activ8 wildcats coaching resource

1Activ8 Wildcats Club

Coaches Resource

www.activ8ni.net

Coaches Resource // June 20122

Sport Northern Ireland would like to sincerely thank Sergio Lara-Bercial for his work in developing this resource. Sergio has drawn upon leading practice and research in the field of coaching children to produce this high quality and innovative resource to support the planning and delivery of coaches within the Activ8 Wildcats Club programme.

Sergio is a Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Metropolitan University and is currently leading the development of the technical area of the International Sport Coaching Framework for the International Council for Coach Education. He is also currently researching the maximisation of sport programmes to support holistic development in children and young people. Sergio has over 15 years of experience coaching children from grassroots to international levels in Spain and the United Kingdom (UK) and was formerly sports coach UK’s Technical Lead for Coaching Children. Within this role Sergio led the development of the UK’s Coaching Children Curriculum.

Sport Northern Ireland would also like to thank the Activ8 Wildcats Coaches Resource Development Group for their contribution and feedback on the development of this resource. The Activ8 Wildcats Coaches Resource Development Group included:

• SergioLara-Bercial(LeedsMetropolitan University)• SimonToole(SportNorthernIreland)• AnnaBoyle(AntrimBoroughCouncil)• JohnFall(BallymoneyBoroughCouncil)• GaryHaveron(TheCliff,Larne)• SarahKearney(ArdsBoroughCouncil)• StephenMcCartney(ColeraineBorough Council)• MichaelMoore(DerryCityCouncil)• TrevorOctave(NorthDownBorough Council)

The Wildcats Multi-skills Club programme and session plan resource were originally developed by Ballymoney and Coleraine Borough Council Sports Development Units. Particular thanks for their contribution to this original development must go toJohnFall(BallymoneyBoroughCouncil),RichardGormley(formerlyBallymoneyBoroughCouncil),Stephen McCartney and Roger Downey (both Coleraine Borough Council). Finally,thankstosportsCoachUKforpermissiontoutilise and reproduce terminology and imagery from the UK Coaching Children’s Curriculum. These have been very beneficial to this resource and will help to link the key concepts of the curriculum to practical application in multi-skills coaching settings across Northern Ireland. These are reproduced from The Coaching Children Curriculum/An Introduction to the FUNdamentals of Movement with kind permission of The National Coaching Foundation (brand name sports coach UK). All rights reserved. sports coach UK subscription and membership servicesprovidearangeofbenefitstocoaches,including insurance and information services. For furtherdetails,pleasering0113-2907612orvisitwww.sportscoachuk.org.

Acknowledgements


I. WelcomeII. Activ8 Wildcats Clubs – Programme AimsIII. Activ8 Wildcats Clubs – Coaching Philosophy IV. The Activ8 Wildcats Club PathwayV. How to use The Handbook

1. The Syllabus1.1. Coaching the Whole Child (CWC)1.2. WhatisMulti-SkillswithinaCWCPhilosophy?1.3. Whatarewetryingtodevelop:Participant Capabilities by Stage

2. The Coaching Cycle: K-WEAR2.1. Know-Watch-Evaluate-Act-Reflect

3. Coaching Children Craft3.1. ChildDevelopmentforCoaches3.2. Children’sLearning:Coachingin‘The Learning Zone’ and The Coaching Strategies Continuum3.3. CommunicatingwithChildren3.4. Children’sMotivation,MotivationalClimates and The Role of the Coach3.5. InclusiveCoaching:(differentiation)3.6. CreatingNewActivitiesandGames

4. Effective Planning4.1. Seasons,Blocks,SessionsandActivities4.2. TheBig6ofActivityPlanning4.3. ASessionPlannerthatHelpsYouCoach

5. Maximising Parental Involvement5.1. Getting parents to work with you5.2. Gettingparentstoworkforyou

6. Further Reading

AppendicesA. Planning TemplatesB. ObservationSheetsC. Activity BankD. Activity Breakers

The Activ8 Wildcats Club Coaches Handbook

Table of Contents


DearCoach,

Welcome to the Activ8 Wildcats Club Coaches’ Handbook. If you have delivered in the Activ8 WildcatsClubprogrammebefore,youwillknowallabout how it developed and how successful it has beensinceitstartedin2004.Ifyouarenewtotheprogramme,theActiv8WildcatsClubs:

- Have been running in one way or another for nearly eight years.- Engage boys and girls from 5 to 11 years of age.- Aim to enhance children’s movement skillsinasafe,stimulatingandnon-sport specific environment.- Involveanaverageof1,500childrenacross Northern Ireland each year.

Inearly2012,SportNorthernIreland(SNI)commissioned a review of the programme to ensure it stayed current and that the learning of the

previous eight years was taken into account to guarantee it continued to offer the children of NorthernIrelandanaccessible,effectiveandfun-based opportunity to develop their movement skills while making friends and developing a life-long habit of participating in sport and physical activity (Diagram 1).

The newly developed programme incorporates afewchangesaimedatincreasingitsreach,itseffectiveness and its adaptability to different contexts and participant groups. It also aims to support coaches to better understand the programme’s aims and objectives and to maximise coaches’ ability to consistently get the best out of the children they coach.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the new programme and that you continue to give us the necessary feedback to keep on improving it.

I. Welcome

Accessible

Fun-basedEnhanced Movement

Skills

Life-longParticipation

Effective


Activ8 Wildcats multi-skills clubs provide a non-sportspecific,fun,challengingandenjoyablestarting point for children’s involvement in sport. Sessions include a wide variety of games and activities,allinvolvingthedevelopmentofskillsand attributes that can be applied to a range of sports and physical activities that a child may subsequently choose to participate in. A high quality multi-skills experience is a fantastic starting point for children on their journey towards lifelong participation or performance in sport. Multi-skills training can also be used to support the development of children that perhaps have already selectedaparticularsport,butarelookingforextraskills and a change of scenery.

Activ8 Wildcats Clubs aim to develop children in and through sport in five key areas. These are:

• Physical: Developing the child’s movement capabilities and fitness levels.

• Technical: Developing the skills and techniques requiredtoplayarangeofgames,activitiesorsports.

• Tactical: Developing the child’s knowledge of ‘howto’playthegameandtheirabilitytosolvechallengesinsports,gamesandactivities.

• Mental: Developing the child’s mental capabilities including their decision making skills.

• Personal-Social: Developing the child’s confidence,abilitytobuildrelationships,respectforrulesandothers,andtheirability to find their own solutions to problems.

Each area of development is linked to the child’s stageofdevelopment,withincreasinglyrefinedand complex skills and challenges being introduced as the child develops and matures to stretch the child’scurrentabilityandmaximiselearning.Over-all the clubs are about providing the highest possible quality of sporting experience for children.

II. Activ8 Wildcats Club - Programme Aims


Youasacoacharethesinglebiggestinfluenceon the quality of any Activ8 Wildcats multi-skills club.Youalsohavethegreatestinfluenceontheexperience and development of each and every participant within your Activ8 Wildcats multi-skills club.

Activ8 Wildcats coaches are at their most effective when they display the following key coaching behaviours:

• Coach the Whole Child: Provide multiple-outcome coaching for participants that developsnotonlythephysicalandtechnical,butalsothetactical,mentalandpersonal-social.

• Facilit8: Empower your participants to makedecisions,self-discoverandproblem-solve when appropriate through facilitative/collaborativecoaching.Yourquestioningskillsare crucial to this.

• Energetic & Inspirational: The energy that youputintoyoursessionsrubsoff!Yourhighenergy,enthusiasticcoachingandloveforsportcan inspire your participants.

• Stretch & Challenge: Use activities which stretchandchallengeparticipants,whilesuccessremainsachievable,tokeepthemin‘thelearningzone’asmuchaspossible.Yourknowledge of the child’s development and how children learn are crucial to this.

• Coach the Individual: Watch and Evaluate one child at a time and Act what you see. This ensures that we don’t just lead activity and coach group trends but really help make a difference to the capabilities of individuals in oursessions.Yourobservationskillandability

toapplythe‘K-WEAR’coachingcyclearecrucialto this.

• Plan Well: Plan sessions thoroughly including havingaimsfortheprogramme,theblock,the session and each activity. This coaching resource should assist you to do this effectively.

• Self-Reflect:Self-reflectionduringandaftersessions allows us to consider how effective wehavebeen,whatwearedoingwell,whatwe could improve on and what we could do differentlyinthefuture.Self-reflectioncanhelp us on our journey of continuous self-development.

These seven key coaching behaviours are displayed by Activ8 Wildcats coaches across Northern Ireland. With this as our shared coachingphilosophy,wecanworktogethertoensureaconsistencyofhighquality,innovativeand continuously improving multi-skills coaching experiences within Activ8 Wildcats Multi-skills clubs across Northern Ireland.

III. Activ8 Wildcats Clubs - Coaching Philosophy


IV. The Activ8 Wildcats Club Pathway

9-11 Years

7-8 Years

5-6 Years

Multi-sport and Health & Fitness focus. Coaching movement and game skills within the observations and interventions of the coach.

Multi-skills focus concentrating on Fundamental Movement Skills and Fundamental Sports Skills through fun games and families of sports (i.e. striking, team, etc).

Develoment of the Fundamentals of Movement and Fundamental Movement Skills within a game based environment.

3-4 Years Parent and Child sessions incorporated into the 5-6 years

phase based on local situation. Focus on rudimentary / introductory locomotion, stability and object control skills.

Operating

Organisation to decide

how best to operate these

tiers

(together/separately)

based on local

situation


The Coaches Handbook has been designed to help you in your day-to-day coaching within your Activ8 Wildcats Club. It aims to do so by providing clear explanations and models of what coaching multi-skills and children is all about:

• What children in your sessions need and want from you and the programme…

• …and guidance on how best to go about providing it for them.

The Handbook however….

…does not provide magic

recipes… you, as the coach

in charge need to take what

is in it and adapt it to your

particular situation.

It provides a mix of the latest research in children’s coaching and accepted best practice to support youindeliveringaquality,progressiveandeffectiveprogramme.

Youshouldaimtointernalisethevariousmodelsand practical suggestions and combine them with theonesyoucurrentlyusetoarriveatyourown,new and innovative ways to deliver the best possible programme within your specific context.

The syllabus and the handbook are there to guideyou,nottorestrictyou.OuraimistoseeWildcats coaches putting their own stamp on theprogrammewhileworkingtoagreedvalues,objectives and standards of practice.

We look forward to your coaching making a difference to thousands of children across Northern Ireland!

V. How to use The Handbook


In2011,sportscoachUKpublishedtheCoachingChildren Curriculum (CCC)1. This document aimed to provide a framework for understanding the capabilities children can develop in and through sport and the associated knowledge and skills coaches would need to support children make the most out of taking part in sport.

Multiple Outcome Coaching

OneofthekeyfeaturesoftheCCCwastobringcoaches’ attention to the fact that when children take part in sport they are developing more than physical skills. Therefore coaches have a responsibilitytoplananddeliveractivities,sessionsandprogrammesthat,whileperhapshavingavery clear link to the development of physical attributes,alsoconsiderandprovideroomforthedevelopment of those other skills.

The CCC proposed that children could develop in5differentareas:Physical,Technical,Tactical,Mental and Personal & Social and all that those areas are interrelated and need to be worked on simultaneously (Diagram 1.1).

1. The Syllabus

1.1. Coaching the Whole Child

1Lara-Bercial, S., Haskins, D. and Jolly, S. (2011) – The Coaching Children Curriculum, sports coach UK. http://www.sportscoachuk.org/sites/default/files/Coaching%20Children%20Curriculum.pdf

Multiple Outcome Coaching

Synergistic Development and Dependability

Integrated Outcomes of Sport Coaching: Technical, Physical, Tactical, Mental and Personal & Social

Diagram 1.1


Thephysical,technical,tacticalandtechnicaldomainsaredefinedasfollows.

Positive Development In and Through Sport

TheCCCaligneditselfwithaphilosophyofworkingwithyoungpeoplecalledPositiveYouthDevelopment(PYD).


Table 1.1. Physical, Technical, Tactical and Mental Capabilities. The Coaching Children Curriculum, sports coach UK (2011). Lara-Bercial, Haskins and Jolly.

PYD researchers have found that young people that score high

on 5 key outcomes known as the 5 Cs tend to make an easier

transition from childhood into adolescence and into young

adulthood and display more adaptive and positive behaviours.


The CCC used and adapted the 5 Cs to conceptualise the Personal & Social development children are capable of taking from their participation in sport and into other areas of their life. The 5 Cs for sport are outlinedinTable1.2:


Table 1.2. The 5 Cs for Sport. The Coaching Children Curriculum, sports coach UK (2011). Lara-Bercial, Haskins and Jolly.

DevelopingCompetence,mainlyphysicalandtechnical,hastraditionallybeenthemainobjective of coaches working with children. Howeverthe5Cssystemallowsustoseehow,if we want to help children make the most out of theirsportparticipation,thereareotherareasthat we need to pay attention to.

Diagram 1.2. The 5 Cs in the context of the PTTM model. The Coaching Children Curriculum, sports coach UK (2011), Lara-Bercial, Haskins and Jolly.

For more information on the 5 Cs and the Coaching the Whole Child philosophy visit sports coach UK’s website:

http://www.sportscoachuk.org/sites/default/files/Coaching%20the%20Whole%20Child_1%204.pdf


Frombirthtofullmaturity,childrenandyoungpeople go through a number of phases in the development of their movement skills. Each phase builds on the previous one to support the acquisition of ever more refined and complex skills. Some of these gains are a consequence of maturation(i.e.thechild’snaturalgrowth),butothers are completely dependent on the child’s involvement in movement activities that promote their development.

A well-known model to understand this development has been developed by David Gallahue2. In his Life-Span Model of Motor Development,hedividesmovementdevelopmentphases into:

• ReflexiveMovement(frombirthto1yearold).• RudimentaryMovement(1-2yearold).• FundamentalMovement(2-7yearold,and• SpecialisedMovement(7toadulthood).

Gallahue considers three factors which have an influenceinmovementdevelopment: • Heredity (what’s in our genes).• TheEnvironment(practice,encouragement

and instruction).• The Task that the child is trying to master (how

complex/easyitisandhow‘doable’forthechildat a particular stage).

A very important point in

Gallahue’s model is that

while in the reflexive and

rudimentary phases the

impact of heredity is felt

the most, as we progress

into the other phases, it is

the environment and the

task that have the biggest

influence in the quality of

movement competence

developed by the child.

Traditionally,theaimandemphasisofmulti-skillsprogrammes has been to support children in their progression from the rudimentary to fundamental movement stage and into the specialised phase. This has been conceptualised as seen below:

1.2. What is multi-skills in the context of the Coaching the Whole Child philosophy

2Gallahue, D.L., Ozmun, J.C and Goodway, J. - Understanding Motor Development: Infants, Children, Adolescents, Adults. (2011). McGraw-Hill Higher Education


AsshowninDiagram2.1,multi-skillsdevelopment,inthemain,beenconceivedastheprogressiveacquisitionofFUNdamentalsofMovement,Fundamental Movement Skills and Fundamental Sport Skills. While useful in terms of understanding thevariouscomponentsofmulti-skills,thisclassificationhas,attimes,ledtoafragmenteddelivery where the three elements have been considered in isolation and rarely brought together. This has the potential to hinder learning and progression.

The Activ8 Wildcats Clubs will try to integrate the three elements by showing what they look like at different stages of the Activ8 Wildcats Club syllabus and how coaches can develop them in a coordinated and joined up manner.

The key job of the coach will be to know when to integrate these areas and when to break them down and isolate them when necessary.

In terms of understanding how the elements fit together,thefollowingtableoffersabriefsummaryof the three elements.

1.2. What is multi-skills in the context of the Coaching the Whole Child philosophy Cont’d.

Diagram 2.1. The Fundamentals Continuum. An Introduction to the FUNdamentals of Movement. Foreman and Bradshaw, 2009.

Multi-skill Delivery

Multi-skill

Sport-specific Skills rugby, netball, tennis, cricket etc

Fundamental Sports Skills invasion, net/wall, striking and fielding

Fundamental Movement Skills run, jump, hop, catch, kick, skip, throw etc

FUNdamentals of Movement balance, coordination and agility


FUNdamentals of Movement (FoM):

Balance,CoordinationandAgilityunderstood as the building blocks of any type of movement.

Fundamental Movement Skills Categories (FMS):

Stability,ManipulationandLocomotionskills that over time combine to produce Sport Specific Skills and Combainations (SSS&C) of Skills.

OneoftheFoMsmaybekeyinperformingeachofthem,butallFoMsareinvolved to a certain degree.

Fundamental Sport Skills:

Skills that allow the application and maximisation of FMS and SSS&C to a variety of sporting themes and contexts (net/wall games; invasion games; striking and fielding games; athletics; gymnastics and dance).

BALANCE:

The ability to keep our body reasonably stable and steady.

It is the foundation of safe and efficient movement as it underpins all other elements of movement.

STABILITY: High on Balance and Agility

• Axialmovements(bending,spinning,rolling,twisting,pivoting,reaching,swinging,etc)

• Static Balances (maintain balance while the centre of gravity is stationary,standonreducedarea,tiptoes,onefoot,allfours,threepointpositions,etc)

• Dynamic Balances (different types of walks which involve maintaining balance while the Centre of Gravity shifts)

NET/WALL GAMES

• Covering/Using Space/Spacing• Anticipation/Timing• Dictating Play• Risk Taking/Patience• Tracking Team Mates• TrackingOpponents• Analysing Weaknesses and

Strengths (own/opposition)• Cooperating with team mates• Fair Play

COORDINATION:

The ability to move our body and its parts in a skilful and synchronised manner towards achieving an objective.

It can be internal to produce an action likemakingafistorliftaleg,and/orexternal to time it with an external implement (catching or striking)

MANIPULATION: High on Coordination and Balance

• Throwing/Passing (underarm/overarm/overhead/single-two handed)

• Catching (close/away from body; high/low/single-two handed)

• Kicking (stationary/moving object)• Striking (with hand/head/implement;

stationary/moving object)• Dribbling (with hand/foot/

implement)

INVASION GAMES

• Covering/Using Space/Spacing• Anticipation/Timing• Keeping Possession• Regaining Possession• Risk Taking/Patience• Tracking Team Mates• TrackingOpponents• Analysing Weaknesses and

Strengths (own/opposition)• Cooperating with team mates• Fair Play• Decision Making

AGILITY:

The ability to control the body and its parts in a dynamic context and at a certain speed. Itinvolvestheabilitytostart,stop,andtochange pace and direction.

LOCOMOTION:

• Running (forward/backwards/sideways; sprint; start/stop; change of pace/direction; pushing off one foot)

• Dodging• Jumping(fordistance/height/off

a height; one-two foot take-off/landing)

• Hopping (multi-directionally/both feet)

• Galloping/Skipping

STRIKING AND FIELDING

• Covering/Using Space/Spacing• Anticipation/Timing• Dictating Play• Risk Taking/Patience• Tracking Team Mates• TrackingOpponents• Analysing Weaknesses and

Strengths (own/opposition)• Cooperating with team mates• Fair Play• Decision Making


FUNdamentals of Movement (FoM):

Balance,CoordinationandAgilityunderstood as the building blocks of any type of movement.

Fundamental Movement Skills Categories (FMS):

Stability,ManipulationandLocomotionskills that over time combine to produce Sport Specific Skills and Combainations (SSS&C) of Skills.

OneoftheFoMsmaybekeyinperformingeachofthem,butallFoMsareinvolved to a certain degree.

Fundamental Sport Skills:

Skills that allow the application and maximisation of FMS and SSS&C to a variety of sporting themes and contexts (net/wall games; invasion games; striking and fielding games; athletics; gymnastics and dance).

COMBINATIONS

• Movement sequences that incorporate multiple skills:

1. i.e. running and jumping

2. i.e. jumping and striking

ATHLETICS

• Run for Speed• Run for Endurance • Change Pace/Pacing• Walk and Stride• JumpforHeight• JumpforLength• Hop• Differentfootcombinations1-1;1-2;

2-2;2-1• Sling/Put/Overarm/Underarm

Throws• Distance / Accuracy Throws

GYMNASTICS AND DANCE3

• Shapes• Travel• JumpingandLanding• Balance• Rolling• Hand apparatus• Handstands and Cartwheels• Partner/Group work• Routine and sequence making/

Choreography• Apparatus to move on and through• Body actions to interpret words or

music• Rhythm • Accurate replication

Chart Cont’d.

3 Certain Gymnastics and Dance activities may be difficult to cover within Activ8 Wildcats Clubs due to lack of relevant equipment and/or coaches expertise. It is however recommended that ‘guest coaches’ may be used to expose children to these activities every so often.


From a Coaching the Whole Child perspective though,thedevelopmentoftheFoM,FMSand FSS (which fall within the traditional PTTM competencies) need to be carried out in conjunction with the Personal and Social elements. TheKITEmodeldevelopedbyLara-Bercial(2012)aims to bring these together and provide certain cues around how they interact.

The KITE model combines the PTTM model with the multi-skills continuum to facilitate understanding of the process of joint up development of all those competences over time. It also incorporates the Personal & Social elements of the Coaching the Whole Child philosophy and positions them in particular places to signal their different impact on the child’s development.

• Confidence as the wind that powers the kite.

• Connection as the piece of string that links the kite with those around them and the environment for the purpose of anchoring and securing the child as a kind of safety net.

• Character and Caring as the moral compass that keeps the child on track and stabilises the kite.

• Creativityasresourcefulness,individualityandflair.

Diagram 2.2 The Kite Model of Multi-Skills Coaching – Lara-Bercial, S. (2012)

1.2. What is multi-skills in the context of the Coaching the Whole Child philosophy

Kite Development Model

Confidence


In order to understand how coaches can support the progressive development of the various desirableoutcomesinthechildrentheycoach,the following tables detail what this means for the different stages of the Activ8 Wildcats Pathway.

4-6 Years Old

Atthislevel,thephysicalandthetechnicalareverymuch intertwined and need to be considered as one. The joint development of the FUNdamentals of Movement and Fundamental Movement Skills

will allow children to develop more specific skills/techniques in the future. This will also be the case in the7-8phase,butwillbefairlydifferentiatedinthe9-11phase.

Similarly,andthiswillremainthesamethroughoutthepathway,thefuturetacticaldevelopmentwillbe associated with the development of increasingly more advanced Fundamental Sport Skills.The following tables have been adapted from sports coachUK’sCCCcurriculum(Lara-Bercial,HaskinsandJolly,2011).

1.3 What are we trying to develop: Activ8 Wildcats Objectives by Stage

Physical and Technical(FoM + FMS)

Tactical(FSS)

Mental(Cognitive)

At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be:

Developing basic balance and stability through games and fun activities

Developing a sense of the space they occupyinrelationtotheplayingspace,the object (where appropriate) and others

Developing a basic level of self-awareness

Spending large amounts of time developing basic control of body parts andobjectsthroughsending,receiving,striking and dribbling activities

Starting to respond and adapt to conditions and rules placed on activities and games

Creating basic strategies for learning success independently (i.e. when I do this,itworks!)

Gaining competence in using different ways of travelling including basic changes of pace and direction

Beginning to develop the ability to track objects (i.e. a ball) and others and to respond appropriately

Developingalongerconcentrationspan,turn-takingskills,andthecapacitytolisten,observeandreplicate

Developing incidental conditioning through activities that include short bursts(20secs.)andshorterrecoveryperiods

Gaining an understanding of what constitutes cheating and how it affects the game/session


7-8 Years Old


Physical and Technical(FoM + FMS)

Tactical(FSS)

Mental(Cognitive)

At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be:

Developing more advanced balance and stability through games and fun activities

Developing an advanced sense of the space they occupy in relation to theplayingspace,theobject(whereappropriate) and others

Developing an advanced level of self-awareness which allows them to evaluate their performance realistically and to devise more complex strategies for improvement

Spending large amounts of time developing basic control of body parts andobjectsthroughsending,receiving,striking and dribbling activities on both sides of the body and in increasingly more complex/live sequences or combinations

Starting to consistently respond and adapt to conditions and rules placed on activities and games and to basic tactical challenges in a variety of settings

Starting to perform basic goal-setting

Startingtoshowahigherleveloffluidityintheir movement and the ability to apply this in different contexts/situations

Developing further the ability to track objects (i.e. a ball) and others and to respond appropriately to maximise chances of success in relation to gaining andkeepingpossession,scoringanddefending

Gaining a greater ability to focus on the task at hand even when tired

Gaining competence in using different ways of travelling including more advanced changesofpace,directionand plane(i.e.diagonally,backwards,sideways,low/high,sprint,etc)

Showing a greater understanding of the rules of various games

Developing the ability to work in larger groups (oppose and cooperate) and understanding own and others role

Developing incidental and targeted conditioning through activities that includeshortbursts(20-30secs.)withshorter recovery periods as well as using their own body weight to gain core strength

Be able to differentiate between team and individual performance


9-11 Years Old


Physical and (FoM + FMS)

Technical(Early SSS)

Tactical(FSS)

Mental(Cognitive)

At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be: At this stage, children should be:

Developing and showing high proficiency in stability related activitiesthroughgames,funactivities and task-specific exercises

Modifying basic skills to meet specific needs of certain types of games leading to a broadening of technical base.

Developing and showing a high understanding of space and time in order to develop sophisticated tactics

Self-aware in basic tasks to evaluate their performance realistically and to devise complex strategies for improvement and complex goal-setting

Developing and showing advanced control of body parts and objects through sending,receiving,strikingand dribbling activities on both sides of the body and in increasingly more complex/live sequences or combinations

Developing specific techniques and the ability to show them in live situations

Responding and adapting effectively and consistently to complex conditions and rules placed on activities and games and to basic tactical challenges in a variety of settings

Using positive language and self-talk

Showing mastery orientation and differentiating between effort,abilityandresults

Developing and showingfluidmovement and the ability to apply this in different contexts/situations

Learning to train for specific skill/technique development

Developing and showing high proficiency to track objects (i.e. a ball) and others and to respond appropriately to maximise chances of success in relation to gaining and keepingpossession,scoringand defending

Developing and showing high ability to focus on the task at hand even when tired or excited

Developing and showing high proficiency in using different ways of travelling including complex changes ofpace,directionandplane(i.e.diagonally,backwards,sideways,low/high,sprint,etc)in changing environments

Showing a full understanding of the rules of various games

Comfortable working in larger groups (oppose and cooperate) as well as by self

Be able to understand own andothersroles,strengthsand areas for improvements

Developing targeted conditioning through activities thatincludeshortbursts(20-30secs.),andlongerefforts(60-90seconds)withshorterrecovery periods as well as using their own body weight togaincorestrength,power,endurance and speed

Using tactical challenges to shape technical work

Be able to differentiate between team and individual performance and support others to learn and stay focused

Itisimportanttorememberthatthroughoutallofthis,ascoacheswealsoaimtodevelopthepersonalandsocial side of the children we coach encapsulated in the 5 Cs as described earlier. So now that we know whatwewanttodevelopinthechildrenthatwecoach,letusturnourattentiontotheprocessweneedtofollow to support their learning and development: The Coaching Cycle.


TheK-WEARcycle(developedbyLara-Bercial,2012)showsasuggestedprocessthatcoachescanfollow in order to maximise the chances of having a positive impact on the children we coach.

1. Know: It is important that we have a clear picture in our mind of what it is that we want to develop,whatitlookslikeintherealworldandhowwe are going to go about developing it. Based on this knowledge,wecanthenprepareoursessionsandactivities accordingly.

2. Watch:Onceweareputtingourchildrenthroughtheirpaces,itisfundamentalthatwespendtime watching and observing how they perform before we try to give them further information or move on to something else.

Whenwatchingchildrenperform,itisimportantto:

• Look at one child at a time.

• Concentrate initially on one particular action as a whole before breaking it into its constituent parts.

• Observemorethanonceandfromdifferentangles.

3. Evaluate: Having watched them we can then assess their current level of performance against their previous efforts and the ideal; then identify the main pitfalls in their movement and the interventions that will have the biggest impact. The key things to look for will be detailed later in this section.

2. The Coaching Cycle: K-WEAR

2.1. K-WEAR

The Coaching Cycle: K-WEAR

Watch

EvaluateKnow

Reflect Act


4. Act:Oncewehavewatchedandevaluated,wewilldecideacourseofaction.Inthemain,wecould:

• Do nothing: This is a form of action. By doing nothing,weassumethattheissuewillresolveitself. This may be the case in many occasions.

• Fine tune specific parts of the movement if performance is nearly optimal.

• Set up non-directive activities that will support the child to solve the issue independently.

• Apply a whole-part-whole methodology.

5. Reflect: At this point we ponder the results of our intervention and draw conclusions for future activities/sessions.

Ascoaches,wehavearesponsibilitytorunthroughthe K-WEAR cycle constantly to ensure that we can support the children we coach. The Child ObservationSheetsintheappendicesareagoodstarting point to focus our efforts.

2.1. K-WEAR


Itisoftensaidinsportthat‘Childrenarenotmini-adults’.Understandingthisstatementfullyanditsimpact on what and how we coach children is paramount to give them the best possible experience. A few elements need to be considered.

Movement Pattern Development

Inrelationtothequalityoftheirmovementpatterns,childrencanbeclassifiedalongacontinuumgoingfrom immature to intermediate to mature movement. A number of key factors can be considered on this continuum. The following table provides certain useful markers.

3. Coaching Children Craft

3.1. Child Development for Coaches

Marker Developmental Sequence: Children…

Mental organisation …willgofromunconsciousincompetence,toconsciousincompetencetoconsciouscompetenceand unconscious competence.

(As they have to think less about what they are doing they can begin to concentrate more on what is happening around them and also start to evaluate their own performance)

Limb Coordination ...willinitiallyappearuncoordinatedastheyusetoomany,unnecessaryandattimesantagonisticmusclestoproduceaparticularmovement.Overtime,theyreducethenumberofmusclesuseduntil only those strictly needed for a particular task are used and in the right sequence (kinematic chain).

(This has an impact for energy efficiency, as the more muscles we use, the more energy we expend and the less efficient we are)

…will develop from the centre out and from proximal to distal. They therefore will be able to exert control over those areas and body parts closer to mid-line and bigger muscle groups than those further away and smaller muscle groups.

(So for example children will initially be better at kicking/throwing for distance than for accuracy)

Accuracy and Consistency

…progressively become more able to reproduce a given task accurately even when the conditions are changeable as they gain more control over different group muscles and body parts.

(As children grow older, their rate of improvement slows down and a process of fine tuning of skills begins)


Cognitive, Emotional and Social Development

Anumberofkeyfactsrelatingtotheircognitive,emotional and social development impact on children’s learning:

• Children learn best when they are having fun and their brains are fully engaged with the task at hand.

• Children take information through all the senses which means learning happens in various ways. At an early age they learn mostly by doing,failing/fallinganddoingagainuntiltheysucceed. They then progress to being able to watch others and replicate actions and listen to instructions. Maximising the learning potential ofdoing,watchingandlisteningisthejobofthecoach.

• Childrenstrugglewith‘delayedgratification’and‘cause-effect’relationships.Wehavetotake them on a journey of understanding but be mindful that their most immediate needs have to be satisfied.

• Children start off being very self-centred (others around them do not exist or are competing for attention) and progressively move towards a more social state that allows them to work alongside others and eventually cooperate and oppose others (in ever growing larger numbers over time).

• Social,emotional,cognitiveandphysicaldevelopment go hand in hand. Coaches need to cater for all and also understand that any of those areas or a combination of them may be responsible for children’s behaviours and learning progress.

3.1. Child Development for Coaches

It is also important to understand how children learn andmostimportantly,whatarethethingsthatwecan do or incorporate to the coaching environment that will enable and enhance their learning. Coaching in ‘The Learning Zone’

In general maximum learning in happens in the space just outside and above our current level of ability.Wecallthis‘TheLearningZone’.Fromthisperspective,theactivitieswesetupforthechildrenwecoachcansitinoneoffourzones(Diagram3.1):

• The Boredom Zone: the task itself or the way the activity is set up leads to boredom and stagnation. No learning happens in the Boredom Zone.

• The Comfort Zone: the task and the set up are just below or at the current level of ability of the learner. Activities in the Comfort Zone keep learners fairly happy and may serve to consolidate current skills and build a strong foundation for further learning. However if the demandleveldoesnotincreaseovertime,boredom will set in

3.2 Children’s Learning: Coaching in the Zone and The Coaching Methodology Continuum


• The Learning Zone: the task and/or the set up falljustabovethecomfortzonethusstretchingthe learner’s current capacity and maximising learning.

• The Panic Zone: the task and/or the set up are too far away from the learner’s current level of ability.Asanxietyandeventuallypanicsetin,learning will decrease. Being in the Panic Zone can also jeopardise future engagement with similar tasks due to negative associations.


Diagram 3.1 – The Coaching Zones

As coaches then, our main job is to keep learners in The Learning

Zone as often as possible and for as long as possible, thus

facilitating learning.

Inthecaseofchildren,anumberofdevelopmentalfactors have to be taken into account when developinganddesigningactivities,sessionsandprogrammes. Understanding this is also important aswegothroughtheK-WEARcycle.Particularly,duringtheEVALUATEphase,inordertoaccuratelyassess the situation for both the group and for individualchildren,amentalframeworkthattakesinto account all of these factors is helpful in finding

out what is going wrong/well and to facilitate the decision making process moving on to the ACT phase of the cycle.

TheSPECCModel(Diagram3.2-Social:Physical:Emotional:Cognitive Development in Coaching AssessmentTool,Lara-Bercial,2012)providesahigh level framework to facilitate the EVALUATE and ACT stages of the K-WEAR cycle.

The Panic Zone

The Learning Zone

The Comfort Zone

The Boredom Zone

Where Learning Happens


SPECC Model

Diagram 3.2 - Social:Physical:Emotional:Cognitive Development in Coaching Assessment Tool, Lara-Bercial, 2012.

All our sessions and the activities within them contain elements that challenge children in these four beams. Aschildrendevelop,theyprogressivelywalkalongthebeamsuntil,iftheconditionsareright,theybecomeafullymature,functionaladult.

Saying that a session or an activity is or is not working well is not

enough. If we don’t identify the reasons why, we have no chance of

either replicating success or addressing the issues.

In the main, the answer to the question ‘Why is this working/not

working?’ lies within one or more of those beams. If session and

activities are not pitched at the right level in each of the beams,

learning is affected as children will not stay in The Learning Zone.


Coaching

Session /

Activity

Cognitive

Beam

Emotional

Beam

Social

Beam

Physical

Beam


The following vignette contains some examples of this:

Jennyisarugbycoachworkingwithagroupofunder8girls.Shehas recently been working on their passing skills and feels they have improved a lot. The children have been pestering her about wanting to play‘propergames’andthisweekshehassetupan8-a-sidetagmatchforthelast30minutesofthesession.

The children got very excited when they heard they were going to play amatch.However,5minutesintoit,someofthechildrenstartedtodisengage,someothersarguedallthetimeandthepassingskillsJennyhad been building up were nowhere to be seen.

JennyhasusedtheSPECCmodelbeforeandisnowgoingtotrytofindout what is happening today. After a quick 1-minute ponder mentally walking through the four beams of the model while the players were havingadrink,Jennyhasrealisedthat:

• Socially,thegirlswerenotreadytocooperateinsuchlargenumbers at such a high pace.

• Physically,thepassingskillsdidn’tholdunderthismuchpressure.

• Emotionally,thegamewasunderminingtheconfidenceofthelessablegirlsandtheyweredoubtingif‘beingthere’wasagoodideainthe first place.

• Cognitively,theplayerswereunabletocopewiththenumbersonboth their teams and the opposition’s and their thinking process was struggling to keep up with so many people moving at the same time.

Asaresult,Jennydecidedtosplitthebiggameinto4mini-gamesandput certain conditions to facilitate the offensive team using passing skills and understanding space and numbers.



Coaching Styles

The strategies we use to achieve this will vary depending on the learner’s stage of development andtheareawearetryingtodevelop.Inthemain,these strategies can be placed along a continuum from an Instructional/Directive style to a more Facilitative/Cooperative one.

Thekeyideahere,bearinginmindourearlierpointsaroundkeepingchildreninthelearningzoneandsupportingthemtolearnmoreandfaster,isthat

there is no one method better than other and that the coaching strategy we use is entirely dependent oncontextualfactors(i.e.thechild,thetaskandtheenvironment).

Generallyspeakingthough,bothstylesinisolationproduceverydifferentresults(seeDiagrams3.3and3.4below)anditisintheabilitytouseoneorthe other at the right time that maximum effect is achieved.

The key purpose of coaching is to interact with participants in a

manner which enhances their learning. In other words, that thanks

to us being there, they learn more, faster and in longer lasting ways

than they would when left to their own devices.


The Coaching Strategies Continuum

Diagram 3.3 – The Directive/Instructional Approach to Coaching.

Highly dependent athletes

Boredom & Low Motivation

Lack of Ownership

Technically accomplished athletes who don’t understand the game

Selfishness - Lack of Group Identity

Limites Learning - Knowledge Stagnation

Directive / Instructional

• Coach led

• Highly instrcutional & repetitive

• Strictly structured

• Technique driven

• There is a ‘best way’ only

• Sequential and episodic in nature

• Part-Whole Method

Leads to...



Coaching Styles

Diagram 3.4 – The Facilitative/Collaborative Approach to Coaching.

The following vignette shows how both styles are fit for purpose in different situations.

Kieran is an athletics coach working with a mixed group of under 6children.Hewantedthekidstoexperimentwithsomeoftheequipmenttonightindependently,particularlyaroundthrowingactions.Kieran has laid out foam javelins and soft balls all over the playing area and has asked the kids to pick them up and alternatively do throws for distance and accuracy creating their own targets.

The children have got very excited and in general are doing what they wereaskedtodo.Kieran,however,iswatchingthemandrealisingthatmost of the throws are the same and that the kids are not being able to differentiate between distance and accuracy.

He pulls the group together and asks the group a few questions to try andgetthemtounderstandtheactivity,butthekidsarenotgraspingthe key ideas.

Kieran decides to be a little more directive to get them over the hurdle and sets up a couple of activities specifically targeting distance and accuracy throws and gives them some pointers around the back swing and the leg position.

The children make rapid progress and when put back into the ‘experiential’activitydomuchbetter.

Independent athletes

High Motivation & Enjoyment

Ownership of Learning

Technically and Tactically Proficient Athletes

Group Identity and High Cooperation

New Knowledge Generation

Facilitative / Collaborative

• Athlete driven (highly involved in the

decision making process)

• Flexibility within a clear plan

• Learning is contextualised

• Focused on player needs

• Aimed at developing understanding

and not just technique

• Encourages scoial learning

Leads to...


A very important part of coaching children effectively resides in our ability to communicate appropriately with them so we can get our message across while also understanding their needs and emotions.

Below there are some key points to be aware off in theareasofexplanations,demonstrations,effectivequestioning,activelisteningandfeedbackprovision.

Explanations

Effective explainers:

• Make clear and brief statements during the early stages of a training session about what skills and tacticsaretobelearned,whentousethemandhow to do them.

• Provide opportunities to practice what has been explained.

• Simplifyor‘chunk’theinformationtoavoidconfusing the children with too much information (one or two points of focus at a time).

• Direct (and re-direct) attention to the important parts of the skill or tactic.

• Question children to get them to make decisions and comparisons that aid their learning.

• Help children to understand by creating images and cue words that they can use to build on previous experiences and skills.

Demonstrations

Effective demonstrators plan:

• Who will demonstrate (Are they comfortable doingso?Isitalwaysthesameperson?Coulditbeaguestathlete?)

• Howwillithappen(Caneveryoneseeit?Dotheyneedtoseeitfromvariousvantagepoints?Havetheygotthesun/floodlightsintheireyes?Are there any distractions such as parents or othersintheirsightline?)

• If it will focus on particular aspects of the skill or thewhole?

• Howrealisticwillitbe?

• What equipment will be needed (Do you need modifiedequipmentforthisparticulargroup?)

• Wheninthesessionwillithappen?

• How do we know that it was effective (Do you need to check for understanding after the demonstration?Aretheydoingwhatyouaskedthemtodo?)

3.3 Communicating With Children



KidmanandHanrahan(2005)4 have developed a useful framework for questioning for coaches

4Kidmand, L. and Hanrahan, S.J. The Coaching Process: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Effective Sports Coach. (2010). Routledge.

Stage 1: Prepare the question

• Identify the purpose• Determine the content focus (according to athlete need)• Understandthecognitive,physical,socialandemotionallevelsoftheathletes• Formulate the question for the athletes’ levels of understanding

Stage 2: Present the question

• Indicatehowathletescanrespond(i.e.,raisehandstoanswer)• Askthequestion,thenstepbackandlettheathletesformulateanswers• Select athlete or athletes to answer

Stage 3: Encourage athlete responses

• Use wait time to determine whether to encourage responses• Assist athletes to respond (if necessary)• Use athletes’ cues to encourage responses

Stage 4: Process athlete responses

• Listen carefully• Pause following athletes’ responses• Provide appropriate feedback (according to athletes’ responses)• Expand responses• Encourage athlete reactions and questions

Stage 5: Reflect on the questioning process

• Analyse questions asked• Reflectonwhichathletesrespondedandhow• Evaluate athlete response patterns• Examine coach and athlete reactions


Active Listening

Effective listeners:

• Stay focused on what the child is saying and avoid the temptation to start phrasing their response while the child is still talking.

• Try to put themselves in the other child’s shoes.

• Regularly pause to ensure their interpretation of what the child is saying is correct by using paraphrasing or questioning techniques.

• Focus on trying to understand and clarify what is actually happening for the sake of both the child andthemselves.Often,whentherealissueisbroughttothefore,aclearsolutionfollows.

• Avoid allowing their feelings to get in the way of what is being said.

Feedback

Effective feedback has the following components (Kidman and Hanrahan, 2005):

• Itofferswhatwasgood,whatcouldbeimprovedand how it can be improved.

• Itgoesbeyondgenericinformation(i.e.‘welldone’) offering specific points for consideration.

• It is positive in nature leading to enhanced self-esteem and the will to do the necessary work to improve.

• It is immediate just after the performance (providing the athlete is mentally ready to receive it).

• It is focused on the specific aspects being worked at that particular time.


Coaches Challenge:

Pick 3 communication-related coaching behaviours you want to

pay more attention to in the next few weeks and plan when and

how you will put them into practice.

Coaches Notes:


When looking at children’s motivation to take part in sportitisimportanttolookbeyondthetypical‘howmotivated’ they are and get under the skin of what makesupofa‘motivatedchild’.

Self-DeterminationTheory(DeciandRyan,20005) provides a useful framework to look at this.Inanutshell,SDTstatesthathumanbehaviour,inthemain,isdrivenbytheneedtosatisfythreeuniversal psychological needs:

• The Need for Autonomy: being able to function without needing (much) support and making own decisions.

• The Need to Belong: feeling that one is part of something bigger that oneself and the sum of the parts.

• The Need Competence: a sense of being capable of doing things which are valuable to us and those around us.

The level to which an activity addresses the need for any or all three of these basic human needs determines how intrinsically motivating this activityistotheindividualinquestionorhow‘self-determined’thisindividualbecomes(Diagram3.5).

3.4 Children’s Motivation, Motivational Climates and The Role of the Coach

Diagram 3.5 – The Continuum of motivation regulations. Adapted from Quested and Duda (2011)6.

5Deci, E. L., and Ryan, R. M. (2000). The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268. 6Quested, E., & Duda, J. L. (2011). Enhancing children’s sport experiences and personal development: A motivational perspective. In R. Bailey & I. Stafford (Eds.), Coaching children in sport. London, Routledge.

Intrinsic

Identified

Introjected

External

Amotivation

‘I do...because I love it / enjoy it’

‘I do...because I value the benefits’

‘I do...because I feel that I should’

‘I do...because I have to / to receive some

reward’

‘I don’t know why I do...’

Highly AutonomousMotivation

Highly ControlledMotivation

Lack ofMotivation

The Continuum of Motivation Regulations


The interesting part for us is that what we do as coaches can greatly impact on both the quality and quantity of the motivation of the children we coach.Inturn,thisleadstoanumberofchoices

and behaviours on their part that will impact on thequalityandquantityoftheirparticipation,engagement and learning outcomes.


Diagram 3.6 – Schematic representation of SDT. Adapted from Quested and Duda, 2011.

It is easy to see the links between the three basichumanneedsofAutonomy,Relatedness(belonging) and Competence and some of the things we have talked about already:

• Autonomy can be supported by using a facilitative coaching methodology that allows participants to have a say about what and how whereappropriate,encourageself-reflectionand support cooperative work between participants.

• Belonging is very similar to the element of Connection we saw as part of the Coaching the Whole Child philosophy.

• Competence,inasimilarwaytothewaywedescribed it in the Coaching the Whole Child section,isaboutfosteringthedevelopmentofa number of capabilities by setting appropriate tasks.Aswehaveseen,themorewekeepchildrenintheLearningZone,themorecompetenttheybecome.However,thereis something we must look at around the development of competence that has the potentialtobea‘game-changer’forthechildrenwe coach. We are talking about the Motivational Climate.

Basic psychological

needs

Social contextual

factors

Motivation regulations

Consequences

Autonomy

Belonging

Competence

Autonomy support

Social Support

Motivational Climate

Intrinsic Identified

Introjected Extrinsic

Amotivation

Self-

det

erm

inat

ion

Behaviour Performance

Effort Persistence

Well/ill-being

Schematic Representation of SDT


Motivational Climates

Inanutshell,researchshowsthatpeopletendtounderstand competence or ability in one of two ways:

• Mastery-Orientation:competenceisunderstood in a self-referenced way. From this perspective‘IamhappywhenIimproveonmyself’.

• Performance-Orientation:competenceisdemonstratedonlywhenbeatingothers:‘Iamhappy when I prove that I’m the best or very good at something’.

• Childrencarrythese‘thinkingmodes’aroundand the important thing for us is that which mode they favour has an impact on their behaviours,learningandcopingstrategiesinsport.

• Mastery-Orientedchildrenarehappywhentheytryhard,whentheyimproveonpreviousperformance and tend to relish the challenge and stick with tasks longer. Their self-confidence is more stable as a result.

• Performance-Orientedchildrenareonlyhappywhentheyfeelsuperior,shyawayfromchallenges where their competence may come into question and are affected by failure or poor results in a much more incapacitating way than their mastery-oriented companions. Their self-confidencefluctuates.

• But we also know that coaches’ actions can haveagreatimpactonthe‘thinkingmode’adoptedbythechild.Thisiscalled‘settingthemotivational climate’ and provides coaches with a number of tools to add to their coaching bag. This is how the two potential climates compare and how coaches can go about fostering one or the other.


Ego-oriented climate Task-oriented climate

Coach’s Cues Athlete Responses Coach’s Cues Athlete ResponsesConstant comparison between athletes

Lower self-esteem Self-referenced judgements of competence

Enjoyment

Focus on demonstrating superior performance

Anxiety Health risks (i.e. unhealthy eating)

Focus on effort and improvement (emphasis on personal development)

Sense of improvementOverallwell-being

Low tolerance of mistakes Not taking any risksFrustration when a mistake is made

Mistakes are part of learning Risk taking Using mistakes as learning opportunities

Favouritism towards more capable athletes

Cliques and segregation Cooperative learning Supporting each other


Children arrive at sessions at very different points in their developmental journey. This means that within one single group of children we will find large differences not only in their ability to perform physical tasks, but in all four beams of the SPECC model. These differences may be due to maturational (children mature at different rates) or developmental (some children will have accumulated more practice hours) factors. It is also important to acknowledge that some of the children coming to our sessions will have a physical or learning disability.

As coaches, making sure that we cater for everyone in our sessions is fundamental. This is called ‘differentiating’. There are a number of useful frameworks that allow coaches to differentiate between and within sessions to ensure the tasks we set up are fit for purpose.

We will look at the Inclusion Spectrum Framework (ISF) developed by Ken Black and Pamela Stevenson7.

3.4 Inclusive Coaching - Differentiation

7 Stevenson, P. and Black, Ken. The Inclusion Spectrum Framework (2011). http://www.icsspe.org/documente/Ken_Black_-_Inclusion_Spectrum_summary.pdf

The Inclusion Spectrum

Framework

Diagram 3.7 – The Inclusion Spectrum Framework. Stephenson and Black, 2011.

Everyone Can Play

Open

Alternate Activity

Separate

Adapted Physical Activity / Disability

sport

Ability Groups Parallel

Change to include

Modified

STEP


The ISF shows the various ways in which activity can be presented and modified to ensure that every childisabletojoinin,learnandexperienceacertainlevel of achievement and success. It presents four main ways of presenting physical activity:

1. Open Activity: everyone can play without the need to modify the activity.

2. Change to Include Activity: everyone does the same activity but we incorporate a number of changes to support all children can take part. This method incorporates the widely known STEPmodel,whichwewillreviewlaterinthissection.

3. Ability Groups Activity: children are grouped according to ability and do the same activity or a modified version which meets their needs.

4. Separate Activity: some participants work separately for a given time to develop a number of skills that will help them be more successful when they re-join the group.

5. Adapted Physical Activity/Disability Sport: webringinactivities,gamesorsportsthatarebased on adapted physical activity or disability sport programmes.

Itisimportanttonotethat,attimes,tobeabletosetupthesedifferentenvironments,wemayneedmorethanonecoach,butthatinsomeotheroccasions this can be achieved with one coach only. It will always take a bit of forward planning though… and even some quick thinking on your feet as we are facedwithunexpectedsituations(i.e.weather,sizeofpitch,unusuallyhighnumbers,etc),hencethevalue of trying to keep this model present in your mind at all times.



The STEP model

The STEP model will allow us to be more inclusive in our sessions by making activities easier or harder on demand. It will also help us to modify and/or create new activities to work on something in a different way to avoid boredom, move children on, or when we need to work on something different

but still want to use a relatively similar set up. It can also serve the purpose of creating completely new activities to enhance our coaching toolkit.

Each letter of STEP stands for a different category of things we can alter within an activity:


Space Changestothesizeoftheplayingareaorthedistancetobecoveredbytheparticipantsortheimple-ments they are playing with or the target area.

Task Changes to the actual task. For instance going from running to skipping or from passing the ball with our hands to using our feet to do so. It could also include changes to the scoring system or include time constraints.

Equipment Changestotheimplementsweuse.Forexamplethesize/weightoftheball,sizeoftheracket/bathead,etc.

People Changes to the number of people involved in the activity or the group composition.

The following example provides an illustration of the STEP model in action.

Mike is working with a group of 20 ten year olds which contains both boys and girls of different abilities and experience. He has planned to work on their passing skills and also on their ability to move into space and dodge. To do so he has set up a passing and tagging activity called Ball Tag. In Ball Tag, 2 players try to tag another one with the ball within a given space. The ball carriers have to tag the person with the ball not hit them with it.The following offers a sample of the possibilities that Mike could consider to change the activity if needed.

Space:

• Making the playing area bigger/smaller to give the runner an advantage/disadvantage.

• Creating safe areas (‘dens’) where the runner

cannot be tagged but limiting the amount of time he/she can spend there (this is a task change!).

• Creating ‘no go’ areas for the runner. Task

• Changing the way in which people are allowed to move. For example, the taggers can run, but the runner can only hop/skip/sidestep (and vice versa).

• Limiting the number of passes (i.e. if they get to 6 passes and the runners has not been tagged, the runner wins the point).

• Limiting the time they have to tag the runner.

• Changing the way in which they can pass the ball (underarm, overarm, overhead, one/two hands, weak hand only).


Equipment

• Using different types of ball (bigger/smaller/different shapes/weights).

• Using catching aids (mitts).

People

• Increasing/decreasing number of ball carriers/runners.

• Nominating people with special powers (this player can move/pas/tag in a special way).


Coach’s Challenge:

Pick one of the activities you most use in your coaching and

imagine what changes you could make to it using the STEP model.

Describe what the activity is and predict how the changes would

affect it.

Aswehavejustseen,adaptingandmodifyingactivities can be easily achieved using the STEP model.Now,ifyouwanttocreatemorenewactivitiesorgames,herearesomekeyquestionsand tips to do it:

• Whatdoyouneeditfor?Whatdoyouneedtheactivitytodoforyou?

• Do you know any activities/games that do somethingclosetowhatyouneed?Ifso,whatwould you have to change to get what you need?

• Which STEP component would help you the most?

• Consider the opposites: i.e. going from…

1. stationary to on the move.2. unopposed to partially/fully opposed.3. individual to pairs to small groups to big groups.4. whole movement/concept to part movement/

concept.

• Youcouldalso

1. exaggerate a key aspect of what you are trying to coach.

2. create organic conditions that foster learning.

Coaches Notes:


3.5 Creating New Activities and Games


Pick one skill/concept you have

been grappling with in your

coaching. Describe what you

want to achieve and use the

ideas above to create a new

activity/game to do it.

Aswehavejustseen,adaptingandmodifyingactivities can be easily achieved using the STEP model.Now,ifyouwanttocreatemorenewactivitiesorgames,herearesomekeyquestionsand tips to do it:

• Whatdoyouneeditfor?Whatdoyouneedtheactivitytodoforyou?

• Do you know any activities/games that do somethingclosetowhatyouneed?Ifso,whatwould you have to change to get what you need?

• Which STEP component would help you the most?

• Consider the opposites: i.e. going from… 1. stationary to on the move.2. unopposed to partially/fully opposed.3. individual to pairs to small groups to big

groups.4. whole movement/concept to part

movement/concept.

• Youcouldalso1. exaggerate a key aspect of what you are

trying to coach.2. create organic conditions that foster

learning.

Coaches Notes:


The sentences above highlight the importance of planning towards achieving any objective. Statement 1 points at the fact that it is pointless to planunlessweknowwhatwewanttoachieve.OurActiv8 Wildcats Club syllabus provides us with a verygoodideaofwherewewanttogo,ofwhatthefinished article looks like and how it shapes up over the course of the Activ8 Wildcats Club pathway.

Statement2referstothefactthatwhileplanningdoesnotguaranteesuccess,itgoesalongwayinincreasing the odds that it happens while minimising the chances of things going wrong. It also hints at the notion that even if we are successful in achieving ourobjectives,unlesswefollowaplanofaction,wewill never know how and why it happened that way and thus will not be able to consistently replicate theprocess.Planningsetstheself-reflectionprocess in motion (remember the K-WEAR model).

Finally,statement3pointsattheoftenoverlookedfactthatplanningtakestimeandthatwe,therefore,need to make time to plan. Any time we spend

planningistimewellspent.Ideally,wewanttoplanwellaheadofthesessions,butinanycase,itisbetter to start a session 5 minutes late8 and use those5minutestoplanit,thanimproviseaswegoalong.

So let’s look at some key principles and tools to help us plan our clubs and sessions.

4. Effective Planning

1. If you want to know which train to catch,

you need to know where you are going first

2. Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

3. Plan to Plan

8Providing this does not compromise the safety of the children


The syllabus provides us with a fairly detailed picture of the target destination for the different stages of the pathway. In terms of planning how wearegoingtodeliverthatpicture,itisimportantwe start from the destination point and then work backwards.

The Activ8 Wildcats Club Season

An Activ8 Wildcats Club season runs roughly over 2blocksof10sessionseach.Sothat’sourstartingpoint,weroughlyhave20weeks/sessionstogetit done. This is what sport scientists call a macro-cycle. Session Blocks

Sessionblocks,whatcouldbereferredtoasmeso-cycles,helpusbreaktheseasondownintosmaller chunks with their objectives and targets. The principle is that each session block or meso-cycle would build on the previous one leading to the achievement of the season’s objectives. Having a clear idea of what the priorities are for each block helps keeping both coaches and participants focused on the task at hand. It also providesmilestoneswhich,whenreached,willprovide everyone with a good dose of pride and self-esteem9.

Sessionblockscancontainasfewas2sessionsandasmanyasyouwant,butfora20weekprogramme,thefollowingbreakdownwouldberecommended10(Diagram4.1).

Although the Activ8

Wildcats Club syllabus

provides the key outcomes

for the macro-cycle, it is

important that we do not

take anything for granted

and that we assess each

group and child individually

to establish the main

outcomes for that particular

group, child and season.

4.1. Seasons, Blocks, Sessions and Activities

9How we express these micro-cycle goals to our participants will depend very much on their age/stage of development and impacted by their cognitive and emotional development.10The actual content of each session block will be determined by the syllabus at each stage and by the assessment of the group/children in a particular club.


4.1. Seasons, Blocks, Sessions and Activities

Session Planning

The obvious next step once we have our session blocks in place is to work out how each session will contribute to the key goals for that block. The following section will look at how we can achieve this systematically.

Diagram 4.1 – Recommended planning cycle.

Festival (20) Festival (11)

Block 2 = 4 weeks (6)

Focus on establishing / refreshing key skills and

concepts needed for the rest of the season.

Block 1 = 2 weeks

Welcome Familiarisation

Assessment


Focus on building new skills and concepts


Testing newly acquired skills in more challenging

environments


Continue to focus on building new skills and

concepts


Overtheyears,wehavedeveloped(Lara-Bercial,2011)anumberofkeyquestionsthatwemustaskourselves when planning sessions and activities withinthosesessions.Wecallthis‘TheBig6’11 and they are as follows:

1. Is it FUN?

• Ifnot,youhavetofindawaytomakeitfunorchange to a different activity.

• Fun may mean different things: it is not just abouthavingthemrollingoveronthefloorwithlaughter. Remember SDT and how the three basichumanneedsofAutonomy,Belongingand Competence lead to intrinsic motivation and enjoyment.

2. Do we know what the kids are getting out of this activity?

• Whatspecificskillsaretheydeveloping?

• How?

3. Is it appropriate for their age/stage of development?

4. Does it match my session, block and season objectives?

5. Could I modify/adapt it if it doesn’t work?

• Remember STEP.

6. What is the intensity level of the activity/session?

• Iflow,Ihavetoplanforotherhighintensityactivities to go with it and vice versa.

Importantly, good coaches

should be asking themselves

these questions all the time

while they are coaching as

part of the K-WEAR cycle.

This will support their decision-making in the ACT phase. The answer to each of the questions will send you on a different path which will hopefully mean that you get closer to the objectives you set out right at the beginning.

So now that we have established the key elements of planning in relation to the objectives of the Activ8 WildcatsClubprogramme,let’slookatasessionplanner that will help you make sure that you have crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s12.

4.2. The Big 6 of Session and Activity Planning

11‘The Big 6’ refer to the nature of the activity in relation to the group and children within it. Other factors like the environment, group mood or unexpected situations are not covered by the big 6. Most of these elements will be picked up in the session planner12The proposed session planner is but a starting point for you. You are encouraged to modify it and adapt it to suit your needs and those of the group and children you coach.


A Session Planner that helps you coach

Ashintedatinthepreviousparagraph,thepurposeof a session planner goes beyond the recording of the activities you plan to use. An effective session plannershould‘dowhatissaysonthetin’:‘itshouldhelp you plan appropriately’. It should also help you go through the K-WEAR cycle both in action (during the session) and on action (after the session).

Fromthatpointofview,itshouldcontaincertaininformation to support these processes:

• A summary/reminder of the overall goals for this group (linked to the season and session block objectives).

• A clear set of main goals for the session.

• Abrief‘key-word’descriptionofwhateachactivity aims to achieve.

• An orientation of how long you wish to spend on each activity.

• Space for comments/review/action taken/potential teaching points.

• Spaceforself-reflectionpost-session.

• Room for participant feedback.

The following planner is starting point. Coaches are encouraged to modify it and adapt it to suit your needs and those of the group and children you coach. We have chosen to do our session planner on an Excel spread sheet as this will help you in a number of ways:

• Itwillmakeiteasytostore,fileandsharesessions.

• It will simplify and speed up the planning process as you will be able to access previous sessionsrapidlyandalsousethe‘copyandpaste’ feature where appropriate.

• Itwillhelptheself-reflectionprocessasyouwillbe able to record and keep your thoughts and alsorefreshyourmemoryinaflashbylookingatprevious sessions or the season and block plan.

4.2. The Big 6 of Session and Activity Planning


4.2. The Big 6 of Session and Activity PlanningW

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Attimes,wegetthefeelingthatcoachesaredividedinto those who think about parents as a necessary evil,andthosewhorealisethatparentsarenotonly fantastic tools to support them to achieve theirobjectives,butmoreover,averyinvolvedandcommitted stakeholder in the whole coaching endeavour. Perhaps even more involved and committed than the children themselves.

What we cannot escape is the fact that parents understandably have a huge vested interest in their children’s extra-curricular activities. This may be for very different reasons and expressed in a varietyofways,butattheendoftheday,wecannotunderestimatetheimpact,bothpositiveandnegative,thatparentscanhaveintheworkwedo as coaches. Hence the need to have them on ‘ourside’.

5. Maximising Parental Involvement

5.1. Getting parents to work for you

Thefirststepistogetparentstoworkforyou,andby this we mean ensuring that all their actions before,duringandafterthesessionsaregearedtowards giving their children their best possible chance to enjoy the activity and learn as much as possible.

Some ways to ensure this:

• Parents need to clearly understand what is expectedfromthemandtheirchildrenbefore,during and after the sessions. Simple things liketime-keeping,havingappropriatekitorunderstanding the etiquette of the sessions will go a long way.

• Coaches can set the tone and raise expectations all around by setting good practice examples.Beingontime,lookingthepart,actinginapolitemanner,planningthoroughlyor showing genuine care for the children are all behaviours that rub off on others and also help coaches to gain their trust.

• Parents like to know what their children are there to do and why it is good for them. They also like to know if there is anything they can do to help their children get better away from the sessions.Casualchats,parentsmeetingsandshortleafletscanhelpcoachesinthisrespect.

• Parents like to know that coaches care about their children as people. Taking the time to chat to parents about their child every now and again means a lot to them.

• Some parents like to feel useful and that they can contribute in certain ways to the session. Can you ask parents to do small jobs for you that may make them feel good about being there:i.e.keepscore,sortoutbibs,handoutleaflets,etc.

• Parents really enjoy being asked their opinion about how the sessions are working and can have very good insights as to how to improve the sessions. Casual chats on the side-line or more formal feedback forms can be really useful.


At times we may even feel that some parents are very keen to help in more serious way. Perhaps they already have coaching experience and qualifications or maybe they just feel like they would like to have a go at it. Some of them may have tremendously useful skills they have picked up on theirjobs(i.e.teachers,socialworkers,nurses,etc).

Please take the time to speak to those parents that showaninterestinbecomingacoach,letthemknow how to go about it and put them in touch with yourCoachManager.Youneverknowwherethenext inspirational coach is hiding!


Plan 3 interventions

to enhance parental

involvement over the

next few weeks.

5.2. Getting parents to work with you

Coaches Notes:


• Bradshaw,A.,Connolly,P.,andForeman,G.(2010)FundamentalsActivityCards.Leeds:sports coach UK / Coachwise Limited.

• Foreman,G.andBradshaw,A.(2009)An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Movement. Leeds: sports coach UK / Coachwise Limited.

• Foreman,G.andBradshaw,A.(2009)Fundamentals of Balance. Leeds: sports coach Uk / Coachwise Limited.

• Foreman,G.andBradshaw,A.(2009)Fundamentals of Coordination. Leeds: sports coach UK / Coachwise Limited.

• Foreman,G.andBradshaw,A.(2009)Fundamentals of Agility. Leeds: sports coach Uk / Coachwise Limited.

• Fuller,N.,Chapman,J.,andJolly,S.(2009)

Positive Behaviour Management in Sport. Leeds: sports coach UK / Coachwise Limited.

• Gregg,R.andHaughey,TJ.(2004)Skills4Sport.Belfast: Sport Northern Ireland.

• Haskins,D.(2010)CoachingtheWholeChild:Positive Development Through Sport. Leeds: sports coach UK / Coachwise Limited.

• Haskins,D.,Jolly,S.,andLara-Bercial,S.(2011)UK Coaching Children Curriculum: A Guide for Governing Bodies of Sport. Leeds: sports coach UK / Coachwise Limited.

• Kidman,L.,andHanrahan,SJ.(2011)TheCoaching Process: A Practical Guide to BecomingAnEffectiveSportsCoach.3rdEd.Oxon:DunmorePress.

• Stafford,I.(2011)CoachingChildreninSport.Oxon:Routledge.

6. Further Reading


We hope that you have found the information in thishandbookofinteresttoyourcoaching.Youdo a very important job working with children in the Activ8 Wildcats Club programmes. It is a very demanding job and to get the most out of the participants you need to integrate and apply lots of knowledge and skills.

Youmaybeveryfamiliarwithsomeoftheideasin the handbook and not so much with others. Incorporating them to your coaching toolkit will take timeandpractice.Wecanguaranteeyouhowever,that it will make a big difference to all the children you will come across and to the level of satisfaction and fulfilment you get from coaching in the Activ8 Wildcats Club programme.

The following appendices are designed to help you integrate the different concepts and themes running through the handbook.

Happy Coaching!

Thank you

Sergio & the Activ8 Wildcats Coaches Resource Development Group

Closing Comments


Notes


www.activ8ni.net

This document is available in other accessible formats on request, and online atwww.sportni.net

Published: August 2012

Sport Northern IrelandHouse of Sport2a Upper Malone RoadBelfast BT9 5LAT: (028) 9038 1222E: [email protected]: www.sportni.net

The leading public body for the development of sport in Northern Ireland

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