Following on from my previous blog, I would like to expand a
little on the development of a coach and some of the attributes, behaviours and
competencies that I believe we all display on our journey.
Before I go any further I would like to focus on the key
word in my opening sentence. Coaching is a journey and for the best of us that
journey is never completed as there is always something else to see and another
point of view to analyse and discuss. If you meet a coach who has arrived at
their destination then they are a fraud.
The Organiser
The first stage in the Long
Term Coaching Development (LTCD) pathway is the organiser stage. This coach
will simply organise a space for a game to take place in and manage the
organisation of that game. Energetic and enthusiastic, the coach will most
likely play in this game and take on the role of the commentator. There may be
stoppages and adjustments to the game but none of these will be planned and
will most likely not be connected to each other. The organiser displays no use
of coaching methodology and their comments will be of a descriptive nature.
The Facilitator
The facilitator has the ability
to help the players learn through some straightforward progressions. This coach
will use lots of two touch restrictions on the activities and has the ability
to develop a practice from an analytical standpoint. The coach has a good
understanding of basic technique but is not yet able to take a simple concept
and teach this in a small sided game. The facilitator does not yet make
adjustments in small sided games or in the technical portion of the training
session and keeps to the script at all times. Grid and field sizes will very
rarely be altered and although the coach has a plan for the individual session
it is unlikely that there will be any planning other than game to game.
The Situational Coach
The situational coach is well
versed in a number of exercises and has a relatively good understanding of the
technical demands of the game in single action situations. However, the coach
still has difficulty with linking techniques and movements together in a small
sided game scenario. The coach has the ability to make adjustments of space,
personnel and conditions in order to keep the session challenging for the
players. The coach is able to explain
the principles of play, but only in a single situation and does not yet have
the ability to incorporate different principles within the small sided game.
The coach has a good understanding of various coaching methodologies and has a
plan and set goals for the team over the season. The Situational coach can be
considered a master coach in the ages U6-U12 as they display all the
competencies required to fully develop players up to and within the 8v8 game.
The Principles coach
The Principles Coach has the
ability to teach and recognise the principles of play in specific situations,
however is not yet able to put these principles into a fast paced game with
multiple transitions. The coach has the ability to introduce the playing
principles through small sided games up to 7v7 and then to take these movements
and thoughts into the 11v11 game. The coach will use many possession exercises
to develop the team but these exercises may not have a direction and are
therefore not fully game realistic. The coach will be critical of styles of
play that they do not agree with and may discount their strengths to the
detriment of their own team in games. The coach will be starting to develop an
‘individual’ playing scheme and style based on their experiences as a player or
fan and does not fully understand that there are many ways to set up their
team.
The Contextual Coach
The Contextual Coach has the
ability to put the playing principles into context for the players within the
framework of the moving transitional game. The coach is able to teach the how,
when, where and why of the game and its principles, so that the players become
self-aware in the game environment. The coach has developed a style and
structure for their team and will stick to these ideals even when the team
personnel may not suit the style the coach favours. This coach is now at the stage
when they can facilitate learning in new coaches but may try to impact their
beliefs upon new coaches as opposed to encouraging them to develop their own
beliefs about the game.
The Cognitive Coach
This coach understands that the
game is a series of not-so random patterns and has the ability to see and
create these patterns with the team in training situations and in games. The
coach has developed an understanding of the game that goes beyond specific
styles and systems and is able to break the game down to phases of play and the
patterns that make up these phases. The strength of this coach is the developed
ability to reflect on their own performance and draw from past experiences. The
Cognitive Coach can be considered a master coach in the development of youth
players up to the age of U18. This coach is able to develop a yearly training
plan and split the season into specific phases with different goals that will
lead to and help achieve the overall goal of the team or program.
The Master Coach
The master coach recognises
that the ability to stay open minded and to continuously challenge ones methods
and beliefs is the key to continued growth and learning. The master coach is
comfortable working with players and coaches and also has a good understanding
of sports science, nutrition and the mental demands of the game. The master
coach is also able to develop a yearly training plan along with and an
integrated training plan that takes into account all of the factors needed to
deliver a high performance program. On the administrative side the master coach
displays the ability to create and deliver programs at all levels of play. The
master coach is always looking for the next evolution in the game in terms of
training methods and game play.
I have based this on my reflections on my coaching
development to this point. I have also had the opportunity to share discussion
with a vast number of coaches that I have had the privilege to either work with
or compete against over the last 20+ years.
As with any self-assessment tool it is simply meant as a
guide to help coaches figure out where they are in terms of their development
and what competencies and attributes they need to develop in order to keep on
improving.
The question that intrigues me is this: Where is the break
point in these stages? By that I mean what information or learning experience
has to take place in order for a coach to make the jump to the next stage? If
we can define this, then does that mean we can accelerate the development of a
coach?
In my next blog I will talk about how to assess your
training sessions in an objective way.
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