The Teesra

How do coaches learn to be better coaches?

When I first I qualified as a coach, back in 2009, I was told “get your coaching badge, then go and do some coaching.”

It felt odd, having just completed a “taught” course, but it seemed almost a recognition of the failure of coach education to actually teach the new coach what they should do.

It’s as if the coaching qualification was just a license to practice, rather than a preparation for (coaching) life.

But what is wrong with coach education? How do coaches learn?

Session plan — all round fielding plus

This session starts with a modified fielding activity from icoachcricket — “all round fielding” (I have also seen this called “fielder’s wheel”, “modified T-drill”, or Williams’ wheel (a reference to a colleague who particularly favours this activity), but then adds a competitive element — fielders vs. runners — to try out the skills under simulated game intensity.

With the group I am working with this term (u11, transition to hardball), I had wanted to use a hard ball (or possibly a lightweight bowling machine ball) to get them accustomed to stopping and throwing a hard(er) ball, with the coaches taking any direct throws, catching with a mitt if required, switching to an “incrediball” when a runner is introduced.

In the event, we stuck with the incredi throughout, for safety.

But I think this works as a more active variant of the ground fielding drills we sometimes run with.

Chatting with ChatGPT — now I know why I am uncomfortable with Instruction as a coaching tool!

ChatGPT, tell me something about “direct instruction”, please.

The focus of direct instruction is on the teacher as the primary source of knowledge…
ChatGPT

And that is what has been worrying me about the application of Instruction as a coaching tool — that focus on the teacher (and on the instruction itself).