Badminton coaching opinions
Do you have any strong badminton opinions that guide you?
Beliefs that you absolutely know are essential for players’ development, motivation & enjoyment
Come and explore how to create a list and how important it is to review and challenge them!
I’m suggesting that you search to identify your strong held opinions
Those aspects that you believe currently hold true in many, if not all, situations
In a series of short blog posts, I’ll outline my ‘absolutes’ and those of a few experts who have offered to share their thoughts. Ths series will contain strong coaching opinions.
There will be several different categories so that we can cover lots of ideas. Plus I’ll set out some ideas to challenge you and ideas to help you define and refine your coaching absolutes.
As each one is published I’ll link them here for you to click on.
If you want to comment on my thoughts that would be great. However, I’d rather hear your thoughts, your ‘absolutes’.
Why don’t you email me your coaching opinions, those you use daily to structure and guide your work. Email me contact@badmintonandy.com
My aim is to stimulate thoughts, support beliefs, challenge misguided opinions held too strongly
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Your coaching opinions and absolutes
1. What are they
2. Why they are important to have
3. Technique
4. Tactical
5. Physical
6. Psychological
7. Coaching
8. Courtcraft & Lifestyle
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1. What are they?
A set of core beliefs that you hold strong at that point in time. Something that you can state, describe, then have an open debate with another coach as to its importance.
You may wish to describe them as values or principles which you regarded as universally true in your coaching. Some may be strong opinions or even coaching absolutes. Those absolutes that you hold so strongly, that if you were to debate them only strong counter-evidence would change your view. Or, maybe you don’t know of any evidence that could do that.
Ok, using the word ‘absolute’ may seem an extreme word to use, but I want you to be challenged, and to challenge me.
At any given moment I’d hope that you are certain about some threads or concepts that you hold strongly regarding your coaching style and beliefs. Of course, these can and probably will change as you gather more experiences and knowledge.
If your new wisdom is to be effective it must be able to challenge the old, absolute beliefs. Only by this process can you become wiser! 🙂
Have you ever thought about the coaching opinions/absolutes that you strongly hold?
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2. Why they are important to have
Having a set of core values is essential if you are to deliver effective coaching. 
I’m sure once you start thinking about the strong beliefs that you hold you’ll find that your list starts to grow. Why not place them under the headings listed in the rest of this post. Hopefully, they will help create or identify some opinions you didn’t realise that you held 🙂
The list you create should span all aspects of your work and will provide you with ….
- A structure to your thoughts, your plans and goals
- A guide when you are uncertain what to do
- Consistency in your interactions with others
- The ability to compare and reflect on your knowledge and experiences as they grow
As you have been reading have you already started to realise that you have a list?
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3. Your Technique opinions and absolutes
These are the essential components that you believe underpin strokes and movements. The aspects that are fundamental to success.
I’d ask you to think not about creating a list of named strokes or movements, but to state the elements or concepts within them. The aspects (maybe rules) that transfer across different strokes and movements.
They are important as major changes or corrections in technique are very difficult to successfully make, once a pattern has been established. That is why you need a set of technique absolutes. The aim of every coach is to try and avoid, even prevent, inappropriate techniques from developing.
What are the essential technical unpinning components that every player should be introduced to?
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4. Your Tactical opinions and absolutes
I found this a tough concept to consider
What are the tactical concepts that you believe should be introduced from the start of a player’s journey? Do you have thoughts on how they would be laid and built upon? Or, do you just present ideas when the situation arises and the players are about to play in a tournament.
I often wonder if there are tactical concepts that once understood could be adapted in relation to changing game information and changes in a player’s skills or physical development. I’m sure there are, but what would you include on the list?
I’ve heard coaches say that tactics are ‘obvious’ but when asked to describe what they are or the tactical concepts that underpin them, they struggle to define them
When I tried this task I certainly didn’t find it easy. To write something down that makes sense was harder than I thought. It was only by talking with other coaches that the list of tactical underpinnings started to become clear.
Do you have any tactical concepts that all players should be introduced to?
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5. Physical
If someone asked you what were the important physical threads that run throughout a player’s development, what would you say?
Could you identify those aspects that you believe are important at the various stages of a badminton player’s development? Or, would it be easier to suggest some themes (with a physical underpinning) that you’d encourage in novice players that would last a lifetime?
I’m sure professional S&C experts have opinions and firm beliefs but are they also the same ones held by ‘regular’ badminton coaches?
As with all of these categories, I believe that you should create some opinions under a Strength & Conditioning heading, maybe even write them down! 🙂
This is the category that I know the least about and I’m still struggling to understand what the badminton physical absolutes should be.
If you want to send me some ideas from your list before I publish mine, I’d be happy to include yours and credit you.
Are you knowledgeable in deciding what’s important for physical development as you are in technical aspects?
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6. Psychological
I believe that motivation is one of the most important factors in learning. That statement would certainly be on my list.
I’m sure you will have strategies that you use when coaching players aimed at introducing and creating psychological skills. The types of skills that will guide them for as long as they sport. Hopefully, skills that will guide them in life. 🙂
Your words and the way you interact with players, parents and other coaches will all have an effect. I’m suggesting that lots of the things you do and say could be on your list of psychological absolutes. That is if you recognise them or that they are intentional, do you agree?
Can you easily name your top 3 or 5 key absolutes that your aim to deliver to your players?
How intentional are you in creating strong, robust and adaptable psychological skills in your players?
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7. Coaching
This category may seem the easiest for you to complete. However, I think you could be challenged more than you think.
I say this as I know my core absolute coaching beliefs have changed 3 or maybe 4 times since I first started to coach. The experiences I’ve gained and the new knowledge I’ve created have constantly challenged and changed my thoughts.
In a future post, I’ll outline where and why I’ve changed.
But for now, I’d like you to think about these headings and what absolutes you hold
- The learning & practice methodologies you hold strong
- The coaching environment you like to create
- How you act with and want to be seen by others (players, coaches, parents)
What coaching beliefs and concepts guide you?
Start writing a list now 🙂
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8. Courtcraft & lifestyle
This category will cover everything else that isn’t included above. I’m sure you will have some very strong and detailed beliefs that don’t fit neatly into the other categories.
Here are some headings to prompt some ideas to start thinking about
- Competitions and rules – advice to guide players to maximise the advantages within the current rules
- Lifestyle away from the court – the important essential themes away from the court
- Training partners and opponents – your beliefs concerning how you create effective training environments
In the next few posts, I intend to state many of my coaching ‘absolutes’ and some from other coaches who have influenced me
