Developmental Essentials by IYCA, (01) Coaching Strategies and Pedagogy, Notes

Post date: Apr 16, 2016 2:27:31 PM

Developmental Essentials by IYCA

Chapter 1 - Coaching Strategies and Pedagogy:

• 1. Realize how important your role is. You are shaping lives. Best reward is a kid saying: I'm am a better person because of my coach. The coach’s role:

     1. Should be one of inclusion. Sports are for everyone, not just the talented.

        1. Be a facilitator of young people.

        2. Understand who we are working with.

        3. Sports and fitness should be fun.

           1. Encourage all to have fun, get better and belong.

     2. Is to take the right approach when working with children.

• • • 1. Educate yourself so decisions made are in the best interest of your athletes

      2. By understanding the needs and learning styles of the student.

      3. By being the best part of their day.

      4. By separating winning from the art of competition.

         1. Winning at all costs breeds bad qualities.

            1. Ultra Competitiveness. Promotes savagery. Opponent is viewed as enemy. Makes it easy to cheat to win

            2. Develop contempt for the sport. Cause of emotional turmoil. Acquire bad feelings associated with the sport

         2. Healthy, artistic, fun competition breeds.

• • • • • 1. Hard work

          2. Respect for opponent

          3. Working as a team

          4. Enjoyment of the opportunity to test their skills and love of sport

• 1. 3. Is to be a positive role model.

• • • 1. Kids follow the direction and behaviors of those leading them.

      2. Build character first.

• 1. 4. Is to provide a positive experience with sports.

• • • 1. Kids have tons of distraction in this day and age. If we don't provide a positive experience, they'll find another activity that does.

      2. Provide opportunity to develop lifelong friendships and memories.

• 2. Planning. Planning is an active part of the process. Includes:

• • 1. Doing appropriate research for sport and skills.

    2. Factoring in athlete level

       1. Age

       2. Prior experience

       3. Stages of physical and emotional development

    3. Taking care of the details (the basics)

    4. Understanding the end goal

• • • 1. Organizing information

      2. Organizing physical elements

      3. Time (micro and macro)

      4. Implementation

• • 5. Proper prior planning produces positive results. Six guidelines when planning programming:

• • • 1. Age

         1. Chronological

            1. Have plan for:

               1. Day

               2. Month

               3. Year

               4. 5 years

         2. Developmental

• • • • • 1. rolling

          2. crawling

          3. half kneeling

          4. tall kneeling

          5. vertical

• • • 2. Address Sensitive period. Sensitive periods are periods of development of organs and systems when they are most ready to be changed.

      3. Demands of the sport. Prepare for success and safety.

      4. Optimizing fitness levels. Place equal importance on

• • • • 1. Physiological

        2. Physcological

        3. Neurological

• • • 5. Structure of the workout should be organized in order of importance of development.

      6. Gender. Consider differences in:

• • • • 1. rate of development

        2. overall development

• • 6. Developing age and developmental guidelines

• • • 1. Train well. Planning is preparation for success.

         1. I show you watch, you do I watch

            1. Keep descriptions brief

               1. Do this, don't do that, do this.

         2. Focus on external cues

         3. Every Plan should include:

• • • • • 1. Date of the session

          2. Goals/objectives for the session

          3. Phase athletes are in

          4. Length of session

          5. Equipment (if applicable)

          6. Time allotment of each ability being taught

             1. warmup

             2. review time

             3. new skill

             4. practice time

             5. cool down

          7. Closing comments/notes

• • • 1. 4. Create a template

• • • • • 1. Keep track of what’s important. Buckets that need to be filled.

          2. Protection from legal issues

• • • 2. Develop a long term program. Think broad to specific (multilateral to specialization)

      3. Adding variety: Develop basic skills using a variety of activities, tools, etc.

      4. Allow for individual characteristics:

• • • • 1. Chronological

        2. Developmental

        3. Athletic training age

        4. Learning style

• • • 5. Suitable training load/volume increases

• • • • 1. Intensity increases are structured to make the skills acquisition more challenging but not difficult (frustrating)

• 3. Young Athlete’s Bill of Rights

• • 1. Right to participate in sports and physical activity

    2. Right to participate at my own level (maturity and ability)

    3. Right to have qualified adult leadership

    4. Right to play as a child, not train as an adult

    5. Right to share in the leadership and decision making of my sports participation

    6. Right to participate in a safe and healthy environment

    7. Right to proper preparation for sports participation

    8. Right to equal opportunity to strive for success

    9. Right to be treated with dignity

    10. Right to have fun in sports

• 4. M.O.L.D -

• • 1. Movement must dominate

    2. Open to communication variances

    3. Learning style variances

    4. Don’t train...Teach

• 5. Responsibilities

• • 1. Be positive

       1. Take responsibility as a role model very seriously.

          1. Everyone loves a winner but we need to be more focused on how that win is achieved.

             1. Was it done at the sacrifice of character development?

       2. Increase self efficacy

• • • • 1. Help focus on what they are doing well. Recognize effort not accomplishment. This provides incentive to improve by:

           1. decreasing performance anxiety

           2. decreasing dropout from athletics

           3. increasing positive athletic experience

           4. increasing self esteem

• • 2. Put enjoyment and fun above everything else:

• • • 1. If first experience with sports is positive, kids will be hooked for life.

      2. If negative, kids will be turned off with sports for a long time.

• • 3. Teach respect for:

• • • 1. Self

      2. Coach

      3. Team members

      4. Opponents

      5. Officials

      6. Parents

      7. Spectators

      8. Opposing coaches

      9. The game

• • 4. Avoid specialization at an early age

• • • 1. Students who participate in multilateral programming demonstrate

         1. Best performance @ age 18 or later

         2. More consistency in competition

         3. Longer athletic life

         4. Fewer injuries

• • 5. As experts we need to

• • • 1. Educate parents as to the best course of action. Shift focus towards long term results instead of short term performance improvement

         1. Look to acknowledge positives directly after the match.

         2. Develop weaknesses during subsequent practices.

         3. Maintain focus on attainable goals rather than the scoreboard.

      2. Educate positives of youth sports

• • • • 1. Preparation for society. Develop positive character traits. Develop communication and cooperation skills

        2. Fun

        3. Promote good health

        4. Develops mental toughness, the ability to keep mistakes in perspective and create strategies to solve the problem in question.

           1. Competition should teach kids to accept mistakes as a part of life: Work through mistakes, continue to develop and respond better in the future.

• • • 3. Educate on negatives of youth sports

• • • • 1. Avoid thinking of youth sports as a feeder system. Kids do not need more travel leagues and tournaments. They need more practice on basic skill development

        2. Overtraining. Training and sport need balance. Kids need time throughout the year to take breaks, to recover physically and mentally from the sport. Length of season and high volume of games are causing never before seen overuse injuries in young athletes.

        3. Abuse. Trend towards mowing down the less athletic in order to win. Recognize that only 1 in 12,000 youth end up being professional

        4. Lack of physical preparation for demands of the sport. Habits outside of training are main contributing factors in poor performance. Sitting for prolonged periods, inactivity, poor diet poor sleep and recovery habits all contribute to poor performance and discourage further

        5. Viewing opposition as enemy. Do not eliminate nor view the opposition as the enemy. Aim to improve the sporting experience of all athletes. Teach sportsmanship. Don’t eliminate. In the true spirit of competition one wants the opposition to play well.

• 6. Learning

• • 1. Learning has occurred when the athlete can consistently show improvements. Important to hit the save button often when learning a new skill. Revisit skill often to ensure that what is learned isn’t lost and to gauge if improvements are being made--direct feedback as to whether or not programming is working. Analyse all factors that affect performance when reflecting on whether or not an activity was a success:

       1. Individual rates of learning

       2. Brain plasticity.

          1. There are critical periods for learning new skills. There are windows of opportunity. Exposure to a wide variety of movement patterns and skills sets up greater abilities later in life.

       3. Learning stage of the child

       4. Affinity for the sport

       5. Learning style preferred by child

    2. Develop Good habits for learning

• • • 1. Stages of learning - recognize that children will fall all along this continuum of learning

         1. Beginning -Unconscious incompetence. Praise only for what is going right

            1. Conscious incompetence

               1. Be patient and provide minimal cueing(1-2 cues maximum)

                  1. Athlete is tense/nervous, overcompensation is occurring

            2. Athlete is figuring out the new skill

• • • • • • 1. Teach athlete to make peace with sucking

               1. Sucking is the first step in the process.

               2. Never give up.

               3. Adapt and grow.

               4. Get out of your comfort zone.

               5. It’s ok to be scared.

               6. It’s not ok to let your fear paralyze you.

• • • 1. 1. 3. Stage is complete when athlete can perform task--even if not completely correct. Next steps:

• • • • • • 1. Use applicable skills previously learned to build new skill on

            2. Physically learn the skill

            3. Integrate new skill with previously learned skills

• • • 1. 2. Intermediate - Conscious competence

• • • • • 1. More relaxed, focused on technique

          2. Refine skill through concerted practice

          3. 50/50 ratio praise to critique

             1. feedback should be high

             2. motivation should be high

          4. Deep Practice

• • • • • • 1. Motivated to learn.

            2. Pay attention to cueing.

            3. Be given appropriate feedback (error and necessary correction noted in same phrase)

            4. Receive positive reinforcement but continue to be challenged.(Good. Now try ____)

• • • 1. 3. Advanced

• • • • • 1. Automatic skill performance : unconscious competence

          2. Can apply skill in sport.

          3. Focus should be on skill maintenance and utilization of skill in competition

             1. Forming strategies along with other skills

          4. Mainly critique. As athlete advances so too does the coaching:

• • • • • • 1. whole group to individual

            2. general to specific

• • • • • 5. Occasional praise to keep motivation levels up

• • • 2. Learning Styles

• • • • 1. Visual

           1. Important that youth coach not only know but be able to perform the movements they are coaching

        2. Auditory

        3. Kinesthetic

        4. Combination Learners

• • • 3. Perceiving, deciding, acting (Done instantly at game speed)

• • • • 1. Perceiving Phase

           1. Be able to decipher between what’s important (valid) and what's not.

           2. Proficiency equals a higher aptitude to discern what’s important = good decision maker

           3. Coaching Strategy: pause drills and discuss options.

        2. Deciding Phase

• • • • • 1. Deduction of the most appropriate action based on available options. Put round pegs in round holes.

• • • • 3. Acting Phase

• • • • • 1. Ability to act. Respond.

          2. Codependent with other phases and occur in rapid sequential manner

• • • 4. Instruction needs to be based on the idea of layering skill upon skill until prepared to handle demands of the sport. Play the sport but through modified games suited to focus skill.

• • • • 1. Skill mastery should be occurring in the context of a modified game. this allows the athlete ample opportunity to develop skill while simultaneously developing perceiving and deciding phase. Remember that many sports share common traits. Create modified alternatives to respective sports with main characteristics being kept in mind:

           1. football, soccer, hockey, basketball

              1. Enter opponents territory

              2. Contained defensive tactics

              3. Use of goal to score

           2. tennis, volleyball, badminton

• • • • • • 1. Offer the ball with the idea of causing an ineffective return

            2. Same technical skills

            3. All players must be able to receive/serve

• • • • 1. 3. baseball, softball, cricket

• • • • • • 1. Ability to drive ball into open areas

            2. Fielders lined up tactically to prevent scoring

• • • • 2. Add additional challenges as performance improves

        3. Simple to complex. Most obvious to most subtle. Don’t over coach

• • • • • 1. verbal feedback

          2. Cueing (minimal)

             1. outcome based work better

             2. Use external cues

          3. visual feedback: Demonstration (be able to perform the movement), video analysis, mirrors

• 7. Teaching. Coaching is teaching. The most successful coaches are those who can teach and relay the proper message to kids.

• • 1. Science - what to do, what works

       1. Understand your population. Need to account for individual learning styles, physical maturity, prior athletic experience, injury history, individual needs and interests, process time, emotional intelligence.

       2. Prepare so your give your students a chance to succeed. Use backwards design. Start with the end in mind (USA T&F)

          1. Plan in advance

          2. Consider skills needed to develop

          3. Design based on needs of the athlete (where the athlete is at)

          4. Properly warm up

          5. Work on new/most technical skills first

          6. Work on fitness and conditioning later

          7. Cool down after practice

          8. Evaluate effectiveness of session

          9. Make sure practice is fun

       3. Know proper methods and styles of teaching according to developmental stages. Methods of teaching:

• • • • 1. Part Whole

           1. Learn the process, one skill at a time, before practicing skill as a whole.

        2. Progressive Part

• • • • • 1. Teach one skill.

          2. Layer on the next.

          3. When mastered, add the third.

          4. Continue until whole skill is learned.

• • • • 3. Whole-part-whole

• • • • • 1. Teach and practice whole skill.

          2. Then break down into parts.

          3. Finally practice whole again.

• • • • 4. Whole Method

• • • • • 1. Teach entire skill as a whole until it is learned

• • 1. 4. When deciding which method to use consider:

• • • • 1. Is skill simple enough to teach as a whole?

        2. What is the best way to break down the skill into easily digestible parts, smaller tasks?

           1. Progress from easy to difficult, simple to complex. Make it challenging but not difficult (strive for a 60% success rate)

        3. Individual levels of experience (prior knowledge)

        4. As soon as parts are learned, student should be introduced to the whole

        5. Even if learning the parts, athletes should be shown the whole so they understand what the final product needs to look like.

        6. Be able to perform the skill proficiently yourself before trying to teach it. 80% of time, an athlete can learn through mimicry- imitation is one of the fastest ways we can accelerate learning because it strengthens the neuronal synapse that is required to perform the task. Strategy:

• • • • • 1. step 1. I do, you watch.

          2. step 2. You do, I watch.

          3. Step 3. I provide feedback. You do again.

• • 1. 5. Teaching a new skill

• • • • 1. Verbally introduce. Give the name and description.

        2. Demonstrate the skill.

        3. Allow for practice time.

        4. Provide feedback and cueing.

        5. When planning activities consider the position of students. Can they see and hear you demonstrate? Also consider space requirements. Organization is key for smooth learning and transition.

        6. Goal setting - Switch paradigm from ‘pressure to succeed’ to ‘encouragement to improve.’

           1. Train to win. Measures of success should focus on effort and mastery of skills, not the scoreboard result. Have a double goal approach:

              1. Goal for training. Action goals to increase effort.

              2. Goal for competition. Have performance (variables we have control over) over outcome (many uncontrollables) based goals.

           2. Goals should be altered up or down to appropriate challenge for the individual

           3. Have process based goals before performance based goals. Can student complete a certain movement pattern proficiently first?

• • • • • • 1. Goals should never be volume based for younger athletes

• • • • 6. 4. Have a maximum of three short term and three long term goals

           5. Goals must:

• • • • • • 1. Be SMART

               1. specific

               2. measurable

               3. attainable

               4. realistic

               5. timely

            2. Provide regular feedback and opportunities for reflection

            3. Develop positive character traits. As a coach put kids first:

• • • • • • • 1. Fill the player’s emotional tank.

              2. Provide positive reinforcement.

              3. Avoid intimidation and fear.

              4. Honor the game and its element.

• • 2. Art - Ability to teach. Knowing how to teach is just as important as knowing what to teach. Constantly strive to be an ever better communicator.

• • • 1. Practice

         1. Block. Setting time aside to work on one new skill

            1. Advantange: controlled environment

            2. Disadvantage - no opportunity for random practice environment

         2. Distributed. Skill practice interspersed with other skills and stimuli

• • • • • 1. Advantages: Better reactions to varying situations. Better learning situations as athletes are able to compare skills and strategies. Promotes higher levels of attention because of increased challenge. Applying the skill - coach can add variables little by little to more closely resemble game-like situations.

• • • 1. 3. Use Block for learning the new skill then incorporate Distributed as athletes acquire basic proficiency

      2. Communication

• • • • 1. How we relate with our students is the most important aspect of coaching. Effective communication establishes mutual respect --this makes interactions more meaningful. When speaking always ask:

           1. Why are you talking?

           2. Who are you talking with?

           3. What is the best time and place to communicate this message?

           4. How are you going to communicate this message?

        2. If students are capable but underperforming it is most likely due to a lack of communication. Poor understanding of the lesson or expectations is occurring

        3. Effective communication skills include

• • • • • 1. Being assertive and passionate. Be firm in our expectations. Demand quality and concerted effort.

          2. Communicating non verbally. Smile often. Make eye contact. Show positive body language.

          3. Knowing how to listen well. Be willing to listen. Children are not mirrors, empty buckets or sponges. Give athlete a sense of being heard. Listening opens up lines of communication. Provides feedback on where a particular athlete is at (mentally and emotionally)

          4. Speaking clearly, concisely. Giving simple instructions.

          5. Giving constructive feedback. If skill based let the athlete know what can be improved:

             1. Why they didn’t get it right.

             2. How they can do it more effectively.

             3. Feedback should be given immediately.

             4. If it is something negative or disciplinary take athlete aside or wait until after practice.

          6. Being able to use criticism for improvement. Listen to criticism. It gives you insight into how others feel or perceive the situation. Feedback from our students, both positive and negative, provides insight into the effectiveness of our programming.

• • • • • • 1. Listen to the students in the middle. Hardest workers will always want more or say everything works. The most talented or most lazy probably will ask for less and are more prone to say it doesn’t work. The ones in the middle provide the most accurate feedback.

• • • • • 7. Choosing the right words. Instruct athletes to do the same.

• • • • • • 1. Use the same words as our students

            2. Always ask who

            3. Try this, see if it's more effective.

            4. Words should set the tone in a positive way

• • • • • 8. Confronting and resolving issues efficiently and effectively.

• • • • • • 1. Recognize and confront the conflict

            2. Use conflict/struggle as an opportunity to identify and resolve issues. Seek to learn from the experience.

• • • • • 9. Total resolution may not be achievable in certain situations but compromise must be made for the benefit of the team as a whole. For mutual coexistence communication lines need to remain open and fostered. Information must be back and forth. Teach athletes that it’s ok to disagree, just don’t be disagreeable.