Coaching Methodology - Psychological Corner

  February 02, 2022

Over the past few months, I have spent some time moving towards re-establishing coaching principles. This period of reflection has helped me personally with CPD, but also enabled me to offer support to the team around me in our quest to excel. Reflecting on professional values and methodology, particularly on how children should be coached within sport, has highlighted for me a need for coaches and teachers to be clearer on how we educate the children through the psychological corner.

 Whilst National Governing Bodies will publish key features surrounding this as part of coach learning, I feel coaches need more ongoing support in this area. Understanding the key psychological principles with children is relatively straight forward, but being able to apply strategies, measures and method to assist coaches reaching positive outcomes is the more challenging part.  I have provided below some simple recommendations for coaches & teachers when working with young learners within both a teaching and coaching environment; 

1. Each session or lesson we need to ask children questions about how to complete the tasks, skills or activity (Question & Answer interventions). 
2. Ask children individually what they feel they are doing correctly or incorrectly (We must try to avoid telling children). 
3. Demonstrate and reinforce when a child is successfully completing / executing the skill or task correctly – ask them to demonstrate to the rest of the group. 
4. We as coaches need to visibly show enthusiasm and show positive body language at all times. 
5. We should vary our voice tones during delivery - when a child has excelled, or if the outcome is less positive. This would need to be delivered without   letting it affect other children. 
6. We should always listen to individuals with questions, when hands are raised – try asking their teammates to answer the questions to encourage more interventions.
7. Coaches and teachers should always ensure sessions are carefully planned. More detail is needed when embracing the psychological elements, and structuring interventions more precisely.
8. Coaches and teachers should always be comfortable praising children and to be able to offer constructive guidance if expectations are not being met.
9. We as coaches need to be braver changing a session if it is not working. We are all human, and this will happen on occasions. 

 With the support of my team, we have begun work on a Coaching Training Scheme (CTS) which will offer young aspiring coaches’ opportunities for work placements and to receive ongoing coach education. The initiative will include registering learners on accredited and formal coaching qualifications including the FA Introduction to  Coaching Football (FAL1), and providing a pathway into employability.

For further information about our CTS Scheme for young coaches please contact me at scott@ultimate-coaching.co.uk.

Good luck and keep safe...

Scott Rimmer
Director

 

• Grassroots Football
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