The Teesra

Category: other sports

  • Coachability – is it a thing?

    Should we seek, or create, cricketers who are “coachable”? Can we even agree what we mean by “coachable”?

    I came across a fascinating article quoting  Brittney Reese, multiple World and Olympic Champion in the long jump, on the process of becoming a champion.

    A story from the 2013 World Championships was especially interesting.  Reese, at that time the reigning World Champion, had only just managed to qualify for the final.

    “…my coach told me to ‘stop acting like a girl, and just jump’.

    That night I went back, looked at the film and tried to figure out where I was going wrong.”

    This was presented as evidence of Reese’s “coachability”, but I’m not sure this really demonstrates “coachability”, not as I understand the term, at least. (more…)

  • How to Introduce Javelin to Young Athletes – from Coaching Young Athletes

    If this works for teaching javelin (and I’m sure it does), perhaps there is something here for bowling?

    I often see young cricketers struggle with “bowling from base” – they miss the all-important rotation from a basically side-on base to front-on release when there is no inherent forward motion – and the step-by-step approach might help to get them through this.

    I’ll have to try this out – perhaps starting from “withdraw & throw”…with a straight arm, of course!

  • #playingyourpart – what I won’t be taking from England’s DNA

    A couple of pieces of coaching technique I won’t be pursuing, from the “England’s DNA: Playing your part” conference last Sunday.

    “NO, NO, NO – not like that”

    And (repeated several times during a practical session) – “go on, go on, you’re in…oh, you missed that one”

    “Trial-and-error” is a perfectly valid coaching methodology, but it has its limits.  If you are going to let your players learn from their mistakes, either let them get on with playing without comment, or keep any comments you do make positive.