The Teesra

Category: Coach Development

  • It ain’t what you say, it’s what gets understood.  Or “coaching lessons from three year olds”

    Fascinating little video clip from @CoachLisle, which beautifully illustrates the perils of (mis)communication for coaches.

    Top listening skills from the player, great learning opportunity for the coach!

    There is a lot to be said for all coaches spending time young players and beginners – to refine their communication skills, and the identify the core, non-negotiable elements of technical skills.

    If you were teaching a three year old to hit a ball, where would you start?  Grip, stance, back-swing?

    Or “look at the ball, swing the bat back and whack”? (more…)

  • CPD review – 18 months on

    Back in the autumn of 2014 I attended a series of CPD workshops, delivered by Dan Feist (Essex CB) and Richard Hall (then with Surrey CB) – ECB Coaching Children, for level 2 coaches.

    Still waiting for the “Diploma” schedule – the opportunity to convert the workshops into a recognised coaching qualification – but the workshops were certainly interesting & thought-provoking.

    As with any CPD, however, attending the course is one thing, but what really matters is post-training “D” – was there actually any Development in coaching practice?  How much of the workshop content have I actually managed to put into practice?

    (more…)

  • Changing the world, one small movement at a time – #thewinningdifference #ECBCAConference

    Across the ECB CA Conference, several of the presenters spoke about the opportunity (and need) for coaches to make a real difference at the participation level – we were exhorted to be “the difference that makes a difference”; we were told that “thinking differently [was the key to] performing better”.

    Frank Dick even challenged the assembled coaches to each come up with a way to become that “winning difference”.

    As a Community coach, I think I might have found one – to try to develop in “my” players what Fuzz Ahmed called “skill ability” – the ability (mental and physical) to learn new skills – and, more specifically, to help them to develop the physical competencies needed to train to participate at any level.

    (more…)