6. Coach the player (not the technique!)
I should have realised that I could not coach every player in the same way
It would have saved me a lot of time, frustration and worry
Now it seems obvious, coach the player (not the technique!), but when I started. all my energy and thought went into ensuring I coached the correct technique, not into how I coached.
In my early days, it was all about
- what I coached
- not how I coached
- I certainly didn’t consider who I was coaching
If only I had taken into account the player’s personality, the psych-social 🙂 then I’m sure we would have both benefitted
It’s not easy, but my aim is to have players who feel happier, more motivated and who have trust in the process. I try hard to ensure that the process is specific to them, often without them knowing.
Of course, I make mistakes and miss read their desires, their motivations,
and the fact that people change (especially from 11-19 yrs)
Nowadays even if I am coaching the same technique (stroke or movement) the coaching methods I need to use will vary from player to player.
It’s hard work but very rewarding.
If you try it, you may feel like your head is spinning with ideas and choices whilst your exterior appears to be calm and in control
It’s certainly tougher to place the player first and the technique/ skill/ tactic second
You may have to amend the way you work but the benefits far outweigh any struggles you may have
For ideas on how to coach the same thing click on the image below
