It would have saved me a lot of time and frustration
I should have realised that
I could not coach every player in the same way
When I started, I used all my energy & thoughts to coach the ‘correct technique’,
not the person in front of me
Now it seems obvious, coach the player, not the technique!
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 benefited.
Nowadays it’s different
It’s not easy, but my aim is to have players who are motivated and who have trust in the process and, hopefully, happier.
I try hard to ensure that the process is specific to them, often without them knowing.
Of course, I make mistakes and misread their desires, their motivations,
and the fact that people change (especially from 9-19 yrs)
I change coaching methods, even for the same technique
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
How many ways do you know to coach the same thing
Is that a question that you feel comfortable answering?
Ask other coaches to watch and work with you.
Are they able to identify your different coaching styles and methods across a number of players.
Next time you are coaching, consider if you are adapting to the player
or, are you just delivering textbook technique coaching
Send me a question
I’m always grateful if you have read this far.
If there is anything that you have read that has helped or that you disagree with, then please send me an email.
I promise to read all your comments
It would be great to hear from you contact@badmintonandy.com
