Happy New Netball Season Coaches! We hope you all had a lovely break over the Summer.
As the new season is upon us, this month we spoke to 10 coaches from across the game and other sports to ask them what their top tips would be for the start of the season. From tips for delivering first class experiences to your group, to reflecting on your own coaching development, hear from our coaches what their top tip would be for 2019/20:
1) Beccy – Adult Participation and Performance Coach
Learn the names of everyone new to your sessions and club. It is an easy win to make them feel welcome and a part of your sessions!
2) Sarah Green – England Netball Coach Developer
Plan with the end in mind. Think about what you want the athletes and participants to have learnt by the end of the season, month, week, and session. Are your activities moving you them closer to this? With that in mind it might be helpful to spend some time at the end of each session reflecting on what’s happened so you can consider where to go next.
3) Alex – Performance Development Coach
It’s easy for your focus to be about the development of players, teams and sessions you coach. Also make time to consider your own development as a coach over the season. Think about what you want and need, from shadowing a more experienced coach to attending a CPD course. Book time in and enjoy your own coaching progress this season.
4) Charlotte – Children and Youth Coach
My advice would be to remember and understand how nervous we generally are when we’re do anything new for the first time, and avoid doing anything that will shine a light on newbies and make these feelings worse. Asking a group to ‘get themselves into pairs’ for example is a classic one to avoid as it leads to immediate anxiety if you don’t know anyone and end up being the odd one out.
It’s worthwhile creating a neutral and fun way to group or pair people up as this helps new people integrate and feel more comfortable in their skin. Using height, birthdays, trainer colour, are just a few examples.
5) Ali – Hockey Performance Development Coach
If you ask the group a question, don’t be afraid of silence initially. Allow the group or individual time to think about the situation and the question, to construct their answers, make decisions and come up with solutions.
6) Marc – Athletics Club Coach
Spend time to review and evaluate your own sessions and delivery. We often provide feedback to our participants, but how often do we ask for it as coaches? Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your coaching style and delivery from your group.
7) Gill – Children and Adult Participation Coach
Ensure everyone has been able to achieve something by the end of the first session and allow them time to feed back to you on what they did and achieved.
8) Hannah – Children and Youth Coach
Set yourself a personal coaching goal. What behaviours and attributes do you want to demonstrate in your sessions? How will you ensure these are embedded in your delivery? Including a personal coaching goal in your sessions planning will help you to reflect on your session and delivery afterwards.
9) Sheonah Forbes – Roses Academy Head Coach
See what opportunities are available this season to go and learn from other Sport Science disciplines to increase knowledge of the game. For example; video analysis, strength and conditioning and physiotherapists.
10) Lindsey – Adult Participation Coach
Make your sessions fun, friendly, inclusive and supportive. Encourage ideas from the players themselves, and make the activities suitably challenging, being prepared as the coach to increase the challenges or simplify practices.
Everyone has high expectations of that first session at the start of a new season – ask your group what they want to get out of coming along to your session, enjoy your coaching and don’t overstress about the first session back! If you are enjoying your sessions, the group will bounce off your enthusiasm and enjoy it as well :)
What would your top tip be? Tweet us at @ENCoaching_ with your thoughts!
Team Coaching
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