Designing
Great
Coaching
Sessions
Workshop 2
Effective coaching sessions
The following components of
effective coaching sessions
require consideration
•
•
•
•
•
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•
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planning and organisation
safety
building rapport
the message
demonstration
observation and analysis
questioning
feedback.
www.sporttaranaki.org.nz
Effective coaching sessions (continued)
Coaching sessions should be
• enjoyable (focusing on
what these athletes might
find fun and enjoyable)
• challenging
• developmental
• individualised where
possible.
Components of a coaching session
Most coaching sessions will involve
• warm-up activities
• perhaps strength and conditioning
• technical and tactical elements.
Basic elements of a practice plan
Date, time of practice, and length of practice session
• record this information so you know when you
taught and how long you practiced certain skills.
Objective of the practice
• have one or more clear objectives of what you
want your athletes to know or be able to do as a
result of each practice session.
(Adapted from the NZ Coach Development Framework)
Basic elements of a practice plan
(continued)
Equipment needed for the practice
• e.g. mats, balls, nets, weights, stop watches
• Before practice, check the equipment to be certain
it is safe, clean, and operational.
Warm-up
• begin with warm-up activities for 10-15 minutes
• warm-ups can be done together by the entire team
or individually.
(Adapted from the NZ Coach Development Framework)
Basic elements of a practice plan
(continued)
Practice of previously taught skills
• include some time for previously taught skills
• the core technical and physical skills of a sport need to
be practiced almost daily
• other skills may need only occasional practice.
Teach and practice new skills
• teach only one or two new technical or tactical skills in
each practice
• think of innovative and creative ways to teach new skills,
this will engage the athletes and get them thinking.
(Adapted from the NZ Coach Development Framework)
Basic elements of a practice plan
(continued)
Inquiry-based approach
• with a games approach there are continual small games
opportunities in the practice
• these are accompanied by lots of questions and strategising to get
athletes thinking.
Cool-down
• allow your session to wind down in terms of level of activity
towards the end
• this allows athletes to gently wind out of the practice.
(Adapted from the NZ Coach Development Framework)
Basic elements of a practice plan
(continued)
Coaches comments
• take 5 minutes at the close of practice to review how the team
practiced
• remind them of the time and place of the next practice and what
you plan to do in that practice.
Evaluation of practice
• reflect on the practice as soon as possible
• indicate whether the practice objectives were met
• take note of athletes who may need assistance for specific aspects.
(Adapted from the NZ Coach Development Framework)
Planning for Success
Have a session plan so you
know what you are going to do
in the session.
Planning for Success
Ask questions when planning your sessions to ensure
objectives are set, for example
• how many practices will you have each week?
• what set of skills do you want the athletes to develop?
• who can help you with practices and competitions?
• can you draw up a plan of approximately when you will
include each skill, tactic and learning in your practice
schedule?
Give consideration to the
following questions
• What do I want the athletes to learn
today?
• What areas do we need to improve
on from last week’s game?
• How can I best get the athletes to
work on areas of weakness?
(Adapted from First Steps in Coaching, Greater Auckland Coaching Unit,
Connecting Coaches Programme, 2011)
Give consideration to the following
questions (continued)
•How will I know if they understand my instructions,
descriptions etc?
•How will I plan for the different player abilities?
•What resources/gear do I need during the next practice
session?
(Adapted from First Steps in Coaching, Greater Auckland Coaching Unit, Connecting Coaches Programme,2011)
The Start
The start of a coaching session sets the scene.
• Have things ready to go including all the equipment
set up.
Speak to each athlete as they arrive.
• This makes them feel noticed and welcome.
Have an activity already going at the start to set the tone.
• That way each athlete can start.
Start with high energy activities to blow away the
cobwebs.
• Start on time.
The Athletes
Learn about your athletes
• who they are
• why they are there
• what their needs are relating to the sport
• what motivates them.
Match the level of difficulty
of the activity to the ability
of the athletes.
The Athletes (continued)
Realise that some of the
athletes will need help to get
them to the required level,
some will need challenges to
extend them
• try to plan for this in
your practices.
The Athletes (continued)
One of the most common
reasons young people give
for quitting a sport is they
didn’t like the coach -
• know this,
understand it and
work hard to make
sure that isn’t true
for your athletes.
Leading the session
Step up and lead!
•
put your stamp on the group, set expectations and
expect the athletes to follow through.
Communicate honestly and with thoughtful respect.
Set boundaries (physical and behaviour) and expect
the group to stick to these
•
if they don’t, let them know when they have
crossed a physical or behaviour boundary.
Safety
Look after your athletes – they are in your care
•
put your stamp on the group, set expectations
and expect the athletes to follow through.
Plan to preserve their safety through
consideration of
• Emotional safety - think about the words you use,
the words you let them use with each other.
• Physical safety - in each session think what could
injure the athletes? How can I reduce the risk?
Level of Activity
• Keep athletes active.
• Minimise ‘coach talk time’.
• Show them how to do something
instead of telling them how to do it.
• Let them try it and then ask them
questions and give them some
corrective feedback.
• Be careful of sessions which are all
high intensity activity
try to alternate periods of high
intensity with an activity of
lower intensity.