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New book published: ‘Coaches’ Corner’
7th November 2024
Essays to help sports coaches and P.E. teachers. My latest book, ‘Coaches’ Corner,’ is now available to buy on Amazon. It contains over 50 essays about athletic development, coaching, and physical education based on my work over the last ten years as Head Coach of Excelsior Athletic Development Club. How and what I’ve coached has […]
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Teaching and coaching: thoughts from Lombardi

Show, Do, Teach

fencing fitnessI mentioned this yesterday on the SW Fencing hub when asked by a coach how I structure my sessions.

When coaching groups I try to structure the session like this:

  • Show: me demonstrate, (or the best technical person in the room) with only essential cues.
  • Do: The athletes have a go and feel what it is like. I may add 1 or 2 more cues depending on my observation.
  • Teach: They work in pairs and observe each other and offer cues/ feedback.

(I got this simple premise from  Ed Thomas, as well as “precision, variety and progression”).

This then lead to a discussion about coaching styles and the dreaded p word: pedagogy!

Vince Lombardi again

vince lombardi thoughts on coachingAs the Green Bay Packers won yesterday, I thought I would quote the legendary Vince Lombardi

They call it coaching, but it is teaching. You do not tell them it is so, but you show them the reasons why it is so, and you repeat and you repeat until they are convinced, until they know.
and:
We concentrate on the ‘whys’. I never tell a player ‘This is my way, now do it’. Instead I say, ‘This is the way we do it, and this is why we do it.”

This is essential stuff. But first the Coach must be very clear in their own mind why they are doing things.

That is why having a sound underpinning of knowledge is essential before you start delivering.

Best to deliver what you know, and make it fun, than try and copy someone else without having a real understanding of what you are trying to do.

Read more about fencing fitness.

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Robin Williams GB Footballer Paralympian
I have been training with James for over four years now and firmly believe he has played a key role in my transformation as an athlete and therefore as a footballer. It’s fair to say I was in poor condition in various aspects when we first met, however, James’ ability to focus on the most important things and eliminate the baggage from training has enabled me to develop rapidly, having missed selection for the 2009 European Championships I am now a regular in the starting lineup.
 
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