Many
people believe that the only qualification needed to coach is
to have played the sport. It's helpful to have played, but there
is much more to coaching successfully. Believe me the first
time I stepped in front of a group of 6 year olds, it didn't
make any difference to them if I had played the game before
or not. Even if you haven't played the game before, you can
still learn to coach successfully by following this basic IDEA:
I
- Introduce the skill
D
- Demonstrate the skill
E
- Explain the skill
A
- Attend to players practicing the skill
Introduce
the skill
Players, especially young and inexperienced ones, need to
know what skill they are learning and why they are learning
it. Therefore, you need to take certain things into consideration
when introducing a new skill.
Get
your players' attention
Speak a little above your normal volume, be enthusiastic,
and show them you are interested in them by looking them in
the eye. Young players will see right through you if you are
not sincere.
Name
the skill
Give the skill a name and stick with it. This will help
reduce confusion and enhance communication among your players.
In addition during game time it will be easier to refer to
a skill that they have learned.
Exlain
the importance of the skill
It may be obvious to you why the skill is important, to
your players however it may not be as clear. Offer them a
reason for learning the skill and describe how the skill relates
to the game they are learning to play.
Demonstrate
the skill
The demonstration step is the most important part of teaching
sport skills to young players who have never had the opportunity
to play a sport. They need a picture to go along with the words.
You as a coach will also find that you think of better ways
to visually explain the skill as you are performing it.
If
you are unable to perform the skill correctly, have an assistant
coach (parent) or an older brother or sister perform the demonstration.
Make sure that you demonstrate the skill several times, slowing
down the action so players can see every movement.
Explain
the skill
Players learn more effectively when they're given a brief
explanation of the skill along with the demonstration. Use simple
terms and, if possible, relate the skill to a previous skill
that was taught. After explaining the skill ask your players
to repeat your explanation. Ask questions like "What do
we do first?" "Then what"? Look for confusion
and uncertainty and repeat your explanation of the points that
caused the confusion.
Remember,
young players have a short attention span, a long explanation
or demonstration will bore them. So don't spend more than a
few minutes combined on the introduction, demonstration and
explanation of the skill. Don't worry if the players don't seem
to get it the first few times you try the skill. After a few
weeks you will be amazed at how much better they have gotten
as long as you continually re-enforce the skill.
Attend
to players practicing the skill
After introducing, demonstrating and explaining the skill your
players should be ready to attempt it. Some players will be
better than others. Some won't need much guidenance from you
at all, while others will need to be physically guided through
the movement during the first few attempts. Helping these athletes
through the skill will help them gain confidence to perform
the skill on their own. Make sure you offer plenty of positive,
corrective feedback.
