As the most effective method to assess the players abilities had been to observe how they deal with situations in a match, I noted problems encountered against a rival team who provided more of a challenge than many teams played recently, and possessed good all-round ability. It seemed that the team had, contrary to what had been asked of them, subconsciously adopted a style of play that meant they were trying to take the ball through the middle of the pitch, working directly towards goal. This resulted in negative consequences and set a poor tempo for the game to end in a draw. Because there were disruptions in the shape which the game took, in terms of possession loss through tackles, poor touch, and misplaced passes, there was evidence that frustrations were growing with many of the team. This in turn resulted in cases of fouls being committed, and performance levels falling. Dollard (1939) argued that aggression is an innate response to frustration, and such aggressive reactions should be expected. Should the players experience frustration of this type, it is a natural reaction to act in an aggressive manner. In contrast, Bandura’s social learning theory (1977) found that behaviour is learned by observing others. It is thought that if this theory was being applied, the children would adopt an attitude of a role model, or somebody who was seen to be rewarded despite their action. This could take the form of a professional footballer, a parent, or a peer. As a coach, I felt that the only measures I was able to monitor would be the trait being copied within the team, i.e. the players mimicking each others poor response to being frustrated. Therefore, a decision by the manager and I was made that consisted of any offending player acting with poor self control would be substituted. Acts such as swearing, making tackles deemed to be dangerous, or descent of any other were forbidden.
From the match, one attribute that was consistently at question with most players was the ability to run with the ball at their feet, then make an accurate pass to a team-mate. As the team ethic set by the manager and I was that of a short-passing game, this inability has rarely been tested during matches. However, upon further research, we found that under the pressure of an opponent, many of the squad showed poor technical ability when demonstrating this skill. This took the form of players having too many or too little touches, putting too much or little weight on the touch, and general poor awareness when an opponent was in tackling range.
It was explained to the players post-match what our expectations of them was in terms of the style of play that was to be followed. The ethic highlighted was to adopt a passing game, stretch the play to create space, use the full pitch (use the wingers), and to attack space. Because many individuals were not employing this theory, we explained that the other were unable to apply the system due to lack of support, ie. Those who played through the middle were excluding the threat that the winger posed when attacking space. During past training sessions, focus has been on ensuring the wingers were able to comfortably receive the ball, and attack the space ahead of them. This skill required the ability to run with the ball using tight control, speed, and reading of the situation. A critical point highlighted by management was that we may have focussed on the wide players and neglected to develop the others in the team. The consequence was that they showed a poor understanding when applying the skill into a game.
Taking into account the problems that had been identified in the game, the aim of the session was to work on the team’s dribbling skills, and ensuring they were able to work the ball to wide areas.
By implementing the method worked on during my Level 2 training, I begun the session by having the players work unopposed. This allowed them to become acquainted with the technique and gain the fundamental understanding required to progress to a skill. The whole squad reacted well to the drill and instructions from myself. The teaching points I highlighted were that in order to travel the 20 yards with the ball at pace, the most effective method was to take few touches of the ball, make contact with the laces of the boot, be able to use both feet, and to direct the ball where they were heading. These simple commands were met with relative success, measured by all players demonstrating that they possessed the ability in which to complete the task.
To develop to a skill I introduced a defender to oppose. Initially the opposing player was intended to act as a ‘put off’ which the player with the ball could take the ball past by altering elements of his technique, i.e. whether to take an extra touch to maintain control, or whether to drive the touch forward in order to bypass the defender.
This exercise concluded with mixed success as many players struggled to beat the opposing player, and therefore lost possession. Upon further investigation, most of the individuals who lost possession seemed to be concentrating on the ball, and neglected to take into account the changing environment around them. With guidance from the manager and I, it was established that success in executing this skill came from being aware of any threats around the ball. Cross & Lyle (2003) argued that developing an awareness of any situation is likely to be an important part of decision making.
The next stage in developing the skill was to progress to a 4 v 4 game. The condition of the game was that players were allowed a maximum of 5 touches between them, then encouraged to pass to wingers who occupied a sterile area on each wing. They were then required to carry the ball for 20 yards to then produce a pass that would result in a shot on goal. This condition gave the players a chance to each run with the ball, and also encouraged the team to adopt the style of switching play that is commended by the manager and I. The next step was to allow one of the defending team to enter the sterile area and oppose play. This gave a gradual introduction to the attacker to apply his skill into a game situation. As this resulted in relative success, the sterile area was taken away which allowed free play. However, the players were limited to only 5 passes between the team. Because of the pitch area, running with the ball was essential to cover the ground ahead.
I felt that once the players had accepted the fact that they needed to become aware of other players in the vicinity, they reacted well and utilized their knowledge to the extend whereby even if they were halted by the defender in gaining ground they were able to prevent a tackle. During the 4 v 4 game, it was explained that verbal communication in such tasks was mandatory in achieving success. Connelly & Rotella (1991) believe that expressing feelings, communicating clearly, being assertive, and listening well are psychological skills that must be practiced to be perfected. Because the player in possession is concentrating on retaining the ball, deliberating over passing/running options, and also on potential threats, it is difficult to be visually aware of an approaching player from behind. Therefore a simple command from a team-mate would assist his decision making. This information was processed well by the squad as the game became dynamic, and verbal input was high.
As a whole, I felt the skill acquisition of most players was becoming well developed. Much of the technical information explained had been taken in and demonstrated to show progression. However, as highlighted by Schmidt (1991) skill learning is defined by permanency. I will observe how the players react to applying the skill in a game. Should they find problems then I would revisit this area and attempt to find which element of the technique was unclear.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Pentice-Hall.
Connelly, D. & Rotella, R.J. (1991). The social psychology of assertive communication: Issues in teaching assertiveness skills to athletes. The sport psychologist, 5, 73-87.
Cross, N. & Lyle, J. (2003). The Coaching Process: Principles and Practice for Sport. Butterworth-Heinemann, Edinburgh.
Dollard, J. et al. (1939). Frustration and Aggression. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Schmidt, R.A., Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Practice. Human Kinetics.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Following on from what had been explored during the last training session, I decided that choosing a theme of focus was a practical technique that brought about improvements in most of the players. Being the case, the manager and I discussed our thoughts regarding areas that we felt were in need of improvement, and what were the most efficient and effective methods available. Reciting problem areas from recent games, it was agreed that the team as a whole seem incoherent when it came to creating space for themselves. One persisting setback was when a player released the ball and remained stationary with no intention to make strides to gain a return pass.
I initiated the session with a linked warm up. In groups of three (a feeder, a defender, and an attacker) the task required the attacker to receive a pass from the feeder and return it. To oppose, the defender was ordered to shadow the attacker and intercept when possible. As the defender was pursuing the ball, it put extra pressure on the attacker to make sharp, dynamic movements in order to find space. This exercise worked well as a warm up as it incorporated much of the technical knowledge required by the players for the remainder of the session.
As the warm-up had covered a large portion of the technique, I felt that progressing it into a skill, and therefore a situation representative of a game, would help the players see how it would be beneficial to them.
The drill required the players to dribble the ball throughout a series of cones using both feet, playing a one-two with a feeder, then passing to a receiving team-mate. The manager and I placed the emphasis on the individual with the ball ensuring he maintained tight control over the ball and his movement, and a good first touch when receiving from the feeder.
Progression came relatively quickly as the players dealt with the situation competently and efficiently. The drill moved on to include two feeders per team, and a goal for the individual to make an accurate shot at. By including the extra feeder, and essentially a new challenge to consider when creating space, the player was made to actively think about his movement rather than falling into the trap of assuming that it was an autonomous motion.
The final stage of progression came by introducing a defender to shadow the attacker when creating space for the final pass from the feeder. Prior to this extra obstacle, many of the players were finding success in the drill. However, once opposed they seemed unable to create the space encountered during the warm up. Observing that this was a recurring trend throughout most of the team, I halted the drill and instructed the team to revisit the warm up and utilize the skills adopted during it. After breaking the skill down, the whole team noted improvements. Dolan (1976) stated that the foundation of a child’s football skills, paved the way in which to mould their future in the game. At this stage I felt that many of the team were thinking too technically and becoming redundant in the game, due to attempting too much at one time.
Following discussion, by which I explained the link up process, moving through the skill acquisition (Fitts and Posner, 1967) phases from cognitive to autonomous stages, the players seemed to respond well and incorporate the final element of the skill to lose the marker and make an accurate shot.
To assess how successful the work had been, the conditioned game required any shot on goal to come from a resulting one-two.
Despite the setback experienced during the latter section of the final drill, the players reacted well to the instructions and used the knowledge taught to create opportunities that had previously eluded them throughout many games.
I felt that the fluidity of the session worked well as the exercises flowed relatively effortlessly. One area that I will ensure is understood before continuing to the next stage is the technique. I assumed that the performers fully grasped what was required of them however, that seemed a false assumption due to the low level of success experienced during the final drill.
Dolan, E.F. (1976) Starting Soccer: A Handbook for Girls and Boys. Harper and Rowe Publications
Fitts, P.M. & Posner, M.I. (1967) Human Performance, Belmont, CA, Brooks/Cole
I initiated the session with a linked warm up. In groups of three (a feeder, a defender, and an attacker) the task required the attacker to receive a pass from the feeder and return it. To oppose, the defender was ordered to shadow the attacker and intercept when possible. As the defender was pursuing the ball, it put extra pressure on the attacker to make sharp, dynamic movements in order to find space. This exercise worked well as a warm up as it incorporated much of the technical knowledge required by the players for the remainder of the session.
As the warm-up had covered a large portion of the technique, I felt that progressing it into a skill, and therefore a situation representative of a game, would help the players see how it would be beneficial to them.
The drill required the players to dribble the ball throughout a series of cones using both feet, playing a one-two with a feeder, then passing to a receiving team-mate. The manager and I placed the emphasis on the individual with the ball ensuring he maintained tight control over the ball and his movement, and a good first touch when receiving from the feeder.
Progression came relatively quickly as the players dealt with the situation competently and efficiently. The drill moved on to include two feeders per team, and a goal for the individual to make an accurate shot at. By including the extra feeder, and essentially a new challenge to consider when creating space, the player was made to actively think about his movement rather than falling into the trap of assuming that it was an autonomous motion.
The final stage of progression came by introducing a defender to shadow the attacker when creating space for the final pass from the feeder. Prior to this extra obstacle, many of the players were finding success in the drill. However, once opposed they seemed unable to create the space encountered during the warm up. Observing that this was a recurring trend throughout most of the team, I halted the drill and instructed the team to revisit the warm up and utilize the skills adopted during it. After breaking the skill down, the whole team noted improvements. Dolan (1976) stated that the foundation of a child’s football skills, paved the way in which to mould their future in the game. At this stage I felt that many of the team were thinking too technically and becoming redundant in the game, due to attempting too much at one time.
Following discussion, by which I explained the link up process, moving through the skill acquisition (Fitts and Posner, 1967) phases from cognitive to autonomous stages, the players seemed to respond well and incorporate the final element of the skill to lose the marker and make an accurate shot.
To assess how successful the work had been, the conditioned game required any shot on goal to come from a resulting one-two.
Despite the setback experienced during the latter section of the final drill, the players reacted well to the instructions and used the knowledge taught to create opportunities that had previously eluded them throughout many games.
I felt that the fluidity of the session worked well as the exercises flowed relatively effortlessly. One area that I will ensure is understood before continuing to the next stage is the technique. I assumed that the performers fully grasped what was required of them however, that seemed a false assumption due to the low level of success experienced during the final drill.
Dolan, E.F. (1976) Starting Soccer: A Handbook for Girls and Boys. Harper and Rowe Publications
Fitts, P.M. & Posner, M.I. (1967) Human Performance, Belmont, CA, Brooks/Cole
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
As part of my personal development, I decided that attaining my level 2 certificate in football would provide the ideal opportunity to progress my own skills and to use them to ensure the group I have been working with over the previous year are given the best guidance available.
The initial meeting consisted of the course leader, who is an A-license qualified coach, conducting the session using myself and the other participants as his subjects. He felt that this method allowed us as coaches to experience the coaching process from another perspective. By running through the whole process, planning, delivery, and evaluation, I realised certain areas in my own style were lacking in depth, and could attribute to the fact that some skills explored during previous sessions had not been fully understood, and therefore reached.
One area that was made apparent during the training day was my poor structuring of drills. By assuming that the children understood certain elements of the game, I bypassed focussing primarily on their cognitive or associative motor knowledge of the technical aspect. My method moved straight onto the skill without covering the fundamentals. Reflecting on previous sessions I can make a distinct connection between advancing to this stage and the players finding difficulty implementing the learned skill into a game.
My planning for this session was focussing on ensuring the players fully grasped the concept of the drill and what was required of them. As I was working without the manager I felt it was an ideal chance to gain total control, and conduct the session at my own pace. One sentiment which I referred back to was what the coach suggested regarding developing players skills according to the need of the team. This insight was shared by McGeechan (2002) when he agreed that each session should have a definite purpose within the overall season plan. Working on this basis I decided upon concentrating on one theme during sessions and fully utilizing the skill until grasped. The theme I decided to work on was ‘finishing’ as during previous games and training sessions I had witnessed a poor return of goals:chances created. Many times the players had fallen into the habit of trying to score the perfect technical goal and missing the target, when poking the ball with a toe or knee would have sufficed.
I used much of the information given by my mentor regarding conducting the session, and broke the drill down into four parts. The first two were looking at technique, whereby simple instructions were that a pass to the forward was required by the feeder, and an accurate shot was required by the forward. This progressed to the feeder making a ‘wing-like’ run before delivering, and the strikers to communicate with each other as who was to receive the pass.
The focus on the basic technique of the players was to monitor how well they transfer this ability when forced to transfer it into a skilled movement. Shedden (1986) maintains that it is not possible to be skilled without a high level of technical excellence and knowledge of the game.
Further progression was required in the skill aspect whereby I asked the forwards to ensure they were aware of the goalkeeper’s position and in that instance to place the ball out of his reach. Also, for one of them to time his run as the second man supporting. This worked well in an unopposed drill. The final part of the progression was introducing a defender to oppose the threat posed by the attackers. Observing this section of the drill I saw a definite improvement in the skill worked on by most of the players. However, success in training is rarely representative of how a learned skill will fare when transferred into a game where players are facing opposition of unknown quantities. Schmidt (1991) defines skill learning in terms of relative permanency. The relative permanency principle means that performance should be observed on several occasions prior to considering the effectiveness of any coaching activity and/or athlete behaviour. Salmoni (1984) backed up this claim by stating that practice performance viewed in isolation is considered as a relatively poor indicator of permanency. This means that skill acquisition behaviour may not be predictive of skill retention behaviour, or of the ability to perform skill transfer. The author goes on to explain that the various factors that affect the development of retention and transfer behaviour are critical in an understanding of the skill learning process, and a major role of skill learning research has been to identify these key factors.
Concerning the session, I feel that by breaking the drill down and progressing it slowly was a far more effective approach than previously explored by myself. When planning in the future this technique will act as a framework and hopefully produce similar results of learning as this session brought about. However, as highlighted I will use a theme and drills that are new to the players as I feel they will find it more beneficial to experience unknown situations that will require the use of some previously learned technical movements.
McGeechan, I. (2002) in Jones, R., Armour, K., and Potrac, P. (2004) Sports Coaching Cultures, From Practice to Theory, Routledge, New York.
Salmoni, A.W., et al (1984). Knowledge of results and motor learning: a review and critical appraisal. Psychol. Bull., 95, 355-86.
Schmidt, R.A., Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Practice. Human Kinetics.
Shedden, J. quoted in Sharp, B. (1986) Acquiring Skill in Sport, Sports Dynamic, UK.
The initial meeting consisted of the course leader, who is an A-license qualified coach, conducting the session using myself and the other participants as his subjects. He felt that this method allowed us as coaches to experience the coaching process from another perspective. By running through the whole process, planning, delivery, and evaluation, I realised certain areas in my own style were lacking in depth, and could attribute to the fact that some skills explored during previous sessions had not been fully understood, and therefore reached.
One area that was made apparent during the training day was my poor structuring of drills. By assuming that the children understood certain elements of the game, I bypassed focussing primarily on their cognitive or associative motor knowledge of the technical aspect. My method moved straight onto the skill without covering the fundamentals. Reflecting on previous sessions I can make a distinct connection between advancing to this stage and the players finding difficulty implementing the learned skill into a game.
My planning for this session was focussing on ensuring the players fully grasped the concept of the drill and what was required of them. As I was working without the manager I felt it was an ideal chance to gain total control, and conduct the session at my own pace. One sentiment which I referred back to was what the coach suggested regarding developing players skills according to the need of the team. This insight was shared by McGeechan (2002) when he agreed that each session should have a definite purpose within the overall season plan. Working on this basis I decided upon concentrating on one theme during sessions and fully utilizing the skill until grasped. The theme I decided to work on was ‘finishing’ as during previous games and training sessions I had witnessed a poor return of goals:chances created. Many times the players had fallen into the habit of trying to score the perfect technical goal and missing the target, when poking the ball with a toe or knee would have sufficed.
I used much of the information given by my mentor regarding conducting the session, and broke the drill down into four parts. The first two were looking at technique, whereby simple instructions were that a pass to the forward was required by the feeder, and an accurate shot was required by the forward. This progressed to the feeder making a ‘wing-like’ run before delivering, and the strikers to communicate with each other as who was to receive the pass.
The focus on the basic technique of the players was to monitor how well they transfer this ability when forced to transfer it into a skilled movement. Shedden (1986) maintains that it is not possible to be skilled without a high level of technical excellence and knowledge of the game.
Further progression was required in the skill aspect whereby I asked the forwards to ensure they were aware of the goalkeeper’s position and in that instance to place the ball out of his reach. Also, for one of them to time his run as the second man supporting. This worked well in an unopposed drill. The final part of the progression was introducing a defender to oppose the threat posed by the attackers. Observing this section of the drill I saw a definite improvement in the skill worked on by most of the players. However, success in training is rarely representative of how a learned skill will fare when transferred into a game where players are facing opposition of unknown quantities. Schmidt (1991) defines skill learning in terms of relative permanency. The relative permanency principle means that performance should be observed on several occasions prior to considering the effectiveness of any coaching activity and/or athlete behaviour. Salmoni (1984) backed up this claim by stating that practice performance viewed in isolation is considered as a relatively poor indicator of permanency. This means that skill acquisition behaviour may not be predictive of skill retention behaviour, or of the ability to perform skill transfer. The author goes on to explain that the various factors that affect the development of retention and transfer behaviour are critical in an understanding of the skill learning process, and a major role of skill learning research has been to identify these key factors.
Concerning the session, I feel that by breaking the drill down and progressing it slowly was a far more effective approach than previously explored by myself. When planning in the future this technique will act as a framework and hopefully produce similar results of learning as this session brought about. However, as highlighted I will use a theme and drills that are new to the players as I feel they will find it more beneficial to experience unknown situations that will require the use of some previously learned technical movements.
McGeechan, I. (2002) in Jones, R., Armour, K., and Potrac, P. (2004) Sports Coaching Cultures, From Practice to Theory, Routledge, New York.
Salmoni, A.W., et al (1984). Knowledge of results and motor learning: a review and critical appraisal. Psychol. Bull., 95, 355-86.
Schmidt, R.A., Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Practice. Human Kinetics.
Shedden, J. quoted in Sharp, B. (1986) Acquiring Skill in Sport, Sports Dynamic, UK.
Monday, March 10, 2008
I used this session to introduce the players to a more refined area of body conditioning and its importance in the game for injury prevention and ensuring performance levels would sustain the demands which the game delivers. I explained how sport specific stretching can have a more direct positive influence on the targeted muscles than other types such as static stretching. Asmussen & Boje (1945) noted that in addition to whole body exercises, a standardized sport-specific warm up should also be performed. Not only will this help to minimize the risk of injury but it also optimizes the functioning of various physiological mechanisms which can affect performance. To get the players more involved in shaping the session, and helping them gain a clearer understanding of physiological demands, I asked them to each choose and demonstrate a movement which could occur during a game of football. This was then isolated, for example, making a pass, then slowed down, exaggerated and repeated. Reilly & Stirling (1993) maintained that the incident of injuries over a season were less for players who paid attention to jogging, technique, and game rehearsed skills than those who warmed up for the same duration but who had a more general type of warm up regime. When running through the individual movements I asked the team to name which muscles they felt they were conditioning and why it was important to ensure the given muscle was correctly warmed up. The result was that they had taken in much of the information I had passed on to them regarding physiology during previous sessions. I felt that the democratic way I conducted this part of the session was a good way to monitor the players’ knowledge and understanding of the warm-up process and the role it plays in conditioning for the game ahead.
The follow up to the stretching was a fun use of imagery whereby the full size football pitch represented the U.K. and that players were to make their way down from one end to another. The manager and I would give descriptions of certain obstacles the team have to overcome, for example, a mountain in Scotland that had to be run up. On this signal a ten second sprint on the spot was required by all. This routine worked well as it took the players’ thoughts off the physical demand of the task, and on concentrating on overcoming what was being asked of them. Thadani (2006) recommends focus techniques when warming players up, for example, giving players short questions to answer quickly, such as arithmetic or spellings. This can result in the promotion of the mental side of the players ensuring they are alert and ready for the task, which in turn can be seen as a vital component in retaining their interest. I feel that this approach heralded a good response by the team and reminded me that as young teenagers they require stimulation in the form of fun to maintain their interest in what they are doing.
Asmussen, E. & Boje, O. (1945) Body temperature and capacity for work. Acta Physiol. Scand. 10, 1-22
Reilly, T. & Stirling, A. (1993) Flexibility, warm-up, and injuries in mature games players, in Kinanthropometry IV (eds W. Duquet and J.A.P. Day), E & FN Spon, London, pp. 119-23.
Thadani, S. (2006) Soccer Conditioning, A & C Black, London
The follow up to the stretching was a fun use of imagery whereby the full size football pitch represented the U.K. and that players were to make their way down from one end to another. The manager and I would give descriptions of certain obstacles the team have to overcome, for example, a mountain in Scotland that had to be run up. On this signal a ten second sprint on the spot was required by all. This routine worked well as it took the players’ thoughts off the physical demand of the task, and on concentrating on overcoming what was being asked of them. Thadani (2006) recommends focus techniques when warming players up, for example, giving players short questions to answer quickly, such as arithmetic or spellings. This can result in the promotion of the mental side of the players ensuring they are alert and ready for the task, which in turn can be seen as a vital component in retaining their interest. I feel that this approach heralded a good response by the team and reminded me that as young teenagers they require stimulation in the form of fun to maintain their interest in what they are doing.
Asmussen, E. & Boje, O. (1945) Body temperature and capacity for work. Acta Physiol. Scand. 10, 1-22
Reilly, T. & Stirling, A. (1993) Flexibility, warm-up, and injuries in mature games players, in Kinanthropometry IV (eds W. Duquet and J.A.P. Day), E & FN Spon, London, pp. 119-23.
Thadani, S. (2006) Soccer Conditioning, A & C Black, London
As the ongoing problem of poor communication continued throughout training sessions, and to a further extent, during games, I devised drills which required vocal input by players in order to succeed. It largely involved players being made to tell an impartial individual in the drill if, when, and where they wanted the ball to be played to them. Players were awarded a point should their communication pay off, and a further point should they complete a pass after receiving the ball. The punishment, should communication be lacking, was to deduct points. All individuals were asked to score themselves honestly. Cross & Lyle (2001) suggested that by including this competitive element into drills, it can be viewed as an opportunity for athletes to air their competitive frustrations, and let off steam. Initially the children were being deducted several points due to their poor grasp of the subject. However, as the drill continued, and the manager and I intervened throughout, making simple suggestions, the connection between announcing their position to their team-mate, and then receiving the ball, became apparent to the players.
The exercise ended with positive results as all players were able to complete the task and attain points as the competition demanded, however, the poor beginning of the drill was a direct result of my own bad planning of the session, and my communication of the task requirements. My directions were only verbal, with no demonstration by myself to ensure the players understood what was being transmitted to them. To my dismay much of the exercise was lost to back-tracking and reiterating what had already been explained. Argyle (1988) has estimated that non-verbal messages are 16 times more powerful than verbal ones. This area of my personal progression is one that I feel I must improve on in order to succeed in improving performers. This session made me aware of how important ‘showing’ rather than ‘telling’ is in sport, and how much of an impact it can have on the outcome of a task. Christina & Corcos (1994) highlighted the importance of using additional visual information when verbally explaining a new skill, especially to young performers. They also broke the demonstration process down into four catagories;
Attention- getting the attention of the performers
Retention- repeating important cues so the athlete understands the movement and remembers key points
Reproduction- organizing the demonstration progressively to help the athlete develop their motor program sufficiently to be able to perform the skill consistently.
Motivation- motivating the athletes to want to learn the new skill and/or want to improve their current skills.
The motivation area is seen as a critical component in determining whether or not athletes will benefit from the demonstration process. This will become a defining factor in my mentoring role in the future as I have seen the negative effects low motivation can have on a group of players. I feel my sessions may have to adapt to make room for focusing on boosting players’ motivation for the game.
Argyle, M. (1981) Social behaviour, in Psychology for Teachers, (ed D. Fontana), Macmillan/BPS, London
Christina, R. W. & Corcos D. M. (1994) Coaches Guide To Teaching Sport Skills, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois
Cross, N. & Lyle, J. (2003) The Coaching Process- Principles and Practice for Sport, Butterworth-Heinemann, Edinburgh
The exercise ended with positive results as all players were able to complete the task and attain points as the competition demanded, however, the poor beginning of the drill was a direct result of my own bad planning of the session, and my communication of the task requirements. My directions were only verbal, with no demonstration by myself to ensure the players understood what was being transmitted to them. To my dismay much of the exercise was lost to back-tracking and reiterating what had already been explained. Argyle (1988) has estimated that non-verbal messages are 16 times more powerful than verbal ones. This area of my personal progression is one that I feel I must improve on in order to succeed in improving performers. This session made me aware of how important ‘showing’ rather than ‘telling’ is in sport, and how much of an impact it can have on the outcome of a task. Christina & Corcos (1994) highlighted the importance of using additional visual information when verbally explaining a new skill, especially to young performers. They also broke the demonstration process down into four catagories;
Attention- getting the attention of the performers
Retention- repeating important cues so the athlete understands the movement and remembers key points
Reproduction- organizing the demonstration progressively to help the athlete develop their motor program sufficiently to be able to perform the skill consistently.
Motivation- motivating the athletes to want to learn the new skill and/or want to improve their current skills.
The motivation area is seen as a critical component in determining whether or not athletes will benefit from the demonstration process. This will become a defining factor in my mentoring role in the future as I have seen the negative effects low motivation can have on a group of players. I feel my sessions may have to adapt to make room for focusing on boosting players’ motivation for the game.
Argyle, M. (1981) Social behaviour, in Psychology for Teachers, (ed D. Fontana), Macmillan/BPS, London
Christina, R. W. & Corcos D. M. (1994) Coaches Guide To Teaching Sport Skills, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois
Cross, N. & Lyle, J. (2003) The Coaching Process- Principles and Practice for Sport, Butterworth-Heinemann, Edinburgh
Saturday, January 12, 2008
29/11/07
Following correspondance with the manager, coupled with his attendance in training, the decision to punish offending players by leaving them out of the team for future games was implemented. Because of these persistent interruptions by a minority of the squad, the decision that another course of action to take would be to allow the players to incorperate the first 5 minutes of training with communicating on a social level. It was explained to the squad that if any interruptions occured past the allotted time then the reprecussion would be a suitable punishment depending on the severity. This consisted of either the offender or the innocent parties partaking in menial exercise such as shuttles or sit-ups. Also the threat of being excluded from the remainder of the session or dropped from any forthcoming games were employed as a scare tactic. With punishment comes understanding and a sport discipline to athletes and teams to help them learn and grow as people and players (Lynch, 2001).
The playing side of the session looked at developing the drill worked on previously whereby the attacker and defender worked 1v1. The adaptation was the inclusion of another attacker and defender. The main areas of progression were the closing down and marking by defenders, and the intricate, tight passing, and use of agility by attackers to lose their markers. For the defenders, I introduced zonal marking which requires communication as standard in order to work effectively. It is seen by many as a more efficient and effective technique than man marking, as less players are dragged out of position ensuring that structure is maintained (Bangsbo, 2002). The mandatory requirement of the drill was the use of simple verbal commands by both parties in order to succeed. This required the children to use learned techniques ranging from technical ability, spacial awareness, and communication. As Reed (2004) stated ‘Communication is a vital component in football as it assists players in making vital decisions at decicive times and maintains motivation. A team lacking in simple communication skills are less likely to progress together, therefore ensuring that the team have a cohesive understanding is essential’.
Despite the weather having a bearing on players balance, the drill was conducted in a positive manner. The aim of the pep talk at the beginning of the session was to spark a response by the whole squad, and to hopefully restore some degree of professional output by individuals whom we felt required a decent performance to justify their inclusion in the team.
Bibliography;
Bangsbo, J.(2002) Defensive Soccer Tactics: How to stop players and teams from scoring. Human Kinetics.
Lynch, J. (2001) Creative Coaching: New ways to maximize athlete and team potential in all sports. Champaign Ill: Human Kinetics Publications
Reed, L. (2004) Basic Team Coaching, The F.A. Learning Ltd., Hodder and Stoughton Educational
Following correspondance with the manager, coupled with his attendance in training, the decision to punish offending players by leaving them out of the team for future games was implemented. Because of these persistent interruptions by a minority of the squad, the decision that another course of action to take would be to allow the players to incorperate the first 5 minutes of training with communicating on a social level. It was explained to the squad that if any interruptions occured past the allotted time then the reprecussion would be a suitable punishment depending on the severity. This consisted of either the offender or the innocent parties partaking in menial exercise such as shuttles or sit-ups. Also the threat of being excluded from the remainder of the session or dropped from any forthcoming games were employed as a scare tactic. With punishment comes understanding and a sport discipline to athletes and teams to help them learn and grow as people and players (Lynch, 2001).
The playing side of the session looked at developing the drill worked on previously whereby the attacker and defender worked 1v1. The adaptation was the inclusion of another attacker and defender. The main areas of progression were the closing down and marking by defenders, and the intricate, tight passing, and use of agility by attackers to lose their markers. For the defenders, I introduced zonal marking which requires communication as standard in order to work effectively. It is seen by many as a more efficient and effective technique than man marking, as less players are dragged out of position ensuring that structure is maintained (Bangsbo, 2002). The mandatory requirement of the drill was the use of simple verbal commands by both parties in order to succeed. This required the children to use learned techniques ranging from technical ability, spacial awareness, and communication. As Reed (2004) stated ‘Communication is a vital component in football as it assists players in making vital decisions at decicive times and maintains motivation. A team lacking in simple communication skills are less likely to progress together, therefore ensuring that the team have a cohesive understanding is essential’.
Despite the weather having a bearing on players balance, the drill was conducted in a positive manner. The aim of the pep talk at the beginning of the session was to spark a response by the whole squad, and to hopefully restore some degree of professional output by individuals whom we felt required a decent performance to justify their inclusion in the team.
Bibliography;
Bangsbo, J.(2002) Defensive Soccer Tactics: How to stop players and teams from scoring. Human Kinetics.
Lynch, J. (2001) Creative Coaching: New ways to maximize athlete and team potential in all sports. Champaign Ill: Human Kinetics Publications
Reed, L. (2004) Basic Team Coaching, The F.A. Learning Ltd., Hodder and Stoughton Educational
22/11/07
As the weather on the Sunday had dictated all league games in the region to be postponed, we decided upon using the time constructively in the form of extra training. This consisted of progressing the shooting drill explored in the previous session, and including a defender to put added pressure on the attacker. The inclusion of this element was an obvious and essential addition, as it gave a distinct depth of realism to the situation a player may experience during a game. This was important for both sets of players, attackers and defenders, as both were independent of assistance by a team-mate, therefore required the recruitment of their full skill based capabilities.
The focus of the task was concentration by participants, as being associative learners (Fitts & Posner, 1967), and actions not being of an autonomous nature, tended to rely on a verbal instruction as reinforcement of ability. Hogg (1995) describes how the coach’s practice should evolve from a more directive relationship with young performers to a progressively sharing relationship, and ultimately, independence for the performer. However, at this stage of development where the players are still learning new skills, I felt that the best way to assist with their progression would be to maintain the coach/athlete control balance.
In order to eradicate the self complication of the task, I instructed the players to maintain the simple nature, and ensure it was carried out effectively. This required the attackers to receive the ball, beat the defender, and attempt a shot on target. Meanwhile, the defenders duty was to prevent the attempt on goal by means of closing down play rapidly, and ensure the ball was distributed to an area away from danger. The drill progressed well, as both parties carried out instructions as requested, with all forwards forcing a save by the goalkeeper, and all defenders preventing a goal scoring opportunity once or more. One problem experienced during the session was the interruptions by some players. Such disruptions, as talking when I was directing instructions to follow during drills. This became an issue mainly due to the length of the sessions. Sharp (1992) recommended that drills are kept short due to limited attention span of young performers which makes it impossible to sustain repetitive practices for long periods. He also describes variety as being an important factor in any session for young children. However, as the players are at a level where they as individuals, and we as coaching staff feel they should be mentally mature enough to give active feedback from a drill without negative deliberation.
This disruption resulted in cutting the session short, with the threat that should this behaviour be repeated in the future, training would consist of fitness exercises, and general non-ball related drills. This acted as a threat due to the outspoken unpopular feedback given by the players on the subject. It was then made clear that should the players continue with this poor level of behaviour then they were also putting their place in the team at risk. This threat acted as an awakening to the children as they seemed to realise the implication of their actions. I found that this approach to combating their rebellious conduct could help in the short-term, however, as I was the sole management representative during the session, I felt unable to make a decision regarding long-standing punishment of the players regarding their behaviour, therefore felt the best course of action would be to consult with the manager and express my opinion.
Bibliography;
Fitts, P.M. & Posner, M.I. (1967) Human Performance, Belmont, CA, Brooks/Cole
Hogg, J. M. (1995) Mental Skills for Swimming Coaches. Edmonton, Al: Sport Excel Pub
Sharp, B. (1992) Acquiring skill in sport, Sports Dynamics
As the weather on the Sunday had dictated all league games in the region to be postponed, we decided upon using the time constructively in the form of extra training. This consisted of progressing the shooting drill explored in the previous session, and including a defender to put added pressure on the attacker. The inclusion of this element was an obvious and essential addition, as it gave a distinct depth of realism to the situation a player may experience during a game. This was important for both sets of players, attackers and defenders, as both were independent of assistance by a team-mate, therefore required the recruitment of their full skill based capabilities.
The focus of the task was concentration by participants, as being associative learners (Fitts & Posner, 1967), and actions not being of an autonomous nature, tended to rely on a verbal instruction as reinforcement of ability. Hogg (1995) describes how the coach’s practice should evolve from a more directive relationship with young performers to a progressively sharing relationship, and ultimately, independence for the performer. However, at this stage of development where the players are still learning new skills, I felt that the best way to assist with their progression would be to maintain the coach/athlete control balance.
In order to eradicate the self complication of the task, I instructed the players to maintain the simple nature, and ensure it was carried out effectively. This required the attackers to receive the ball, beat the defender, and attempt a shot on target. Meanwhile, the defenders duty was to prevent the attempt on goal by means of closing down play rapidly, and ensure the ball was distributed to an area away from danger. The drill progressed well, as both parties carried out instructions as requested, with all forwards forcing a save by the goalkeeper, and all defenders preventing a goal scoring opportunity once or more. One problem experienced during the session was the interruptions by some players. Such disruptions, as talking when I was directing instructions to follow during drills. This became an issue mainly due to the length of the sessions. Sharp (1992) recommended that drills are kept short due to limited attention span of young performers which makes it impossible to sustain repetitive practices for long periods. He also describes variety as being an important factor in any session for young children. However, as the players are at a level where they as individuals, and we as coaching staff feel they should be mentally mature enough to give active feedback from a drill without negative deliberation.
This disruption resulted in cutting the session short, with the threat that should this behaviour be repeated in the future, training would consist of fitness exercises, and general non-ball related drills. This acted as a threat due to the outspoken unpopular feedback given by the players on the subject. It was then made clear that should the players continue with this poor level of behaviour then they were also putting their place in the team at risk. This threat acted as an awakening to the children as they seemed to realise the implication of their actions. I found that this approach to combating their rebellious conduct could help in the short-term, however, as I was the sole management representative during the session, I felt unable to make a decision regarding long-standing punishment of the players regarding their behaviour, therefore felt the best course of action would be to consult with the manager and express my opinion.
Bibliography;
Fitts, P.M. & Posner, M.I. (1967) Human Performance, Belmont, CA, Brooks/Cole
Hogg, J. M. (1995) Mental Skills for Swimming Coaches. Edmonton, Al: Sport Excel Pub
Sharp, B. (1992) Acquiring skill in sport, Sports Dynamics
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