed , but as an occasional inclusion in the schedule it was an enjoyable session for all.
This I felt showed a development in my confidence as a coach , a few months ago I probably would not of taken on a session like that and instead tried to stick more to the book and be a more structured session. Developing my understanding of coaching however has allowed me to improve my confidence and relax my style. Repetition can kill create boredom as well as a number of other problems , structured sessions even from personal experience as a player , if your playing the sport for years , you soon get frustrated with training sessions that you feel you have done 10 times before. So now as a coach I try to ensure my sessions are fun , entertaining and engaging first , everything else will follow if the players are happy.
I had back up plans in my head as a coach you always have a session you can pull out that you know will always work well and the children will enjoy. But on this occasion I asked them what they would like to do , rather than me asking them to do something. Before they could all say it though I made it clear that we had to do something constructive before we played a match. As happy as I am to let the children play a game as it helps them figure things out on their own (see Games based approach http://ali-thomascoach.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/games-based-approach.html ) They had a game in two days time and letting them play an hour of football was running the risk of injuries and fatigue.
So the children decided on races. They wanted to race each other , so accepted , setting up an obstacle style course , with hurdles , shuttles , cones , ladders and pole. It was basically an extended agility course. As they are still fairly young it is good for them to practice using their agility and balance , as well as giving their co-ordination a test , all whilst under the pressure environment of a race. But overall I wanted them to enjoy themselves. Previous studies have shown enjoyment in PE to be an important psychosocial variable linked with increased PA (Garcia Bengoechea,Sabiston, Ahmed, & Farnous, 2010; Pate, Ward, O’Neill, & Dowda, 2007; Papaioannou et al.,2006; Wang, Chatzisarantis, Spray, & Biddle,2002) If the children enjoy today they will be happier to come back and thats what I want. I don't ever want a child to go home and say I don't want to go there again.
The session went really well and after a while and several variations of the course they had forgotten all about wanting to play a game. They were enjoying themselves and laughing , whilst getting a good level of exercise and by still incorporating the ball into some of the games keeping up practice with the football.
This suggested to me the importance of variation and sometimes surprises Obviously I wont be doing it every week as we have other areas that need to be developed , but as an occasional inclusion in the schedule it was an enjoyable session for all.
This I felt showed a development in my confidence as a coach , a few months ago I probably would not of taken on a session like that and instead tried to stick more to the book and be a more structured session. Developing my understanding of coaching however has allowed me to improve my confidence and relax my style. Repetition can kill create boredom as well as a number of other problems , structured sessions even from personal experience as a player , if your playing the sport for years , you soon get frustrated with training sessions that you feel you have done 10 times before. So now as a coach I try to ensure my sessions are fun , entertaining and engaging first , everything else will follow if the players are happy.
Take them to one side.
I often work with the younger children (6-7) at the local football team which often offers up an array of challenges , not just with keeping them interested and active , but keeping them happy , attitudes can take a turn at any second.
On this particular occasion a player had missed a opportunity to score and so was blaming an injury , as coach you can't tell them they don't have an injury at this age , often because we just don't know , but more importantly for the relationship between player and coach it could suggest a level of distrust. So when the player began causing a disturbance in the game and then causing problems with other players I had to intervene. There was another coach present so it was o.k to move away from the session with the player , but I all so took it as an opportunity to give a feeling of responsibility to another player , a player that is usually fairly quiet by nature in sessions , I asked the player can you make sure everyone behaves whilst I go make sure ...... is o.k ? Within two minutes he was shouting at a team mate to concentrate which made me smile. This comes back to understanding your players and the requirements of individuals. A coach's responsibilities , as mentioned earlier in the blog , particularly with younger children extends well beyond developing technical skills and giving them a place to play sport. Giving players opportunities to develop life skills is a major positive of a lot of sports and this is what I was trying to do with this particular player , giving him a sense of responsibility that ultimately encouraged him to speak above his team mates , a reversal on usual procedure where he says very little.
Back to the original point taking the player to the side of the pitch. This reduces the chance of further disturbance to the session. All so will make the player feel less embarrassed than being talked to in the middle of the pitch and all so if he has attention seeking motives he will feel he has your attention. This is only a good idea with two coaches though , if you feel a player is trying to demand all your attention when coaching alone , try not to divert your attention to them , you may keep one child happy but the whole team suffers.
Don't make a mistake that many coaches do and stop the session in order to speak to one child , this can often only heighten anger as the child now feels you are highlighting them in front of everyone , a spot light effect. If possible move them away from the main focus of the group and speak to them one to one.
On this particular occasion a player had missed a opportunity to score and so was blaming an injury , as coach you can't tell them they don't have an injury at this age , often because we just don't know , but more importantly for the relationship between player and coach it could suggest a level of distrust. So when the player began causing a disturbance in the game and then causing problems with other players I had to intervene. There was another coach present so it was o.k to move away from the session with the player , but I all so took it as an opportunity to give a feeling of responsibility to another player , a player that is usually fairly quiet by nature in sessions , I asked the player can you make sure everyone behaves whilst I go make sure ...... is o.k ? Within two minutes he was shouting at a team mate to concentrate which made me smile. This comes back to understanding your players and the requirements of individuals. A coach's responsibilities , as mentioned earlier in the blog , particularly with younger children extends well beyond developing technical skills and giving them a place to play sport. Giving players opportunities to develop life skills is a major positive of a lot of sports and this is what I was trying to do with this particular player , giving him a sense of responsibility that ultimately encouraged him to speak above his team mates , a reversal on usual procedure where he says very little.
Back to the original point taking the player to the side of the pitch. This reduces the chance of further disturbance to the session. All so will make the player feel less embarrassed than being talked to in the middle of the pitch and all so if he has attention seeking motives he will feel he has your attention. This is only a good idea with two coaches though , if you feel a player is trying to demand all your attention when coaching alone , try not to divert your attention to them , you may keep one child happy but the whole team suffers.
Don't make a mistake that many coaches do and stop the session in order to speak to one child , this can often only heighten anger as the child now feels you are highlighting them in front of everyone , a spot light effect. If possible move them away from the main focus of the group and speak to them one to one.
Meeting the needs of individuals.
At a training session this week we had a large group of participants , across the group in terms of performance there was a significant gap in ability from top to bottom of the group. With only one coach several people were worried about what the session was going to achieve. With the nature of the training session however (sprint training) we would need rest between efforts. Acknowledging this the group was informed early of how the session would be run and stating the requirements and co-operation of the participants that would be needed , in order not to waste track time they were to be ready to come on track as the previous group left the track. By effectively communicating with the group the coach has given themselves time to deal with individual needs of participants , this allowed the two groups to focus on areas that were most relevant to them with the varying speeds of the group it would not be safe or particularly fulfilling for the slower memebers of the group to train with the others. However the effective break up of the groups meant that the two groups were able to get a much more useful session for themselves with appropriate training..
This is a good example of a coach coping under pressure , usually there would of been two coaches for this session , but with the change , they were still able to adapt and deliver a relevant session for all standards of participants. It is always important to consider the needs of the group or even the individuals within the group and if in this instant we had simply decided to place all participants together then it would not of been an effective training session for the majority of the group.
On reflection of the critical aspects of the session , this showed the coaches dedication to the players and the desire to do a good job personally. By taking on effectively two sessions at once running side by side he took on a lot more work and had no break during the two hours. This shows a good positive working attitude and the willingness to take on a challenge. Another coach may of shied away and taken the easy route , but this shows a lot about having the right coaching attitude. If you show a good attitude your participants are likely to replicate. Remember as a coach you are all so setting an example and acting as a role model , what you set the standards at are what performers are likely to want to achieve. Take the easy route and you may see players taking the easy route.
This is a good example of a coach coping under pressure , usually there would of been two coaches for this session , but with the change , they were still able to adapt and deliver a relevant session for all standards of participants. It is always important to consider the needs of the group or even the individuals within the group and if in this instant we had simply decided to place all participants together then it would not of been an effective training session for the majority of the group.
On reflection of the critical aspects of the session , this showed the coaches dedication to the players and the desire to do a good job personally. By taking on effectively two sessions at once running side by side he took on a lot more work and had no break during the two hours. This shows a good positive working attitude and the willingness to take on a challenge. Another coach may of shied away and taken the easy route , but this shows a lot about having the right coaching attitude. If you show a good attitude your participants are likely to replicate. Remember as a coach you are all so setting an example and acting as a role model , what you set the standards at are what performers are likely to want to achieve. Take the easy route and you may see players taking the easy route.
Levels of reflection.
When reviewing your sessions as a coach there is three levels which you often have to approach.
Van Manen (1997) Suggested three levels of reflection.
Critical - Questioning the impact of your morals in coaching and your approach such as making sure you keep the best players interest at heart , but how does that effect the other players attitude ?
Technical - How effective is the application of your coaching knowledge and technique to the effect the outcomes of the session.
Practical - What is the best way to teach the group you are with , what approach will they respond to best. Practical reflection is based on those that you are coaching.
Critical - In relation to the critical review of your coaching , morals are often referred to when your coaching approach is questioned. Your morals are what define you as a coach , how you approach coaching , how you conduct yourself and more importantly what you believe in. No matter what it is you are coaching if you don't believe in it then why are you teaching it and expecting other people to believe in it. Reflecting on how your approach effects players can save a lot of trouble in the long run.
A common example of coaches basic approach and decisions can effect other players and the team as a whole is when coaches focus on one player , they always put certain players (usually the most advanced players) under the spotlight. Focusing on them as examples for the other players , basing sessions and team management on these players strengths and assuming the rest of the team will fit into the models. This is quite a common problem in junior sport and brings with it a number of possible problems. A few of which are.
Other players feel undervalued.
Coaching quality drops as a whole due to narrow focus.
Failure to teach basics , focusing on more advanced players skill level.
Top player feels above club and leaves to other clubs , leaving all coaching work and plans to re-start.
Technical reflection - Coaching is very much a results based job , especially at a professional level , if your not getting results then maybe its time to question your application of your coaching knowledge or simply your coaching knowledge full stop. In some sports you can get away with a session here or there without a truly deep understanding of what you are coaching , however in some sports and activities a coach should never attempt to get participants to do something that they are not fully capable or qualified to do so , this could put people in danger. As a coach , even one that is not in competition you should be setting goals and targets , places that you want to be and things you want to achieve in specific time frames , if you are way off these targets or not meeting them at all. Then you need to make some serious changes (perhaps not coach) , players need to learn , develop and grow , without effective coaching knowledge transfer from you , what are they set to achieve by attending your training sessions. Again reflection is an important tool here. Can you recognize when what your doing is not good enough and changes need to be made. Intelligent coaches not only see when then are faltering but can devise effective new approaches to combat weak areas of their coaching. Often good players know themselves what is lacking from a coach and what areas they feel they are not being worked in. Referring back to an older post this highlights the importance of communication , simply asking your players what they feel they want to see more of or what is lacking in your session. All you need to do then of course is add these areas in and you have developed the coaching quality you provide and improved the overall level of quality you can provide. Remember not to forget about other areas you have coached in the past these still need to be worked on to keep sharpness , but by covering new areas you produce better rounded players.
Practical reflection - A coach with a good understanding of his group will be able to accurately assess how they react to certain coaching styles and approaches. Assessing your practical application of your coaching style is and important part of any coaches approach to their sessions. If you know the team react well to certain styles of coaching , or that simply it takes a certain approach to get the group to apply themselves , then it will obviously be more appropriate to use this to engage successfully with the team. Failure to identify the best practice for you team can result in a lack of engagement from players which drops motivation and how much information players take on board.
Van Manen (1997) Suggested three levels of reflection.
Critical - Questioning the impact of your morals in coaching and your approach such as making sure you keep the best players interest at heart , but how does that effect the other players attitude ?
Technical - How effective is the application of your coaching knowledge and technique to the effect the outcomes of the session.
Practical - What is the best way to teach the group you are with , what approach will they respond to best. Practical reflection is based on those that you are coaching.
Critical - In relation to the critical review of your coaching , morals are often referred to when your coaching approach is questioned. Your morals are what define you as a coach , how you approach coaching , how you conduct yourself and more importantly what you believe in. No matter what it is you are coaching if you don't believe in it then why are you teaching it and expecting other people to believe in it. Reflecting on how your approach effects players can save a lot of trouble in the long run.
A common example of coaches basic approach and decisions can effect other players and the team as a whole is when coaches focus on one player , they always put certain players (usually the most advanced players) under the spotlight. Focusing on them as examples for the other players , basing sessions and team management on these players strengths and assuming the rest of the team will fit into the models. This is quite a common problem in junior sport and brings with it a number of possible problems. A few of which are.
Other players feel undervalued.
Coaching quality drops as a whole due to narrow focus.
Failure to teach basics , focusing on more advanced players skill level.
Top player feels above club and leaves to other clubs , leaving all coaching work and plans to re-start.
Technical reflection - Coaching is very much a results based job , especially at a professional level , if your not getting results then maybe its time to question your application of your coaching knowledge or simply your coaching knowledge full stop. In some sports you can get away with a session here or there without a truly deep understanding of what you are coaching , however in some sports and activities a coach should never attempt to get participants to do something that they are not fully capable or qualified to do so , this could put people in danger. As a coach , even one that is not in competition you should be setting goals and targets , places that you want to be and things you want to achieve in specific time frames , if you are way off these targets or not meeting them at all. Then you need to make some serious changes (perhaps not coach) , players need to learn , develop and grow , without effective coaching knowledge transfer from you , what are they set to achieve by attending your training sessions. Again reflection is an important tool here. Can you recognize when what your doing is not good enough and changes need to be made. Intelligent coaches not only see when then are faltering but can devise effective new approaches to combat weak areas of their coaching. Often good players know themselves what is lacking from a coach and what areas they feel they are not being worked in. Referring back to an older post this highlights the importance of communication , simply asking your players what they feel they want to see more of or what is lacking in your session. All you need to do then of course is add these areas in and you have developed the coaching quality you provide and improved the overall level of quality you can provide. Remember not to forget about other areas you have coached in the past these still need to be worked on to keep sharpness , but by covering new areas you produce better rounded players.
Practical reflection - A coach with a good understanding of his group will be able to accurately assess how they react to certain coaching styles and approaches. Assessing your practical application of your coaching style is and important part of any coaches approach to their sessions. If you know the team react well to certain styles of coaching , or that simply it takes a certain approach to get the group to apply themselves , then it will obviously be more appropriate to use this to engage successfully with the team. Failure to identify the best practice for you team can result in a lack of engagement from players which drops motivation and how much information players take on board.
The coaching process
Effective coaching is a process of continuous application and review of your experiences and performance. A good coach does not simply turn up on the day and produce a generic coaches guide session. Your next session starts when your previous session finishes. A effective review of your session can highlight factors you feel are weak points of your session , allowing you to make changes for the following week. Failure to make these changes results in you constantly producing the same results that are often not up to standard. Making the same mistakes over and over again.
Many teams and coaches suffer from this as a result of time and tradition. Coaches were coached in a certain way themselves , they then simply reproduced the sessions they were taught again and again without ever making changes or adapting the session based on the participants. This goes on for years and because they have done it for years they feel it cant be wrong.
The coaching process in a basic view consist of Plan , Do , review.
http://simplyalibrarian.blogspot.co.uk
This is a simple representation of the review process in coaching , however it is a constant process of this rather than a one off action and the process can be seen to be a consistent circle of this constant reflection.
According to Gilbert and Trudel (2001) reflective practice is an integral part of effective coaching.
Many teams and coaches suffer from this as a result of time and tradition. Coaches were coached in a certain way themselves , they then simply reproduced the sessions they were taught again and again without ever making changes or adapting the session based on the participants. This goes on for years and because they have done it for years they feel it cant be wrong.
The coaching process in a basic view consist of Plan , Do , review.
http://simplyalibrarian.blogspot.co.ukThis is a simple representation of the review process in coaching , however it is a constant process of this rather than a one off action and the process can be seen to be a consistent circle of this constant reflection.
According to Gilbert and Trudel (2001) reflective practice is an integral part of effective coaching.
Wednesday 17 April 2013
Questioning - From Criticalthinking.org
Just like teachers , coaches responsibility is to teach or inform , develop and enhance a players abilities in all aspects of life. Coaches often don't realize but they take on more of a responsibility than they bargained for developing the minds of the participants , players and athletes around them. As well as the basic jobs of a coach to teach technical and tactical skills and understanding , they all so have the job of challenging players mentally , getting them to think about what they are doing and understanding why they are doing it. There is no better way of doing this than to actually question the players themselves in order to get them to think about what they have just done , ways that it could be done differently and the reasons for this. As a coach you must always find ways to reflect on what you have done , question yourself and get others opinions of yourself , so that you are continually learning and adapting your styles and approaches to become more and more effective.
How you question the participants is equally as important , asking for simple yes or no answers is not going to really produce any level of reflection or analysis on their part to think about what they have just done. Challenging them for more in depth answers and then answers on top of that is going to produce more beneficial thought processes.
Below is a good article from The Critical Thinking Community , available at http://www.criticalthinking.org/ which explains the importance of the styles of questions used to open up ideas and thoughts from participants. As a coach you should not be the controller of information , but instead the source of thought.
The Role of Questions in Teaching , thinking and learning.
One of the reasons that instructors tend to overemphasize "coverage" over "engaged thinking" is that they assume that answers can be taught separate from questions. Indeed, so buried are questions in established instruction that the fact that all assertions-all statements that this or that is so-are implicit answers to questions is virtually never recognized. For example, the statement that water boils at 100 degrees centigrade is an answer to the question "At what temperature centigrade does water boil?".
Hence every declarative statement in the textbook is an answer to a question. Hence, every textbook could be rewritten in the interrogative mode by translating every statement into a question. To my knowledge this has never been done. That it has not is testimony to the privileged status of answers over questions in instruction and the misunderstanding of teachers about the significance of questions in the learning process. Instruction at all levels now keeps most questions buried in a torrent of obscured "answers".
Thinking is Driven by Questions
But thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field-for example, Physics or Biology-the field would never have been developed in the first place. Furthermore, every field stays alive only to the extent that fresh questions are generated and taken seriously as the driving force in a process of thinking. To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate our thought.
Questions define tasks, express problems and delineate issues. Answers on the other hand, often signal a full stop in thought. Only when an answer generates a further question does thought continue its life as such.
This is why it is true that only students who have questions are really thinking and learning. It is possible to give students an examination on any subject by just asking them to list all of the questions that they have about a subject, including all questions generated by their first list of questions.
That we do not test students by asking them to list questions and explain their significance is again evidence of the privileged status we give to answers isolated from questions. That is, we ask questions only to get thought-stopping answers, not to generate further questions.
Feeding Students Endless Content to Remember
Feeding students endless content to remember (that is, declarative sentences to remember) is akin to repeatedly stepping on the brakes in a vehicle that is, unfortunately, already at rest. Instead, students need questions to turn on their intellectual engines and they need to generate questions from our questions to get their thinking to go somewhere. Thinking is of no use unless it goes somewhere, and again, the questions we ask determine where our thinking goes.
Deep questions drive our thought underneath the surface of things, force us to deal with complexity. Questions of purpose force us to define our task. Questions of information force us to look at our sources of information as well as at the quality of our information.
Questions of interpretation force us to examine how we are organizing or giving meaning to information. Questions of assumption force us to examine what we are taking for granted. Questions of implication force us to follow out where our thinking is going. Questions of point of view force us to examine our point of view and to consider other relevant points of view.
Questions of relevance force us to discriminate what does and what does not bear on a question. Questions of accuracy force us to evaluate and test for truth and correctness. Questions of precision force us to give details and be specific. Questions of consistency force us to examine our thinking for contradictions. Questions of logic force us to consider how we are putting the whole of our thought together, to make sure that it all adds up and makes sense within a reasonable system of some kind.
Dead Questions Reflect Dead Minds
Unfortunately, most students ask virtually none of these thought-stimulating types of questions. They tend to stick to dead questions like "Is this going to be on the test?", questions that imply the desire not to think. Most teachers in turn are not themselves generators of questions and answers of their own, that is, are not seriously engaged in thinking through or rethinking through their own subjects. Rather, they are purveyors of the questions and answers of others-usually those of a textbook.
We must continually remind ourselves that thinking begins with respect to some content only when questions are generated by both teachers and students. No questions equals no understanding. Superficial questions equals superficial understanding. Most students typically have no questions. They not only sit in silence; their minds are silent at well. Hence, the questions they do have tend to be superficial and ill-informed. This demonstrates that most of the time they are not thinking through the content they are presumed to be learning. This demonstrates that most of the time they are not learning the content they are presumed to be learning.
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If we want thinking we must stimulate it with questions that lead students to further questions. We must overcome what previous schooling has done to the thinking of students. We must resuscitate minds that are largely dead when we receive them. We must give our students what might be called "artificial cogitation" (the intellectual equivalent of artificial respiration
TGFU
TGFU - Teaching Games For Understanding.
TGFU is a learning process based on problem solving. Using the TGFU model places an emphasis on the players devloping game appreciation , understanding the game to a greater extent than simply being able to perform a list of skills. Many coaches simply do not appreciate the importance of game appreciation and instead focus mainly on the development of skills and techniques. Without the right knowledge of a game though, what use is a skill without the ability to use it it at the right moment ?
Having proper game appreciation and an understanding of what skills to use , when and why , allows players that are not perhaps technically brilliant to be good players because of how well the read the game. Top defenders are often a good example of this , they may not be able to control a ball as well as their center forward team mate , or hit a target from 30 yards , but their ability to assess problems quickly and spot danger allows them to be in the right place at the right time with no need for skills.
In the process of TGFU then it woulld usually mean that you start by coaching simple pitch or court dynamics. Letting the players get an appreciation for the size and distances of the court , maybe the playing surface even , how much grip it offers to turn etc. In this case I will use tennis as the example , when coaching a player , starting with the dynamics of the court , basic positioning would be the first part. Where to stand at service or when taking service. Then basic court movements , coming too the net and moving back into postion quickly , developing an appreciation of the distance left to right on the court and when using one side of the racket or the other is more appropriate.
When the player has gathered more of an understanding and an appreciation of the court dynamics , is more spatially aware of their surroundings then you can begin to move on to other basics such as the stance and holding of the racket (remembering to allow them to hold the racket how they feel is comfortable and effective). It does not matter if they make a number of mistakes as long as they begin to develop an understanding of why those mistakes occurred , allowing them to solve their own problems and adapt new ways around it.
TGFU is essentially a reversal of what is considered normal procedure , usually children would come to a session and expect to be taught a skill , which they then learn and are then expected to perform in a game situation. Instead what TGFU offers is the understanding of the game first , so that when the player learns the skill and have to put it into practice in a game situation they have a more informed opinion of what is the most appropriate and effective skill to use in this situation.
Below another video that expalins TGfU from a coaching perspective. Note how in the video the players are not focusing on specific skills , but in fact are playing in a variety of game situations , with adaptations to increase their understanding of positioning and space etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx25KgDdHmQ
TGFU is a learning process based on problem solving. Using the TGFU model places an emphasis on the players devloping game appreciation , understanding the game to a greater extent than simply being able to perform a list of skills. Many coaches simply do not appreciate the importance of game appreciation and instead focus mainly on the development of skills and techniques. Without the right knowledge of a game though, what use is a skill without the ability to use it it at the right moment ?
Having proper game appreciation and an understanding of what skills to use , when and why , allows players that are not perhaps technically brilliant to be good players because of how well the read the game. Top defenders are often a good example of this , they may not be able to control a ball as well as their center forward team mate , or hit a target from 30 yards , but their ability to assess problems quickly and spot danger allows them to be in the right place at the right time with no need for skills.
In the process of TGFU then it woulld usually mean that you start by coaching simple pitch or court dynamics. Letting the players get an appreciation for the size and distances of the court , maybe the playing surface even , how much grip it offers to turn etc. In this case I will use tennis as the example , when coaching a player , starting with the dynamics of the court , basic positioning would be the first part. Where to stand at service or when taking service. Then basic court movements , coming too the net and moving back into postion quickly , developing an appreciation of the distance left to right on the court and when using one side of the racket or the other is more appropriate.
When the player has gathered more of an understanding and an appreciation of the court dynamics , is more spatially aware of their surroundings then you can begin to move on to other basics such as the stance and holding of the racket (remembering to allow them to hold the racket how they feel is comfortable and effective). It does not matter if they make a number of mistakes as long as they begin to develop an understanding of why those mistakes occurred , allowing them to solve their own problems and adapt new ways around it.
TGFU is essentially a reversal of what is considered normal procedure , usually children would come to a session and expect to be taught a skill , which they then learn and are then expected to perform in a game situation. Instead what TGFU offers is the understanding of the game first , so that when the player learns the skill and have to put it into practice in a game situation they have a more informed opinion of what is the most appropriate and effective skill to use in this situation.
Below another video that expalins TGfU from a coaching perspective. Note how in the video the players are not focusing on specific skills , but in fact are playing in a variety of game situations , with adaptations to increase their understanding of positioning and space etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx25KgDdHmQ
Tuesday 16 April 2013
Constraints led approach.
What is a constraint ?
With this model of coaching constraints are not always considered to be negative factors that may hinder performance. They are simply any number of factors that have an influence learning and performance. The individual personality or attitude of a athlete , as well as the environment such as the pitch surface and finally the task itself , perhaps whether or not the athlete engages with a particular exercise or if he would rather be doing something else.
With the contraints led approach the factors that usually are the limiting factors with coaching , instead can be manipulated to provide effective coaching , the individual qualities of an athlete, the task and the environment can all be manipulated for more effective approaches.
Different players have different needs ! We often try and coach everyone under one blanket and if they struggle to meet targets or outcomes , we look at the players for fault , coaches need to appreciate that just like learning in school or revising for an exam , everyone has their own way of doing it. For this reason coaches should try their best to allow participants to develop their own ideas , their own interpretations of instructions and solve their own problems. Often a limiting factor of coaches sessions is demonstrations.
DEMONstrations.
Demonstrations are such common place in coaching routines and sessions that we often do not think about the implications of them. Every coach will explain what they want players to do , but then they will offer them a demonstration as well. The demonstration effectively acts as a solution for the players , if they were slightly unsure of the method in which they were meant to do something , then after watching a demonstration all they have to do now is copy it to assure success , effectively KILLING CREATIVITY. Players will focus on repeating the demonstration not creating their own solutions , nine out of ten times , if you ask the players to perform a turn , then demonstrate a Cruyff turn , the majority of the participants will all perform the same turn.
Below is a complete run through of the constraints led approach from Triathlon New Zealand website.
Demonstrations may actually limit potential as they can be constraining and force the learner to adopt a movement pattern that may not be the most effective for them.
A demonstration should
always be coupled with its outcome (i.e., what happens) so that learners are encouraged to problem solve and determine how their actions and effects are related.
Allow learners to observe a range of people doing demonstrations so they can appreciate subtle variations in technique and how it alters outcomes.
The problem solving approach (setting problems for athletes to solve, or
posing questions) encourages learners to take more responsibility for their learning.
There are different ways to achieve the same end result and learners should be encouraged to explore these opportunities so as to develop flexible and adaptable movement patterns.
Performance in practice should not be seen as a sole measure of the
effectiveness of coaching. The most appropriate measure is to observe the learner in competition.
Practice should be as variable as possible so that learners can explore and discover their own solutions.
The practice session should mimic the range of variations experienced during a competition.
Blocked practice helps to develop confidence in the initial stages of learning.
Blocked practice is repetitive practice to develop a technique or skill.
Providing feedback on every practice attempt limits learning potential as it prevents the learner from searching for solutions.
Encourage learners to increase their own ability to use intrinsic feedback
(feedback about their own movements).
Very prescriptive coaching (i.e., telling, telling, telling) may be detrimental to learning. Rather, using guided discovery enables learners to take more responsibility for their own development.
Coaches should manipulate the individual, environmental and task constraints to help shape the learners performances through guided discovery and self-exploration.
Sport or game intelligence can be developed by the use of competition-related activities.
Reference
Williams, A.M. & Hodges, N.J. (2005). Practice, instruction and skill acquisition: Challenging tradition.
Journal of Sport Sciences, 23(6), 637-650
With this model of coaching constraints are not always considered to be negative factors that may hinder performance. They are simply any number of factors that have an influence learning and performance. The individual personality or attitude of a athlete , as well as the environment such as the pitch surface and finally the task itself , perhaps whether or not the athlete engages with a particular exercise or if he would rather be doing something else.
With the contraints led approach the factors that usually are the limiting factors with coaching , instead can be manipulated to provide effective coaching , the individual qualities of an athlete, the task and the environment can all be manipulated for more effective approaches.
Different players have different needs ! We often try and coach everyone under one blanket and if they struggle to meet targets or outcomes , we look at the players for fault , coaches need to appreciate that just like learning in school or revising for an exam , everyone has their own way of doing it. For this reason coaches should try their best to allow participants to develop their own ideas , their own interpretations of instructions and solve their own problems. Often a limiting factor of coaches sessions is demonstrations.
DEMONstrations.
Demonstrations are such common place in coaching routines and sessions that we often do not think about the implications of them. Every coach will explain what they want players to do , but then they will offer them a demonstration as well. The demonstration effectively acts as a solution for the players , if they were slightly unsure of the method in which they were meant to do something , then after watching a demonstration all they have to do now is copy it to assure success , effectively KILLING CREATIVITY. Players will focus on repeating the demonstration not creating their own solutions , nine out of ten times , if you ask the players to perform a turn , then demonstrate a Cruyff turn , the majority of the participants will all perform the same turn.
Below is a complete run through of the constraints led approach from Triathlon New Zealand website.
Demonstrations may actually limit potential as they can be constraining and force the learner to adopt a movement pattern that may not be the most effective for them.
A demonstration should
always be coupled with its outcome (i.e., what happens) so that learners are encouraged to problem solve and determine how their actions and effects are related.
Allow learners to observe a range of people doing demonstrations so they can appreciate subtle variations in technique and how it alters outcomes.
The problem solving approach (setting problems for athletes to solve, or
posing questions) encourages learners to take more responsibility for their learning.
There are different ways to achieve the same end result and learners should be encouraged to explore these opportunities so as to develop flexible and adaptable movement patterns.
Performance in practice should not be seen as a sole measure of the
effectiveness of coaching. The most appropriate measure is to observe the learner in competition.
Practice should be as variable as possible so that learners can explore and discover their own solutions.
The practice session should mimic the range of variations experienced during a competition.
Blocked practice helps to develop confidence in the initial stages of learning.
Blocked practice is repetitive practice to develop a technique or skill.
Providing feedback on every practice attempt limits learning potential as it prevents the learner from searching for solutions.
Encourage learners to increase their own ability to use intrinsic feedback
(feedback about their own movements).
Very prescriptive coaching (i.e., telling, telling, telling) may be detrimental to learning. Rather, using guided discovery enables learners to take more responsibility for their own development.
Coaches should manipulate the individual, environmental and task constraints to help shape the learners performances through guided discovery and self-exploration.
Sport or game intelligence can be developed by the use of competition-related activities.
Reference
Williams, A.M. & Hodges, N.J. (2005). Practice, instruction and skill acquisition: Challenging tradition.
Journal of Sport Sciences, 23(6), 637-650
Monday 15 April 2013
An effective approach to coaching.
There are many factors that divide the best coaches from the rest and everyone has their own style. Some processes that top coaches follow to deliver the best results to their players are as follows.
Mistakes
They allow performers to make mistakes. Training is for that reason exactly , use training to its full potential in order to iron out any mistakes, let participants make mistakes , obviously the aim isn't to make mistakes but do not criticize them for doing so. Use mistakes as stepping stones and see them as areas to improve. Coaches often stick to practicing a team or performers strengths as it makes both the player and the coach look good if they are getting everything right. Don't be afraid to tackle weaknesses and make mistakes along the way , avoiding mistakes is what will hurt you in the long run , if a player is a fantastic free-kick taker but cant control the ball then when it comes to pressure time and they give the ball away in their own area , what are you going to wish you had practiced ? This is not to say ignore the players strengths as they already have the ability , as with anything regular practice is good , but make sure you assign time to other aspects of performance , turn weaknesses into strengths and strengths into super strengths.
Technique
Focusing on a players technique does not guarantee a players improved performance. Technique is the physical action of a movement such as the kick of a ball or swing of a bat. The skill of a performer is how they are then able to put this into action in a game or pressure situation. A player may be able to kick a ball directly into the top corner 15 times without fail on a training ground or with their friends , you would say that they have great technique as they posses the ability to perform this task well. However , producing players that are technically brilliant but lack the ability to perform in games is a pointless task in a sporting world which , by the nature of sport , is based on results , scores and performances. Players need to be able to produce skills on demand in any situation and when under pressure. For this reason it is important that coaches try and produce well rounded players that are used to performing in a variety of situations. Players need to have game appreciation as well as the skills to perform in a game. Game appreciation is basically a knowledge and understanding of the game , the ability to read situations such as detecting danger. Being able to read the game well allows a player to decide which is the most appropriate technique to use , such as a long or short pass , to be most effective. Put the players technique under strategic pressure which will assess their ability to perform in game situations. This is a purpose of practice matches and friendlies before major competition starts.
If learning means loosing
Sometimes during the learning process we experience setbacks. At least that is what they appear to be , in reality these setbacks often prove to be the most important steps forward , they can open up new perspectives on everything , from training , preparation , performance and even recovery. A failure can often cast light on something that previously was not considered which suddenly ignites a performer who then finds a new level. Setbacks can all so be used as fuel for the next performance , being beaten then acts as the drive to avoid defeat again and win. If you set a new personal best but still loose , then although the outcome is the same you have made improvements and this should be taken as a positive showing that you are progressing. Some times you have to loose to learn , all great sportsmen/women have been beaten at some point in their life , if they quit after one defeat we wouldn't have many greats , as a coach and as the player it is important to use defeats to your advantage and turn it into a positive learning experience , if you dwell on the defeat and point out to players how bad it is that they lost then they will learn nothing. One thing i often use in my coaching is a 'praise sandwich'. This works by giving players feedback (again the importance of communication) firstly give the players some positive feedback , follow this up with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism of the performance, offering advice for changes , perhaps new things to try in a game. Then finally offer some more praise , perhaps an idea of how good they could be if they added these changes to their game.
With this point of that loosing can be learning , this is often a problem in junior football , children although they like extrinsic rewards are just as much involved in sports at a young age for enjoyment , begin with their friends and having fun , it is the coaches and parents that create stress and the win at all cost nature of junior sports. If you introduce the you are a winner mentality when you win , then surely children will think they are looser when they loose. This is often what kills off participation in many children , don't be the coach that makes a child stop playing sport , allow players to develop at their own rate in their own way , everyone has their own way of learning , problem solving and even technical ability is individually based , yes the basics of everyone ability to kick a ball has similarities but everyone will learn to do it in their own unique way.
Obviously there are differences between elite sport and grassroots sport , unfortunately although it has massively impacted British sport positively , sport has become a political tool with vast amounts of money involved , it is a very cut throat industry now and if your not making the grades and getting the results , both as a coach and a player , your out ! This then clearly does not really give you the opportunity to loose as a learning experience , you will encounter losses anyway as is the nature of sport and it is at these moments that you must work like never before to get back and beyond where you were before. As I mentioned earlier , use the defeat as fuel for victory. A recent example of this Bradley Wiggins , crashing out of the Tour De France in 2011 , trained harder than ever for the rest of the year and won it in 2012. Loosing is good , no one ever became the best by winning every race they ever did.
Mistakes
They allow performers to make mistakes. Training is for that reason exactly , use training to its full potential in order to iron out any mistakes, let participants make mistakes , obviously the aim isn't to make mistakes but do not criticize them for doing so. Use mistakes as stepping stones and see them as areas to improve. Coaches often stick to practicing a team or performers strengths as it makes both the player and the coach look good if they are getting everything right. Don't be afraid to tackle weaknesses and make mistakes along the way , avoiding mistakes is what will hurt you in the long run , if a player is a fantastic free-kick taker but cant control the ball then when it comes to pressure time and they give the ball away in their own area , what are you going to wish you had practiced ? This is not to say ignore the players strengths as they already have the ability , as with anything regular practice is good , but make sure you assign time to other aspects of performance , turn weaknesses into strengths and strengths into super strengths.
Technique
Focusing on a players technique does not guarantee a players improved performance. Technique is the physical action of a movement such as the kick of a ball or swing of a bat. The skill of a performer is how they are then able to put this into action in a game or pressure situation. A player may be able to kick a ball directly into the top corner 15 times without fail on a training ground or with their friends , you would say that they have great technique as they posses the ability to perform this task well. However , producing players that are technically brilliant but lack the ability to perform in games is a pointless task in a sporting world which , by the nature of sport , is based on results , scores and performances. Players need to be able to produce skills on demand in any situation and when under pressure. For this reason it is important that coaches try and produce well rounded players that are used to performing in a variety of situations. Players need to have game appreciation as well as the skills to perform in a game. Game appreciation is basically a knowledge and understanding of the game , the ability to read situations such as detecting danger. Being able to read the game well allows a player to decide which is the most appropriate technique to use , such as a long or short pass , to be most effective. Put the players technique under strategic pressure which will assess their ability to perform in game situations. This is a purpose of practice matches and friendlies before major competition starts.
If learning means loosing
Sometimes during the learning process we experience setbacks. At least that is what they appear to be , in reality these setbacks often prove to be the most important steps forward , they can open up new perspectives on everything , from training , preparation , performance and even recovery. A failure can often cast light on something that previously was not considered which suddenly ignites a performer who then finds a new level. Setbacks can all so be used as fuel for the next performance , being beaten then acts as the drive to avoid defeat again and win. If you set a new personal best but still loose , then although the outcome is the same you have made improvements and this should be taken as a positive showing that you are progressing. Some times you have to loose to learn , all great sportsmen/women have been beaten at some point in their life , if they quit after one defeat we wouldn't have many greats , as a coach and as the player it is important to use defeats to your advantage and turn it into a positive learning experience , if you dwell on the defeat and point out to players how bad it is that they lost then they will learn nothing. One thing i often use in my coaching is a 'praise sandwich'. This works by giving players feedback (again the importance of communication) firstly give the players some positive feedback , follow this up with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism of the performance, offering advice for changes , perhaps new things to try in a game. Then finally offer some more praise , perhaps an idea of how good they could be if they added these changes to their game.
With this point of that loosing can be learning , this is often a problem in junior football , children although they like extrinsic rewards are just as much involved in sports at a young age for enjoyment , begin with their friends and having fun , it is the coaches and parents that create stress and the win at all cost nature of junior sports. If you introduce the you are a winner mentality when you win , then surely children will think they are looser when they loose. This is often what kills off participation in many children , don't be the coach that makes a child stop playing sport , allow players to develop at their own rate in their own way , everyone has their own way of learning , problem solving and even technical ability is individually based , yes the basics of everyone ability to kick a ball has similarities but everyone will learn to do it in their own unique way.
Obviously there are differences between elite sport and grassroots sport , unfortunately although it has massively impacted British sport positively , sport has become a political tool with vast amounts of money involved , it is a very cut throat industry now and if your not making the grades and getting the results , both as a coach and a player , your out ! This then clearly does not really give you the opportunity to loose as a learning experience , you will encounter losses anyway as is the nature of sport and it is at these moments that you must work like never before to get back and beyond where you were before. As I mentioned earlier , use the defeat as fuel for victory. A recent example of this Bradley Wiggins , crashing out of the Tour De France in 2011 , trained harder than ever for the rest of the year and won it in 2012. Loosing is good , no one ever became the best by winning every race they ever did.
Thursday 11 April 2013
Communication
As a coach you are usually at the center of decision making and information. It is your job as a coach to give the sessions or training programs direction and influence over what is happening. If you had no real impact on the session then their would not be much need for you to be there as a coach.
One of a coaches most important skills is his/her communication skills , how they can take on information and successfully pass it on to participants and players. Effectively communicating is one of the most highly rated attributes of a successful coach , you will often hear how football managers are really good at talking to the players , letting them know whats happening and why and what they expect from them. Without effective communication skills it would be difficult to ever manage players effectively. Communication does not just refer to verbal instructions , all so a lot of communication can come across from body language , so conducting yourself in the right manner as a coach is equally important, trying to maintain a neutral body position not to give away feelings, if a performer gets something wrong the last thing they need is to see the coach shaking their head.
I personally feel that in my own coaching that my communication skills are one of my strong points. Both with players and other coaches. I have a friendly approach to people and don't like to be too serious which makes people more relaxed and more open to listening as with the coaches they know I am always happy to take on board opinions and ideas which makes me a good person to talk to when discussing potential changes.
This video talks to a number of coaches about the importance of communication and I feel it reflects well the relevance of a coach having good communication.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcJ39wq778
One of a coaches most important skills is his/her communication skills , how they can take on information and successfully pass it on to participants and players. Effectively communicating is one of the most highly rated attributes of a successful coach , you will often hear how football managers are really good at talking to the players , letting them know whats happening and why and what they expect from them. Without effective communication skills it would be difficult to ever manage players effectively. Communication does not just refer to verbal instructions , all so a lot of communication can come across from body language , so conducting yourself in the right manner as a coach is equally important, trying to maintain a neutral body position not to give away feelings, if a performer gets something wrong the last thing they need is to see the coach shaking their head.
I personally feel that in my own coaching that my communication skills are one of my strong points. Both with players and other coaches. I have a friendly approach to people and don't like to be too serious which makes people more relaxed and more open to listening as with the coaches they know I am always happy to take on board opinions and ideas which makes me a good person to talk to when discussing potential changes.
This video talks to a number of coaches about the importance of communication and I feel it reflects well the relevance of a coach having good communication.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcJ39wq778
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Games based approach.
As I mentioned in my previous post. Often coaches forget what it was like when they played the sport. How repetitive a typical session can be of warming up , drills having a game then a cool down. Offering the players no opportunity to reflect on what they have learned , practiced or achieved in that session , but more importantly when players make mistakes in a session or struggle to grasp a concept or technique , with no reflection in the session they are left usually , at for example a Sunday football team to wait another week before training again , or they go several days after making a mistake or encountering a problem with their game or technique into a match or performance with no work on their problems leading to repetition or an escalation of the problem , which if left to a game situation could be a major negative impact for a player perhaps in confidence. Training and practice is their to iron out mistakes before a match or performance so use it for that !
The games based approach targets this problem by constantly assessing an working on issues , simple feedback and communication assessing performance is all that is needed. During a session using the games based approach a typical session structure may look something like this.
Warm up
Game
Questions on the game
Back to game
More questions
Progression
Repeat the cycle with the progression implemented
Cool down.
When stopping the game for questions it is important to let the players give their views on the game in order to work on specific areas , you as a coach may see something very differently stood at 6ft tall and 20 yards away to what a player who is 4ft tall in the middle of the game may see. Allow players to reflect when the game is stopped , suggest changes or possible solutions then allow them to go back to the game. Before repeating the process.
Note when the cycle says progression , this is not a set list that needs to be ticked off in order to be effective. The game should only be progressed if the players are ready for it and the aims have been achieved. If not then it is not a problem , allow them to continue trying to find a solution and simply come back to it next session. Problems don't end at the end of training sessions so you should continue to work on them until it is no longer an issue.
BELOW IS A VIDEO I THINK DESCRIBES THE GAMES BASED APPROACH WELL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKzAbB2Lg6U
The games based approach targets this problem by constantly assessing an working on issues , simple feedback and communication assessing performance is all that is needed. During a session using the games based approach a typical session structure may look something like this.
Warm up
Game
Questions on the game
Back to game
More questions
Progression
Repeat the cycle with the progression implemented
Cool down.
When stopping the game for questions it is important to let the players give their views on the game in order to work on specific areas , you as a coach may see something very differently stood at 6ft tall and 20 yards away to what a player who is 4ft tall in the middle of the game may see. Allow players to reflect when the game is stopped , suggest changes or possible solutions then allow them to go back to the game. Before repeating the process.
Note when the cycle says progression , this is not a set list that needs to be ticked off in order to be effective. The game should only be progressed if the players are ready for it and the aims have been achieved. If not then it is not a problem , allow them to continue trying to find a solution and simply come back to it next session. Problems don't end at the end of training sessions so you should continue to work on them until it is no longer an issue.
BELOW IS A VIDEO I THINK DESCRIBES THE GAMES BASED APPROACH WELL.
Methods of coaching
A coach has many roles during their time , from being a trainer , supporter , teacher and leader , to being a first aider , managing admin and managing people. For most of these roles there is a simple approach to the job that is effective and efficient. However for the coaching side of the job there a number of ways in which a coach can apply themselves. We call these methods 'methods can be viewed not as a set of strategies which can be successfully or not unsuccessfully implemented by a coach. They are more like a set of beliefs about the way certain types of learning can be best achieved. They are about valued forms of knowledge as they are about procedures for action' (Tinning 1993) . The method of a coach can say a lot about themselves , their abilities and confidence. However it can be all so a reflection of the group as often certain coaching styles have to be adapted to suit particular groups often for safety reasons where control is needed. Mostun and ashworth created a method continuum which displayed how certain sports and activities require differing levels of responsibility on coach and player. An example of which is below.
Kirk went on to split this spectrum into 5 methods of coaching.
Directive - A control of information to participants , this limits progression and means the coach is the center.
Task - Designing the session so that the participant can sometimes work independently on a task or problem.
Reciprocal - This requires the players to work with one another rather than the coach ,designed for them.
Guided discovery - Gives the players more independence. Allows them to develop their own problems and then they can understand better solutions.
Problem solving - Offers more than one basic solution , again can be adapted for a better fit for individual needs - Differentiated needs.
As I touched on earlier , the method that you choose as a coach should be within your own personal capabilities but all so inside the abilities of your group. It would be unwise as a coach of for example a reception class or a similarly young group to let them go off and do what they want , this would both be dangerous and unproductive , although all decisions shouldn't be made for the players (this is one of the problems with English footballers , they are all coached to death, never allowing them to develop their own style of play) but they need to have some structure in the session so that they can meet aims and objectives.
For a situation such as this a directive approach would be more appropriate , ensuring that the players are kept on track and under control, guiding them through the session safely whilst meeting objectives is important , however if aims of the session are not met and perhaps you are running out of time do not feel you have to rush through. It is always better to ensure you have the fundamentals of a sport successfully implemented rather than rushing on to coach shooting. What use is being able to shoot if you can control a ball , the ball is never going to stop perfectly in acres of space for you to run and hit it however you want , coaches must ensure that they produce rounded players. I personally coached football at a local club and along with the other coaches often encountered children unhappy because we were doing dribbling activities when all they wanted to do was play a game , I am all for them learning to develop their own skills in a game but with a group as young as they were 6 and 7 year olds , a game often turns into a unproductive swarm chasing a ball and getting stuck in a corner , with the less advanced players standing around. For this reason I preferred to use skill based activities which allowed all players to be involved and work at their own level. These were not drills , as being a player myself I am aware of how boring, repetitive and time absorbing drills were. For example making players dribble round cones for 15 minutes , when in a game are you going to run at 4 stationary defenders on several occasions. Most of the activities I did as a player were irrelevant to games situations and ability in a game. So now when coaching i attempt to remove drills as much as possible and allow time for developing other skills and bits of personal flair using a task approach where they can sometimes work interdependently and even sometimes work reciprocally perhaps copying each others turns.
Coaches too often like to take control of sessions with their whistle and tracksuit feeling all important , in the development of the players however it is often better to allow the players find their own way and develop their own styles. If a player develops a way of kicking the ball that is not how you would normally do it , this doesn't mean its wrong , players are not clones they all have their own style , let them grow it.
Kirk went on to split this spectrum into 5 methods of coaching.
Directive - A control of information to participants , this limits progression and means the coach is the center.
Task - Designing the session so that the participant can sometimes work independently on a task or problem.
Reciprocal - This requires the players to work with one another rather than the coach ,designed for them.
Guided discovery - Gives the players more independence. Allows them to develop their own problems and then they can understand better solutions.
Problem solving - Offers more than one basic solution , again can be adapted for a better fit for individual needs - Differentiated needs.
As I touched on earlier , the method that you choose as a coach should be within your own personal capabilities but all so inside the abilities of your group. It would be unwise as a coach of for example a reception class or a similarly young group to let them go off and do what they want , this would both be dangerous and unproductive , although all decisions shouldn't be made for the players (this is one of the problems with English footballers , they are all coached to death, never allowing them to develop their own style of play) but they need to have some structure in the session so that they can meet aims and objectives.
For a situation such as this a directive approach would be more appropriate , ensuring that the players are kept on track and under control, guiding them through the session safely whilst meeting objectives is important , however if aims of the session are not met and perhaps you are running out of time do not feel you have to rush through. It is always better to ensure you have the fundamentals of a sport successfully implemented rather than rushing on to coach shooting. What use is being able to shoot if you can control a ball , the ball is never going to stop perfectly in acres of space for you to run and hit it however you want , coaches must ensure that they produce rounded players. I personally coached football at a local club and along with the other coaches often encountered children unhappy because we were doing dribbling activities when all they wanted to do was play a game , I am all for them learning to develop their own skills in a game but with a group as young as they were 6 and 7 year olds , a game often turns into a unproductive swarm chasing a ball and getting stuck in a corner , with the less advanced players standing around. For this reason I preferred to use skill based activities which allowed all players to be involved and work at their own level. These were not drills , as being a player myself I am aware of how boring, repetitive and time absorbing drills were. For example making players dribble round cones for 15 minutes , when in a game are you going to run at 4 stationary defenders on several occasions. Most of the activities I did as a player were irrelevant to games situations and ability in a game. So now when coaching i attempt to remove drills as much as possible and allow time for developing other skills and bits of personal flair using a task approach where they can sometimes work interdependently and even sometimes work reciprocally perhaps copying each others turns.
Coaches too often like to take control of sessions with their whistle and tracksuit feeling all important , in the development of the players however it is often better to allow the players find their own way and develop their own styles. If a player develops a way of kicking the ball that is not how you would normally do it , this doesn't mean its wrong , players are not clones they all have their own style , let them grow it.
Wednesday 16 January 2013
Responding to change.
At a training session the other night at the velodrome we were using one of the pace bikes to do 500m sprint efforts. We had a good experienced coach that night , so when the motorbike broke he was prepared to change the course of the session. We were told to put smaller gears on so that we worked harder to keep the same pace and then the session was changed due to the fact that we no longer had the ability to do above max efforts. This reminded me for my own coaching how a good coach needs to be adaptable. Our coach would of course had his own plan for the night , but with the change in circumstances the session needed to be adapted but still needed to meet the target aims. This was a reminder that although it is good to create a session plan you must have more knowledge and ability than this. Anyone can read off a sheet and move through bullet points , but a good coach needs to think on their feet and react to situations quickly , so this was a good reminder to think of back up plans and alternate methods / sessions for the future.
Not preparing is preparing to fail.
Not preparing is preparing to fail.
Assessment practical
A few weeks ago we ran a session for some of our fellow class mates , the session was in order for us to analyse ourselves on our coaching approach and methods.
Our session was a looking at some of the basic fundamental skills of sport , we used throwing and catching activities without definite guidelines which would allow participants to create their own styles of throwing and catching. Of course the participants we were working with already have the skills , but this session was designed for a younger group who were beginning to learn basic motion skills. Learning skills such as catching are something we take for granted at an older age , but they have been developed through a constant process of learning , using skills such a hand eye co-ordination skills and with some of the games we all so introduced all so developing spacial awareness aspects of peoples game , which again is something that cant really be taught directly but instead is something that when given the opportunity people will begin to develop on their own.
Our session went well , we used eight participants for a twenty minute session , in which we gave them the freedom to express their own passing skills at many opportunities with out giving them a set way in which we expected them to perform. We started with a basic warm up exercise , with them in pairs , using a bit of a directive approach to organizing the participants so that they were attentive and could be informed of the session ahead. We supported the participants during the warm up if they had any problems or questions as well as reminding them to try and vary their passing. Then we progressed on to our activity which was a game situation using numerous types of ball again to encourage variety in the throwing motion. It was a invasion based game where participants had to pass the ball to a partner player within a certain boundary. At many times during the session we stooped the game and did a lot of question and answers as to why the certain things happened during the game , giving advice and suggesting solutions to the players game , before letting them continue with play. Overall the session went well and by giving them a few pointers we could soon see them consciously looking for space and attempting more advanced passes rather than the basic under / over arm. The session was run with older participants but the whole group agreed it would work well with a much younger age group as the progression was down to the participants rather than the coach.
Our session was a looking at some of the basic fundamental skills of sport , we used throwing and catching activities without definite guidelines which would allow participants to create their own styles of throwing and catching. Of course the participants we were working with already have the skills , but this session was designed for a younger group who were beginning to learn basic motion skills. Learning skills such as catching are something we take for granted at an older age , but they have been developed through a constant process of learning , using skills such a hand eye co-ordination skills and with some of the games we all so introduced all so developing spacial awareness aspects of peoples game , which again is something that cant really be taught directly but instead is something that when given the opportunity people will begin to develop on their own.
Our session went well , we used eight participants for a twenty minute session , in which we gave them the freedom to express their own passing skills at many opportunities with out giving them a set way in which we expected them to perform. We started with a basic warm up exercise , with them in pairs , using a bit of a directive approach to organizing the participants so that they were attentive and could be informed of the session ahead. We supported the participants during the warm up if they had any problems or questions as well as reminding them to try and vary their passing. Then we progressed on to our activity which was a game situation using numerous types of ball again to encourage variety in the throwing motion. It was a invasion based game where participants had to pass the ball to a partner player within a certain boundary. At many times during the session we stooped the game and did a lot of question and answers as to why the certain things happened during the game , giving advice and suggesting solutions to the players game , before letting them continue with play. Overall the session went well and by giving them a few pointers we could soon see them consciously looking for space and attempting more advanced passes rather than the basic under / over arm. The session was run with older participants but the whole group agreed it would work well with a much younger age group as the progression was down to the participants rather than the coach.
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