Really interesting post from @davidhinchliffe on how he uses the constraints-led approach in his own coaching practice.
I was particularly taken with the line “instead of a fault-fixer, think of yourself as a problem-setter…” Or, from an ecological dynamics/constraints-led approach viewpoint, coach as “environmental designer”, perhaps?
Or, maybe, gardener?
Are coaches gardeners?
As coaches, we
- prepare the ground (see Preparing the Ground),
- sow the seeds (put the young player into the growing (or learning) medium),
- or select the best looking young plants from the nursery (talent ID),
- nurture them (provide appropriate “nutrition” and curate an environment where growth is possible),
- train them with lines and canes (set out guidelines and guidance for “best practice”),
- plant them out (when the player is ready, move them on to new and more challenging spaces)…
…but, ultimately, it’s the plant that does the growing.
