Serial Winners Top 10, on Leeds Beckett
1. Get the right people on the bus
2. Be athlete-centred
3. Partnership not dictatorship
4. Emotional intelligence is as important as sporting intelligence
5. Thick skin is a must-have
6. Work-life balance matters
7. Serial winners suffer from serial insecurity
8. Create simple image of future and plan towards it
9. Develop belief in others
10. Take risks

All Blacks - Learners, on medium.com
- Strive to develop independent learners where players drive their own development
- Not just players who should be viewed as learners but coaches and support staff too
- Key traits are trust, critical thinking, open mind, diversity of experience, humility, courage and letting go of the past
- "the more we talk about learning stuff, and the less we talk about winning stuff, the better we get at developing excellence and the more likely we are to win" Al Smith
- "Nice amenities do not cultivate talent...hardship does" Brett Bartholomew
- "Build a program and a culture that is built on positive expectation and accountability" Chidi Enyie

Creating the Culture, by Brett Bartholomew on McMillanSpeed
- world within us influences world around us = how culture created
- coaches need to be able to "talk in colour"
- START WITH WHY
- When we understand athlete's unique internal environment we can better construct everything around it to bring best out of them

Rugby Skills and Coaching Environment, on KickCoaching
- Not just mechanics = pre-performance routine, distraction, focus of attention, visualisation scripts and emotional intelligence
- Skills sessions should include = perception, context, cues, challenge, variability
- Kicking = 1. Whole Body Movement
                   2. Contact Quality
                   3. Impact line (path of knee, foot and ball)
                   4. Transfer of weight (momentum through impact)

Why we are bad at predicting our own behaviour, on Science of Running
- Coaches job at elite level is to hold the reigns : know the athlete well enough to make best decisions for them as they may not themselves

Carol Dweck on Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset, on examinedexistence
- Fixed Mindset = affirmation of intelligence is success and therefore avoid failure
- Growth Mindset = seeks challenge, failure is a springboard for growth and development
Factor                                     Fixed Mindset                                     Growth Mindset
Intelligence                             Static                                                          Can be developed
Challenges                              Avoid                                                          Embrace
Obstacles                                Give up easily                                            Persist
Effort                                        Fruitless                                                     Path to mastery
Criticism                                  Ignore                                                         Learn
Success of Others                  Threatened                                                Lessons and inspiration
                                                  Plateau early                                             ever-higher level of achievement
                                                  Deterministic view of world                   Sense of free will

Can Creativity Be Taught? on creativityatwork.com
- George Land Test concluded non-creative behaviour is learned
- Creativity skills can be learned by learning and applying creative thinking processes
- Amabile (1998) 3 Components of Creativity: Expertise, Creative Thinking, Motivation.
- learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring and questioning assumptions, by using imagination and synthesising information.
- We don't learn to be creative, we must become creative people
- Fastest way to become creative is to hang around with creative people
- Give permission to be WRONG. Learn from mistakes.

John Fox's NAVY SEAL Stepfather, on ESPN
- "It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit"

How SEALS Train For Excellence, on hbr
- "under pressure you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training"
1. Produce excellence, not 'above average'
2. Incentivize excellence not competence
3. Incorporate new ideas from the ground
4. Lead by example

Rocky Road To The Top, by Collins and MacNamara, on innovatefc
- Talent Development nowadays often aims to be as supportive as possible so players focus on the task.
- However, developing resilience, growth mindset and mental toughness are crucial to TD
- How do young players acquire, build confidence and sharpen mental skills if not through overcoming adversity?
- Most dev pathways try to smooth process so challenge is minimized
- But CHALLENGE and TRAUMA are essential to eventual high level performance
- Overcoming trauma develops coping skills
- Encountering and overcoming challenges develops set of skills and attitudes that strengthen individual for future experiences
- Setbacks can be used as focus for critical reflection, learning and subsequent application

Gary Curneen: Decision Making on CoachLogic
- Keys to DM
1. Technique
2. Timing
3. Positioning
4. Communication
5. Reading play in real time
6. Tactical repetition

LTAD 1, Pathway for all youth by Lloyd et al
- A structured, progressive and integrated approach to youth training is viewed as developmental pathway for all abilities
- Athletic development programs should be grounded in developing movement competency and muscular strength
- Ath Dev programs should NOT be designed in accordance to 'windows of adaptaion'

Mental Toughness and Non-Cognitive Skills in Learning, on Psych(ed)
The 4 C's of Mental Toughness:
CONTROL
CONFIDENCE
COMMITMENT
CHALLENGE

Winning the Trust of Players on goalnation
- Care for them
- Coach them
- Blame yourself
- Constant feedback

LTAD, not winning, is key to age group training, on swimmingworldmag
- Winning and development not mutually exclusive - they go hand in hand
- Long-term means not trying to make people as good as possible as young as possible - focus on correct training, competition and recovery

Golden Rules of Leadership, on farnamstreetblog
1. Know thyself
2. Office shows the person
3. Nurture community in the workplace
4. Do not waste energy on things you can't change
5. Always embrace the truth
6. Let competition reveal talent
7. Live life by a higher code
8. Evaluate info with critical eye
9. Never underestimate power of personal integrity
10. Character is destiny

Decision-Making in Team Sport, on clearinghouseforsport
- Uncertainty should be embraced in training = emphasise adaptability and variability NOT repetition and stability
- To develop DM training tasks and games...
i) Identify DM problem
ii) Identify information needed for effective DM
iii) Manipulate key constraints to develop modified task to represent and exaggerate the problem
iv) Guide athletes search to relevant information
v) Continue to adapt level of chaos to athlete's ability to overcome the problem
vi) Monitor, evaluate and adapt session to athlete performance and learning
- Key Constraints:
SPACE - boundaries
TIME - start positions, in/outs, swaps, floaters, timed challenge
DIRECTION - sequential direction, dynamic direction, multi-direction
PLAYERS - manipulate opponents, time outs, manipulate athlete's search, manipulate task rules and equipment

How do you develop a growth mindset? on innerdrive.co.uk
- Teach people their brain can change and don't praise natural talent
- Develop by: praise effort, seek different strategies, encourage learning over comparison against others, praise those who seek feedback. encourage persistence, encourage courage and curiosity, maintain high standards.

Adopting external focus of attention increases sprint performance in low-skilled sprinters, by Porter et al 2015
- Focus on movement effects rather than body parts, significant increase in running speed
- Verbal instruction important part of training environment
- Structure verbal instruction to focus on outcome of movement rather than the movement itself

John Buchanan on alloutcricket.com
- Coach must understand self inside out
- Never compromise on a principle - provide consistency
- Essence of coaching is in relationships

Awesomeness of getting feedback on feedback, on talentequation
- Don't overdo it with feedback, especially with new players
- Pick your moment for quick, specific, 1-2-1 feedback
- Allow space for implicit learning

Gregor Townsend: Years of Learning, on The Scotsman
- Failure is an integral part of success
- Trust and effort crucial
- Winning is about improvement

Creating a Culture of Excellence, by Terry Condon
- To fix problems: i) Acknowledge there is one; ii) find a way to better understand it
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them" - Einstein
- OBLIGATION INHIBITS PASSION
- FOUR PILLARS OF PERFORMANCE essential for motivation and engagement of people, will increase productivity, performance, resilience and retention
1. AUTONOMY = freedom and flexibility to carve own path
2. MASTERY = transparent environment that rewards personal and professional excellence
3. PURPOSE = adds meaning to their life
4. PLAY = alongside peers and have fun
- John Wooden: Use sport to promote values in people that lead to success in any realm. Recognise and reward expression of these values ABOVE ALL ELSE. Wait for success to show up.
- Wooden trained athletes for life THROUGH basketball, not basketball FOR life.
- The person is more important than their results
- Must separate winning from wellbeing

Excel in youth sport kids need couch time, on theconversation
- young athlete with the 'best' of everything fails to develop most important skill = the ability to thrive when challenged = perseverance and resilience
- Individuals that are challenged and supported thrive at high level

Leadership Game Plan from Coach K on inc.com
- Cultivate ownership mentality (team create and drive standards)
- Embrace team's feelings. UNDERSTAND, APPRECIATE, TRUST
- Never stop innovating

35 Secrets of Brilliant Coaches, on huffpost
- Cherish the person over the athlete
- Respect and communication
- Obsess with fundamentals
- Always move forward
- CREATE TALENT RATHER THAN FIND IT
- Separate learning from practice

Constraints-led Coaching - Why?, on tdgolfcoach.com
- Constraint = boundary encouraging learning to emerge with certain behaviours
- Constraint can be on the task, performer or environmental
- Learn by doing rather than being told

Southampton Way: Potential into Excellence, on YouTube
- Clear progression pathway from Academy to 1st Team
- The progression pathway is evident in all aspects from changing rooms to pitches etc.

The Nowhere Men, by Michael Calvin
Chapter on Miguel Rios which inspired my meeting with him documented here in Coaching Conversations #8
- Miguel Rios talking about a coach "It's all so vocal. He should be positive, let the game develop"
- MR on Barcelona and their focus on ability, not age. The importance of physical literacy: coordination, balance etc
- MR "ideas met with resistance because coaches are wedded to winning"
- Hosting workshops with parents to help understand the process and how to help the kids
- "objective is to not make boys feel like they're under pressure every time they are on the pitch"

Challenge Point...., by Guadagnoli and Lee (2004) in Journal of Motor Behaviour
- Skill improvement traditionally linked to the amount of practice
- Limited opportunity for practice and potentially small gains in expertise increase importance of maximising the benefit of training
- Challenge Point Framework = learning is intimately related to the information available and interpretable in a performance instance which, in turn, depends on functional difficulty of task
- Nominal Task Difficulty (NTD) : perceptual and motor requirements
  Functional Task Difficulty (FTD) : how challenging the task is relative to skill level of the individual performing it
- Task with given level of task difficulty, the individual of any skill level is likely to perform at predictable level..
therefore an increase in NTD comes expectation that performance decreases and rate of decline in performance more rapid for lower skilled individual.
- Information comes from action plans (expectation of success) and feedback
eg. For an easy task with high expectation of success, feedback from success provides very little information
eg. For a tougher task with less assured action plan (decreased expectation of success) means feedback provides information regardless of success or not
- Practice leads to redundancy - more practices leads to better expectations so less information to process
- As FTD increases, so too does potential available information (learning)
- Increased FTD = more information generated in performance of task, therefore increased potential learning benefit BUT only to a point. After that point, too much information to be processed and used effectively (amount of information exceeds the individual's capability to process efficiently)
- Increased FTD as performer ability also increases maintains optimal Challenge Point for performer
- CONTEXTUAL INTERFERENCE. Block practice increases performance but Random practice increases retention.
Individuals with differing skill levels: low levels of CI better for beginner skill level, higher CI better for highly skilled individuals

Darren Roberts Q+A, on PropelPerform
- athletes are athletes and people are people = it's the environment and paradigm which drive differences
- 4 key things to improve:
1. ENVIRONMENT - go somewhere with people who are better
2. EMBRACE CHAOS - Decision making, unpredictability and anxiety like in competition
3. BE STRONG - be robust, fix other stuff along the way
4. CIRCUS TRAINING - right way to challenge
- Injuries = NOT rehab, just a different training phase = focus the athlete on what they CAN do, not what the injury prevents them from doing

The Gentleman's Game - Dan Cater, on theplayerstribune.com
"After the game is over, all we'll have are these memories that we share"

Living and Learning with NZ Rugby Winners, on Irish Examiner
- key thing of the Crusaders is CULTURE
- Culture is "first competitior". It is also one of the few things that is 100% under your own control and within budget
- The players are charged with growing and enriching the culture, they must own it. To help this they held Culture Sessions: greeting everyone, integrating new members etc.
- Focus on togetherness. eg Management take part in fitness
- The importance of Story Telling: pick something from history that is relative to the situation. Helps provide a theme for the season that players can identify to (capture hearts and minds). Can also have training activities that tie in to it.
- Peer led coaching : help your teammate with weaknesses
- Feedback from players is discussed, challenged and if it is to be integrated then player presents to the group
- New skills = LEARNING PHASE: Passionate mistakes and Ordinary mistakes.
- Training is harder than competition
- GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

The Antifragile Athlete, by Martin Bingisser on hmmrmedia
- Antifragile based on Nassim Taleb's book "Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder"
1. VARIATION: need stress from variation to improve. Poison in small doses develops immunity
2. BACK TO BASICS: don't add on in order to fix. Flexibility = antifragile
3. KNOWLEDGE FOUND ON FIELD
4. TIME IS THE BEST JUDGE: basics not fads
5. IGNORE THE NOISE: don't always respond/interrupt

54 Mistakes of a Start-Up CEO, cbinsights.com
- Always work on culture
- Work with employees to draw up a 'Culture Code'
- 1v1 feedback is crucial
- 360 degree feedback: open forum to question 'leader' as well as others
- focus on a good onboarding process for new people

Edward de Bono '6 Thinking Hats'
White = information, data, facts
Yellow = the positive view
Black = caution, difficulties and dangers
Red = feelings, intuition and emotion
Green = creativity and new ideas
Blue = process control, summaries and conclusions

Coaching Cues That Actually Work, stack.com
3 aspects of coaching:
i) Instruction and Feedback = two ways, cue body and movement process or reference action outside the body. The latter is far superior
ii) Practice Design = effectiveness of random practice. Try to include 'purposeful struggle' so that players learn to overcome the struggle
iii) Intrinsic Motivation = Tap into self-determination theory. 3 components Autonomy (give them choice), Self-Efficacy (more powerful if athlete comes up with own coaching cue) and Social Interaction

5 Lessons I've Learned as a Performance Analyst, on thevideoanalyst
1. Network
2. Don't waste time with doubters
3. Push hard and know when to stop talking
4. Don't forget the basics
5. Value your work

Rich Shuttleworth Saracens CPD
- give players time outs that they can call
- Feedback crucial to player improvement, ensure it is positive
- Don't be an artificial stimulus (eg huddle to highlight what they are not doing)
- Focus on principles (eg go forward and support) rather than patterns
- Use of analogies helps learning - eg support runners 'keep the heart alive'
- Focus on core skills like awareness, decision making and scanning
- Don't worry about execution, focus on the decision making

Reflection as a coach development tool, on coachgrowth
- Reflection helps turn experience into knowledge
- Reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action
- Helps to improve WHAT and HOW
- Reflection consolidates understanding of problem and helps you to invent better solutions
- Critical Incidents: cause coach to understand event by examining underlying trends and motives
- APPRECIATION - ACTION - REAPPRECIATION
or
IDENTIFICATION - SIMILARITIES? - FRAME AND REFRAME - CONSEQUENCES OF SOLUTIONS - CONSEQUENCES DESIRED
or
DESCRIBE - INFORMING - CONFRONTING - RECONSTRUCTING

Understanding the Experience, by Peter Jackson on ijebcm
- Reflection works because it helps to:
i) Balance learning by experience and generate new learning
ii) Objective stance
iii) Perspective of overall goals in relation to actions
iv) Develop capability to react more quickly and effectively to future challenges

Reflective Practice, by Cropley et al (2012) on SCUK
- Coaches operate in complex social and ambiguous environments
- Role is beyond prep for athletes to managerial, admin etc all underpinned by ability to develop and manage interpersonal relationships
- Many approaches to learning are valued to help coaches develop theoretical and practical knowledge required to be sensitive to, and better cope with, the peculiarities, intricacies and ambiguities of coaching
- We don't habitually learn from experience but instead experience has to be examined, analyzed and considered to shift knowledge
- NGBs should create opportunities for coaches to reflect with others

Reflecting on Reflection by Knowles et al (2006) on tandfonline.com
- too often reflection has a negative focus. Reflect on positive and negative experiences that also consider competitive process and their role within it

Reflective Practice by Irwin et al (2005) on tandfonline.com
​- most important resource to coach development is a mentor

The Influencer, on Grantland
- Chip Kelly: Coaching is one thing and one thing only - creating an environment that provides players with the opportunity to be successful

Efficient use of time by Chip Kelly, on fishduck.com
- Focus as a squad on what do we stand for? In attack and defence.
- Identify what you want to be and ensure it is visible in everything you do
- In training, prepare against the vision of what you want to be
- As a coach your knowledge is sometimes irrelevant, matters most what the players know. As a result a coach must communicate in a way that allows players to execute
- Use any players who are off-task to coach and analyse their teammates
- No such thing as "half-speed". You either go at TEACHING SPEED or GAME SPEED

Sports Psych: Role of Momentum in Sports Performance, on pponline.co.uk
- In sport, psychological momentum defined as "bi-directional concept, affecting either probability of winning or probability of losing as a function of the preceding event".
- Reversing momentum: what did we do well before the momentum swing? Can we get back to it? Or has the opposition solved the problems we posed and should we change game plan?
- Reversing momentum: key is players identifying the problem and working out how to fix it
- Stay focused on the moment, maintain positive body language, maintain high intensity/effort

A qualitative exploration of the psychological contents and dynamics of momentum in sport by Briki, Hartigh, Hauw and Genigon (2012)
- Psychological momentum found to develop through processes of amplification that sometimes decreases efforts if win/loss seems inevitable

How psychological and behavioural team states change during positive and negative momentum, by Hartigh, Genigon, Van Yperen, Marin and Van Geert (2014)
- Research not provided insight into HOW psychological and behavioural states actually change during positive and negative momentum
- Negative psychological changes during negative momentum STRONGER than positive in positive
- During negative momentum team effort and cohesion decreases
- Negative events have a bigger impact
- a history of progress or regress particularly played a role when behind
- losing having been close to goal (winning) has a disproportionally strong psychological impact compared to losing when never close. Therefore, almost attaining outcome makes counterfactual outcome more salient.

Psychological Momentum: Why success breeds success, by Iso-Ahola and Dotson (2014)
- Initial success critical for psychological momentum and has three types of effect: intensity, frequency and duration
- PERCEPTION of self and opponent at centre of Psychological Momentum

Understanding motivation to enhance quality of coaching, by Mallett
- Extrinsic motivation can be split to: Non Self-Determined (coercion and obligation) and Self-Determined (acceptance and valuing)
- BEHAVOURS OF AUTONOMY SUPPORTIVE COACHING:
1. Provide choice within reason
2. Provide reasons for task
3. Demonstrate respect for feeling and perspective
4. Allow athletes to work independently and help problem-solve
5. Provide competence feedback that contributes to positive behaviour change
6. Avoid control behaviour such as coercion and bullying

Creative beards YouTube: 4 Insights into Coaching
1. ORGANISATION: gives athletes structure to work with. Agree/Declare/Query - what is expected?
2. ENCOURAGEMENT: positive coaching is made up of tangible, honest compliments
3. PERSONAL COACHING: recognise all athletes
4. TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY: less instruction and have open questions. Reward the choices they make.

Ten Years On - Where's Coaching At? on sportnz.org.nz
- LEARNING (not qualification) helps coaches become better
- Understanding people and self-awareness is crucial
- Coaches learn better with informal instruction
- Coaching aims to figure out how and why players tick and then acting/responding accordingly
- THE ESSENCE IS IN UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE
- Coaches inspire by CARING about their athletes
- Athlete-centred coaching = Enable people to learn; Enable ownership of vision and common purpose by team; take responsibility
- Self-determination theory says increased motivation is felt if feeling CONFIDENT, have AUTONOMY and SENSE OF BELONGING
- Enable success, make it fun, give athletes choice and control amid common purpose of the team will see increase in effort
- "They are creating robots in the States and UK because of standardised expectations and competencies. Coaches have to self-reflect and figure it out"

Constraints led coaching approach, on threekings.org.nz
- Constraints led coaching is to take a particular aspect and isolate it in a small sided game
- Games are better for long-term learning

Oregon Ducks coaching philosophy = NO YELLING

Whenever I have a free moment I am trying to catch up on various columns, articles, research papers etc - anything that may be able to help me learn and improve as a coach. I scribble down notes in my trusty note pad so that I can refer back to them. However, a few weeks ago I had a slight panic when I managed to leave my bag in a taxi - my main concern was for my two notebooks (one for reading, one where I plan/record/reflect on all my coaching sessions). Thankfully, TFL came through and I was able to get my bag back. However, it occurred to me that I needed to bring my notes into the digital age in case I was to misplace my bag again in the future. They aren't exhaustive or summaries, merely the small bits that I took from the reading. If I found it interesting, then maybe others might so this is the first blog entry comprised of some of my reading notes. 

Firstly, I must thank Jamie Taylor (blog here), Sporticus (blog here), Si Nainby (blog here) and Stuart Armstrong (here) among many many others for their posts, their sharing of articles and papers. All have contributed greatly to my reading and learning since I became a coach full-time in January 2014. This 'series' of blogs will pale in comparison to the work they do, however hopefully it may contain something of interest for some coaches.

by Damien Hughes on Liquid Thinker
- the story of Sir Alex Ferguson who used Bill Beswick when talking to his players about three bricklayers. The first bricklayer is solely interested in building the wall and getting it finished. The second bricklayer is there because it is his job and he wants to earn the money for building the wall. However the third bricklayer sees the bigger picture and takes pride in building a cathedral so that he has something to show his kids. The players were then asked which bricklayer they would be in the upcoming training session and season. 

10 Creative Rituals You Should Steal, on Dailygood.org
- Number 10. Engage in 'morphological synthesis' whereby you segment your thinking process into parts. Pick four to five adjectives or characteristics and brainstorm (eg for me, how might we adapt to not winning any scrum or line outs for the whole season). It encourages you to flip between extremes and explore the outside boundaries so that you can see your sport more creatively.

Telegraph article on New Zealand and Gilbert Enoka
- When thinking clearly and your attention is fully engaged then you are able to make your best decisions. This is referred to as BLUE HEAD THINKING.
- Distraction and intrusive thoughts = RED HEAD THINKING
- Under pressure, ability to think clearly decreases so you rely on emotion and instinct. Therefore you don't pick up on the necessary cues to make good decisions.
- Moving from RED to BLUE requires an anchor to refocus attention and re-engage in the moment. All the NZ players have an individual anchor.
- Culture breeds mental strength - nourish who you are, where you came from and what you are about to become.

Greg Schiano Article on MMQB
- Modern athletes require constant motivation and stimulation. Coaches need to be able to live within this organised chaos.
- As part of this, Schiano bought into the Chip Kelly philosophy of no meetings lasting longer than 30mins to ensure they are focused and efficient.
- Real success is leaving a legacy
- "I didn't know what I didn't know, which is dangerous"

No Days off: Nick Winkelman on blog.champssports.com
- "I'm the driving instructor. My job is to teach them how to drive their car more effectively."

The Power of Positive Coaching - Pete Carroll, on MMQB
- Carroll has a clear vision of how he wants to run the programme
- he seeks relentless competitiveness and the constant quest to identify and maximise the uniqueness of every player and coach.
- commitment to a NURTURING environment that allows people to be themselves whilst still accountable to the team
- Treat each day/session as if something positive is about to happen
- The importance of FUN and COMPETITIVENESS
- Sessions themed to specific aspects of the game
- Can you explain your coaching philosophy in 25 words or less?

The Essence of Pete Carroll's "Win Forever Philosophy", on Seahawks.
- winning forever more important than winning the next game. Constant focus on COMPETING, MAXIMISING POTENTIAL and MAKING THE MOST OF OPPORTUNITIES.
- Help players and coaches to realize potential and be as good as they can be.
- "To accomplish the grand, focus on the small"
- Win forever = ALWAYS COMPETE.

Always Compete: Examination of Pete Carroll's Philosophy, on fieldgulls.com
- The benefit of always competing = FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
- Approach every game with the intensity of a Championship game. This approach tries to avoid an overreaction to the result such as a decrease in motivation after success.
- The ultimate expression of his philosophy would be that players continually play one way - as if they are about to play a Super Bowl.
- Carroll stresses the importance of TRUSTING THE PROCESS. Don't worry about future events, focus on having best day possible today. Let go of the past both positive and negative.
- Training must be as fun as possible with a competitive element and to build confidence

The Seahawks Success Formula, on Forbes
- less focus on winning/losing, more focus on being at one's best - PROCESS OVER PRODUCT.
- 'Training is where we become/make us'

Pete Carroll's Positive and Profound Approach... on NBC Sports
- Belief system comprises of three rules:
1. Always protect the team
2. No complaining, no excuses
3. Be early
- BUILD CONFIDENCE, GAIN TRUST
- No such thing as a big game
​- Confidence and trust lead to focus.

The following was written for Coach Logic and the original can be found at:
​
http://www.coach-logic.com/the-4-key-elements-to-coaches-communicating-effectively/

KEY ELEMENTS TO COACHES COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

​Communication is crucial to all aspects of coaching and it is my belief that it needs to be carefully considered and continually reviewed by a coach. It is one area of my coaching that I constantly focus upon, not just in terms of coaching cues and how I can create the best learning environment for my players, but also how I can engage them as both people and players so as to ensure that they feel valued and have a clear understanding of my thought process.

Respected coach Allistair McCaw tweeted earlier this year:

“Clear and well understood communication is key in the successful working relationship of athlete and coach” – @allistairmccaw, 10/03/2015.

Below I have listed some points that I strive to address on a regular basis.

What am I saying / What are they hearing?

Every coach has had sessions where whatever they planned just doesn’t seem to be working – the players aren’t quite reacting in the way you had hoped they might. Of course there could be a number of reasons for this, however it is always worth considering that players aren’t necessarily hearing the message that you think you are saying. It is crucial to know your players in a training environment – how do they normally react? How do they learn best? Is there anything I could say, do or demonstrate differently to get them to the point that I want them to reach?

Remember – there are many roads to the same destination. Sometimes they will be the ones you mapped out in advance; sometimes you’ll have to work out the best route on the fly.

Know the person behind the player

The player is made up of a variety of experiences, decisions and relationships both on and off the pitch. Knowing them as a person creates a far stronger bond and also puts you in a better position to have a positive impact as a coach. Not everyone is the same, and not everyone necessarily needs to be treated the same way – strive to create a team of individuals working in unison rather than multiple versions of the same individual. If you get to know them, understand their experiences and have an idea of how they see the sport and the world in general, then you are better placed to know how to treat them if they have a bad game, or show up late, or their performance stagnates, or they lose interest etc etc. Take the time and you’ll see/feel the benefits.

Treat players with honesty and respect

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Maya Angelou

Force yourself to not just make the tough decisions but to follow this up by having the tough conversations. This is particularly true for team selection. Personally, I don’t believe that players should be left confused by your actions as a coach – they may not agree, they may not be happy, but they should have a clear understanding of what has led you to that decision. Furthermore, you should be there to support them to help them reach the level of performance that you want to see.

The quote above, from Maya Angelou, is one that I use for motivation to ensure that I treat my players with enough respect to have the uncomfortable conversations that can help them in the long run.

Encourage players to speak up and give feedback

This is not a dictatorship. Encourage players to question you and to provide both positive, or negative, feedback. Leave your ego at the door and focus on improving their performance. If they question you, they are at least thinking about the game in some more detail. Communication is a two-way process and we should all be striving to create ‘thinking players’. You can’t do it for them on the pitch – they need to be able to make decisions for themselves at the correct times and under pressure. An environment that encourages and values their input increases their engagement, understanding and sense of responsibility for performance.

As a rugby player in the UK you grow up safe in the knowledge that (2002-2003 aside!) New Zealand are the gold standard. They combine efficiency with thrilling attacking play and rarely lose. During my time in New Zealand in 2012 it was evident how ingrained rugby is in the New Zealand psyche. So for the next #CoachingConversations I thought it would be really enlightening to try to get an understanding about how New Zealand remain so consistently excellent and the coaching that turns the wheels of their talent production line. David Keelty is the Community Coaching Manager with GACU (now Aktive Auckland Coaching and Talent Development) and Harbour Sport as well as a rugby coach with North Harbour. 

What is the purpose of the GACU? 
This answer is going to be political, sorry! GACU was created to streamline the outcomes around coaching and coach development in the Auckland region. Prior to 2008 the four Auckland Regional sports trusts (RSTs) all reported to Sport NZ on their coaching work separately, even though most of it was similar if not identical. 2008 saw the 4 RSTs agree to combine their outcomes so only one report was sent to Sport NZ. That then allowed for more collaboration between the four RSTs around coaching. The purpose now, I would say, is to be the voice for coaching in the Auckland region. Since then, GACU has grown to become a significant coach development resource, one that Sport NZ utilises regularly to consult with/advocate for coaching on a national scale. However, GACU technically doesn't exist anymore. The name has been changed to Aktive Auckland Coaching & Talent Development due to changes here in the sporting sector.

Is there anything the GACU has put on or hosted for coaches that seems to get the best feedback?
We run forums for Auckland's regional sports organisations (RSOs) every year (sometimes quarterly, sometimes less than that) which always receive good feedback. This is a chance for the coach development staff from these organisations to get together and network, learn about what each other offers and sometimes we will provide them with some PD from a guest speaker.

We also run a programme called Performance Coach Advance (PCA), which targets performance coaches. This is a 12 month development program that involves four day long workshops with a guest speaker (these act as the 'what'), four forums where we unpack the content from the workshops (these act as the 'how') and then each coach receives a mentor to take the learning and help apply it to their contexts (this acts as the 'why'). The feedback for this program has been fantastic from the coaches involved. We are into the second intake of this. It is now a Sport NZ funded program but GACU created the concept that has now gone nationwide. 

What's the best/most useful coach education that you have undertaken personally?
I feel really lucky to be in the role I am at this stage in my career, as I feel I am getting some pretty outstanding coach education just doing my role. We have access to quality national and international speakers like Craig Lewis, Wayne Goldsmith, Dr Ralph Pim, Lynn Kidman, Alex McKenzie and access to the coach development PD High Performance Sport NZ put on also. Because of the open and collaborative nature of GACU (now Aktive Auckland Coaching & Talent Development) the conversations we have within the team are of real value too. I can flick an email with an issue I may be faced with to the team and this starts a conversation that often ends with a new idea or take on that issue to go away and try. We also find within the PCA program mentioned above, and any workshop run, the conversation and sharing of ideas between coaches, often coaches from different sports, is hugely beneficial. That is what most people feedback on.

If you could plan the framework, what do you think the most valuable Coach Education programme would include/focus on?
The PCA program mentioned above I think is pretty good. You have the 'what', 'how' and 'why' covered through the workshops, forums and mentoring happening. It is also a pretty good mix of a formal coach education model mixed with informal models. These complement each other really well to maximise learning I think.

I've seen on Twitter that culture is a big thing for you as a coach - in your opinion what is it about culture of NZ Rugby in general that keeps NZ so consistently excellent?
That is such an interesting topic huh! I think any culture is around people. If you have people pushing to continually improve and develop within a culture you are on to a winner. The AB's have worked pretty hard on getting that, on getting guys who will keep pushing to improve, to develop and to develop others around them. Guys like Richie McCaw, Conrad Smith, Dan Carter, Keven Mealamu are all pretty integral to that. Then the next tier of guys coming through are seeing that so that type of thinking starts to manifest so it becomes accepted to act like that. Have you heard of the book Legacy by James Kerr? It goes pretty in depth into the culture of the ABs.

To my detriment I've not had a chance to read it yet but have heard plenty about it and read excerpts. I think amateur clubs across the country now have players cleaning out their changing room after games to get some of the AB magic! Similar to producing players, what do you think NZ has in place to create so many high level coaches? - Gatland, Schmidt, Cotter, Delaney all in big roles here in the UK.
I think there are probably so many answers to this question. The fact that Rugby is our national game has a big part to play in this, as there are plenty of teams for coaches to have the opportunity to coach and learn the 'art' of coaching for want of a better phrase. The All Blacks winning the last RWC also plays a part in that too. For example, I think if England, Australia, South Africa win the RWC this year you will see more coaches from those countries picking up more higher profile coaching roles.
Personally, I don't think we do anything better/different in terms of formal coach development. However, in pockets there are regions/provinces that strongly encourage coaches to interact, share ideas and this also has a part to play in coaches developing. I think Rugby in NZ has a strong-ish informal coach development program happening, sometimes by chance but this a real positive. It can supplement the more formal learning.

What are the key aspects of creating culture for your own coaching? I've seen you mention a player-centred environment a lot, and players taking ownership..?
Yea I try to create an environment that the players feel they have ownership of. This has been more successful with some teams over others as I am still learning the best way to do this, and also that with each team I coach there are different ideas/strategies that will be more successful than others. We spend a lot of time at the beginning of the season talking about some key values we want to live by for the season, but then turning those in to key behaviours that we will all see at training, games and off the field. The key from there is monitoring to make those behaviours discussed become the norm.
I am also learning about how much control I can give the athletes depending on their age, maturity, commitment to the team etc. The under 21 club side I took this year was a really great learning experience as I felt there were guys in the team who we could really trust to take ownership of the culture, of the intensity we trained at, of the behavioural standards etc but about 1-2 months in to the season we realised we probably made a mistake in giving them too much control and not actually working with them to understand what we expected of them in this regard. Both we as coaches and the leaders of the team were getting frustrated with how the season was progressing so we stepped in and made a few changes which helped set things back on track.

I coach a University side so am particularly interested to hear about the U21 side you coach, what are the key things you keep in mind for that age group for their development? 
I guess looking at raising their awareness around what they are doing on the field, in terms of understanding the game of Rugby, as well as their preparation and review. Most of them have been playing the game for a few years so they understand the basics to a certain standard. A big belief of mine is 'knowing why beats knowing how' so I try to really instill a knowledge of the game so when they are on the field they have the background understanding to make quality decisions. I want the players to be able to adjust game plans/tactics without needing to wait until half time or a message comes on from us on the sideline.
I guess I have slightly altered my expectations of guys at this age group though over the past two years. Like I mentioned above, I am now more likely to drip-feed this kind of information, and the ownership of the environment to the players, rather than dumping these ideas and concepts on them all at once.

In May 2015 I was on a much needed post-season break to the South Coast when I finally opened a Christmas present - Michael Calvin's "The Nowhere Men". The book charts the life of scouts within football as they travel from stadium to stadium keeping an eye out for the next big thing. It was Chapter 4 that really caught my attention, with Michael documenting his time spent with Miguel Rios who was then the Brentford FC Head of Academy Recruitment. Much of what Miguel said rang true with my own experiences of coaching and youth development including the inhibitory approaches of coaches who are 'wedded to winning'. Furthermore, he addressed the importance of physical literacy, the aim to create an environment that was pressure-free for players and more. On a wave of enthusiasm from my previous #CoachingConversations with Paul Holmes, Jamie Taylor, Daniel Pyke and Peter Jeffrey, I got in touch with Miguel and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to head down the road from home to Brentford to meet him.

In your role as Head of Recruitment, and with a background in coaching, what is it that you are looking for within young players?
It depends on the age really. At the younger end of the spectrum I am primarily looking at the physical characteristics over tactical or technical. At 6, 7, 8 years old I want to see if they have the ABCs that will set them up well going forward, technique can come in time. It's also important to get an idea of how they respond to the coach - can they learn? 


It has always amazed me somewhat that football clubs take players at such a young age. Although a very different sport and structure, the NFL Draft featured high numbers of players who were multi-sport athletes up until (and including) college. Football is very much focused on early specialization, getting the kids in at 6 years old. What is your view on this and how does it affect your role?
I think I see this differently to many - I've not got too many issues with early specialization, it certainly hasn't done Xavi and Iniesta any damage to be playing football regularly since a young age. My opinion is that the focus should be on the coaching itself - hopefully through good coaches we can bring out a variety of skills and put our players into a variety of environments to ensure they have a rounded development that maximises their potential to make it as professional footballers. In terms of my role in recruitment, the age of the player links to their strengths and position - a midfielder needs to have a high technical ability for example. It also depends on the club itself and what level they are playing at. In each of the professional leagues the game is slightly different and requires players with different skills and strengths. Clubs in the Premier League may want to recruit and develop players in a different way to those in League 1 or League 2. 


So for your role, in an Academy that is highly regarded, are you recruiting for players with Premier League potential and skillset despite being in the Championship?
I believe that should be the aim, yes. Having that ambition to recruit players suitable for the top level of football.


In 'The Nowhere Men', you mentioned how the development of some young players is inhibited because their coaches are wedded to winning. Is that still an issue you encounter and how do you break that?
Firstly, I want to say that I have no issue with winning as a concept - I think it is important to have competition where teams win and lose. However, it is the winning-at-all-costs mentality that can be harmful and the connection that winning has for the young players is the important thing. It should be part of the game but not the over-riding factor, especially for young players who are still learning and developing. Some parents and coaches see it differently, and that's hard to combat. But the nature of winning and losing, I think, is a good lesson - players need to experience hardship at times as it helps them to grow and it shows a lot about their character. At the end of the day, we are operating at the top end of elite sport and players need to be able to roll with hardship and keep going.


I also read that it is important for you to remove the pressure from your players, why is that crucial for you and how do you do it? Pulling on a Brentford FC shirt must inherently bring an element of pressure with it?
You're right, it does - but we want to create an environment where the pressure is off and the fear factor is removed. I'm not saying it needs to be a relaxed environment, but one where they are able to take risks and develop as a result. When players take risks they can learn, they can show themselves for who they really are. Too often, Academies are run on fear - the fear of being released and not making it. That inhibits players and encourages them to play it safe.


A number of Academies have very strong reputations, if you were to set-up your own club how would you build the Academy to produce good players?
Many Academies get a lot of praise, however I think the key things come down to good coaches at a given time as opposed to it being something inherent within the club itself; that is they have good people in place who coincide with a number of talented youngsters. I'd build my club around high level recruitment, high level coaching and plenty of playing football - that is how young players develop.


You used to coach, and you interact with coaches daily - what is your view on the current coach education provision? I myself have some reservations about the coach education within rugby, certainly.
I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of The FA coaching courses even though I have had to do them myself. It is all about the qualification itself rather than the learning aspect. It's like a driving test, you pass an assessment and there is no real measure of quality or improvement as a coach after you have been certified.
Box-ticking...
Yeah, in many cases and how do you know what you've learnt? How does the FA know? There are many coaches in the system just aren't at the level because they can pass a course but might not be developing themselves as a coach, or be able to communicate effectively with players..
A lot of doors in rugby are closed by ex-pros moving into coaching. I'm sure many are very good, but I've seen plenty who aren't too...
The same in football. I see it all the time and I think it'll continue to get worse. I'm currently working on an a course with The FA on Talent ID which is based on ongoing learning stretching my abilities over 18 months, hopefully a similar approach will come over to the coaching side too. Another problem is academic inflation - so many coaches are having to shell out huge sums of money to be more qualified than the next coach, but everyone is having to do it and it kills young coaches, how can they afford it?
I know a number of S&C coaches who feel the same way about their own industry, I've heard the phrase "S&C is one of the only industries where a Masters might get you an internship." What would your advice be, therefore, for young coaches?
Get experience and be themselves. Experience is key, and much of that will have to come from volunteering.


Is there anything that many Academies aren't doing that maybe you should be improving?
Certainly recruitment, who they bring in and why. Most Academies are just wanting to develop that one player, one star. However every team needs 11 players! My key philosophy is to give everyone a chance. If you recruit for the right reasons, and have the right coaches in place then give everyone the chance to earn that professional contract. Some clubs just don't have a player in a certain position in an age group, so will recruit a young player because it will do for the next couple of years. I don't think that is good enough. But, football is results-driven and staff turnover is high - it's hard to develop that environment.


Football is renowned for how few players actually make it to the top, and that many of those released at 18 have limited education and prospects. In rugby, Saracens put a huge emphasis on their culture and as part of this they insist on all players taking part in higher education or the workplace. Could this work in football if a club wanted to try a similar approach?
I think in football there is just too much choice. If we put the money into an education programme then maybe we can't pay them as much. If they can earn more down the road at another club then they can just sign for them - it's that simple. Culture as a concept is hugely important, I'm just not sure the education side would work in a football Academy set-up.