The Teesra

Category: constraint-led approach

coaching by manipulation of the training environment

  • The challenge of games – ECB Coaches Association Conference review, part 2

    I have written previously about my conversion to games-based practice, but also about the challenges I have encountered when trying to design appropriate games.

    So when I saw that Ian Renshaw, co-author of “the best book on non-linear pedagogy I have ever read”, and father (and coach) of Aussie opener Matt, was speaking at the ECB Coaches Conference, I knew I had to book in for his sessions straight away.

    And with Professor Chris Cushion, speaking on the Challenge of Games, providing the (very necessary) counter-view to the “game as teacher” mantra, I had a lot of games-based learning to look forward to.

    And I wasn’t disappointed.
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  • It’s too easy..

    Interesting conversation with a parent after one of my sessions last week.

    We had been working on hitting front foot drives, and had finished with a game, with bobble feeds from the coach – making it “too easy” for the players to hit the ball.

    As I explained to the parent, just about the only way for a batter to strike a low bouncing (almost rolling) delivery back towards the feeder is with a vertical bat – the feed forced the batsmen to approximate the front foot drive, rather than just hitting the ball anyhow.

    A perfectly reasonable question…I probably should make a point of explaining some of the “madness” to the parents, in future.

  • More thoughts on the coaches’ toolkit – what’s in yours?

    I have been coaching with the current ECB Coaches’ toolkit for nearly three years, now, since I was introduced to the components on the Coaching Children CPD workshops back in 2014.

    I had a relatively quiet August – just 5 days’ active coaching  over the last month – so I have had quite a bit of time to think about how I coach.  It was interesting to see how many of the tools were in regular use, and how my own kit has changed over time.

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