Concluding Thoughts.

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.