An effective coaching session begins with good planning. Coaches are often busy people who think they “don’t have time” to plan. This means they race around at training trying to organise things, rather than coach the players to improve their skills and prepare for competition.
The focus of this module is how to plan, implement and evaluate a safe and effective coaching session.

 UNDERSTAND THE PLANNING PROCESS...

Three steps to planning a practice• Set the framework within which you will operate.
• Decide on the objectives and content of the session.
• Evaluate it afterwards.

Setting The Framework

There are four main factors that affect the coaching session:

1. Safety
• Minimise potential risk of injury.
• Be prepared to deal with an emergency.

 2. Coaching Environment
• Equipment
• Space
• Conditions

3. The Players
• Their stage of growth and development.
• Level and interest of players.

4. Coaching Philosophy
• Reflect your values and beliefs.

Session Objectives and Content

The next task is to decide on the objectives and plan the content TO MEET THOSE OBJECTIVES.

There are four basic ingredients of a coaching session:
1. Skill Development
• Include activities that develop techniques.
• Turn these techniques into skills through application of pressure.
• Utilise skills analysis and teaching methods covered in Module 6.

2. Tactical Awareness
• Develop activities that put skills under pressure.
• Simulate game situations.
• Work on why and when to use skills, not just how.

3. Physical Preparation
• Organise activities that prepare your players physically for the demands of rugby.
• The basics of this topic are presented in Module 17

4. Mental Preparation
• Develop players’ mental abilities.
• Establish common direction, values and attitudes.
• Ensure game plans and tactics are understood.
• Set up performance review systems.
• Improve concentration and motivation.

When planning your training run, identify some objectives in each of these areas.

Examples of Training Objectives:

Skills Development
• Players must be able to follow through straight with passing hand when passing ball.

Tactical Awareness
• Players need to understand options in a 2 v 1 attacking situation, ie if tackler comes at me,
I pass it. If tackler goes to my teammate, I run.

Physical Preparation
• Players must be able to perform 20 sprints of 20–40m with 30 sec recovery after each sprint.

Mental Preparation
• Players should be able to listen while I’m talking.
• Players must be able to explain options in 2 v 1 situations. 

Questions encourage players to think about what they are doing.

• They promote a joint approach to the game.
• They create a positive atmosphere of learning and problem-solving.
• Responses will identify a range of answers rather than the “right” one.

As a rough guide, questions can relate to tactics as follows:

Time: When will you ... ?
Space: Where is ... ?
Risk: Which option ... ?

• Make sure your questions are understood.

• Don’t answer the question for them. Questioning is not something that comes naturally to everyone. It’s a skill that needs to be practised.

NB
• Let the game be played uninterrupted for as long as possible. This gives players the opportunity to settle into the game and gives you a chance to observe the players.

• Ensure players understand the outcome you want them to achieve.

• If the game is working well, you may want to add a progression. Be aware that players have individual levels of readiness and some will be more tactically aware than others.

• Make sure players are aware of what they did before you give specific feedback.

Many games already exist with rugby, eg:

- various forms of touch rugby
- jail
- 10 passes

For those who want to develop their own games, here are a few key questions:

What tactics and skills do you want to develop within the game?

What modifications/exaggerations can you make to emphasise the above?

What will be the main challenge or problem for the players to solve?

What are the boundaries and safety rules?

How do you gain points in the game?

How do the players/ball(s) move?

How will the game start/restart after scoring?

What are some key questions you can ask?

What progressions can you make to:
    – increase complexity?
    – vary the risk?
    – increase pressure?

Are you catering for all skill levels?

Will the game encourage maximum participation and communication?

How will you place the game within your training session?

• The emphasis is on the players making decisions, rather than the coach telling them how and why to do it.

• The coach creates situations where players have to find solutions for themselves.

• This approach also assists in developing communication skills, leadership and teamwork.

Promotes long-term learning (if players discover things for themselves, they learn better).

• Caters for all levels of ability. Individuals can improve at a rate appropriate for them.

• Develops tactical awareness.

• Makes training enjoyable and increases motivation to participate.

• Takes pressure off novice coaches.

• Creates positive interaction between players and coaches.

• Promotes affiliation (being part of a team).

• Helps avoid development of inflexible techniques.

• Enhances players’ understanding of rules.

• Provides ideal situations for a questioning approach, which improves self-awareness.

Modification for Exaggeration
The coach modifies the game to exaggerate or emphasise particular tactical aspects, eg varies the number of defenders coming forward, sending the rest around a cone before they can enter the game.
Attacking players gain an understanding of how to play against a sparse defence, as opposed to a dense defence.

Modifications that can be made to achieve a variety of tactical outcomes include:

- dimensions of the playing area
- positioning of the area that can be scored in
- number of passes allowed
- banning/promoting kicking
- number of players in attack/defence
- scoring system, including bonus points for particular plays
- risk, eg deducting points for intercepted/dropped balls
- time allowed
- specific roles for players (eg halfback)
- adding or deleting game rules

“Game Sense” uses games as a learning tool to:

- increase motivation of players
- develop tactical and strategic thinking
- improve skills

• This approach is “game” rather than “technique” centred.

• Traditionally, we’ve taught techniques in isolation, eg repetitions of a spiral pass.

• While the technique is important, there is limited value in practising it without taking into account other factors involved in executing the skill, eg deciding whether to pass or run in a two-on-one situation.

By making a modified game the focus of the session, players are challenged to think about what they are doing and why.

The players must first have a clear understanding (model) of what the game is about.

• The technique follows the game when the need for it is established:

The Code

1. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every individual athlete as a human being
Treat everyone equally regardless of sex, disability, ethnic origin or religion.
Respect the talent, developmental stage and goals of each athlete in order to help each athlete reach their full potential.

 2. Maintain high standards of integrity.
Operate within the rules of your sport and in the spirit of fair play, while encouraging your athletes to do the same.
Advocate a sporting environment free of drugs and other performance enhancing substances within the guidelines of the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency and the World Anti-Doping Code.
Do not disclose any confidential information relating to athletes without their written prior consent.

 3. Be a positive role model for your sport and athletes and act in a way that projects a positive image of coaching
All athletes are deserving of equal attention and opportunities.
Ensure the athlete’s time spent with you is a positive experience.
Be fair, considerate and honest with athletes.
Encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle – refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol around athletes.

 4. Professional responsibilities
Display high standards in your language, manner, punctuality, preparation and presentation.
Display control, courtesy, respect, honesty, dignity and professionalism to all involved within the sphere of sport – this includes opponents, coaches, officials, administrators, the media, parents and spectators.
Encourage your athletes to demonstrate the same qualities.
Be professional and accept responsibility for your actions.
You should not only refrain from initiating a sexual relationship with an athlete, but should also discourage any attempt by an athlete to initiate a sexual relationship with you, explaining the ethical basis of your refusal.
Accurately represent personal coaching qualifications, experience, competence and affiliations.
Refrain from criticism of other coaches and athletes.

 5. Make a commitment to providing a quality service to your athletes
Seek continual improvement through ongoing coach education, and other personal and professional development opportunities.
Provide athletes with planned and structured training programmes appropriate to their needs and goals.
Seek advice and assistance from professionals when additional expertise is required.
Maintain appropriate records.

 6. Provide a safe environment for training and competition
Adopt appropriate risk management strategies to ensure that the training and/or competition environment is safe.
Ensure equipment and facilities meet safety standards.
Ensure equipment, rules, training and the environment are appropriate for the age, physical and emotional maturity, experience and ability of the athletes.
Show concern and caution toward sick and injured athletes.
Allow further participation in training and competition only when appropriate.
Encourage athletes to seek medical advice when required.
Provide a modified training programme where appropriate.
Maintain the same interest and support toward sick and injured athletes as you would to healthy athletes.

 7. Protect your athletes from any form of personal abuse
Refrain from any form of verbal, physical or emotional abuse towards your athletes.
Refrain from any form of sexual or racial harassment, whether verbal or physical.
Do not harass, abuse or discriminate against athletes on the basis of their sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religious or ethical beliefs, race, colour, ethnic origins, employment status, disability or distinguishing characteristics.
Any physical contact with athletes should be appropriate to the situation and necessary for the athlete’s skill development.
Be alert to any forms of abuse directed towards athletes from other sources while in your care.

Coaches should:

    • Be treated with respect and openness

    • Have access to self-improvement opportunities

    • Be matched with a level of coaching appropriate to their ability

The information a coach gives to the players about their performance is one form of extrinsic feedback.

The purpose of feedback is to compare the players’ actual performance in the practice with the desired performance. Effective feedback should help the player learn and develop his or her skills to improve performance.

How the coach gives feedback to the player and how the player receives that feedback are important considerations for effectiveness. Both the coach and the player’s communication skills can be a limiting factor in giving and receiving effective feedback.

Following are some guidelines for providing (extrinsic) coach feedback:

• Feedback should be positive and encouraging, particularly for younger players.

• Feedback should be constructive – if an error is identified then the coach should provide reasons for the error and possible solutions.

• Feedback should be given immediately following the performance while it is still fresh in the mind of the player.

• Feedback should be specific to what the player was asked to perform.

• Feedback should be consistent with the player’s stage of growth and development.

• Encourage your players to feel the movement to develop their own intrinsic feedback.

When giving feedback, keep in mind that information stays with learners for between 20 and 30 seconds, so it is important to get players practising as soon as possible after feedback.

Keep the instructions short and have the player focus on only one or two elements at a time.

When planning a skill practice there are a number of practical considerations for the coach.

 

The Training Environment

Consider the number of players you have, the amount of space available, what equipment there is, and any possible safety hazards.

Ensure that there is enough equipment for all the players to practise with. Keeping the equipment well maintained will save both time and money – there is nothing worse than arriving at training and finding all the balls are flat or a piece of essential equipment is broken.

Adapt the activities and equipment to meet the players’ developmental needs and to suit the skill practice. For example, try using less time and space for the more skilled and more time and space for the less skilled players.

Managing Time

The amount of time devoted to training is an issue when planning a skill. To reach a high level of skill ability, the player needs to perform the skill thousands, perhaps millions, of times during their sporting life.

It is important to give the players many opportunities to practise, and where possible, minimize the time that players are not on task. Establishing organisational routines for your training sessions at the beginning of the season can maximise use of time. For example, a signal for players to come in, routines for dividing into groups and for getting equipment out.

Other factors that increase time practising a skill include providing activities with high participation rates, decreasing instruction time (focus on the key factors) and decreasing the time it takes to move from one activity to another (transition).

Organising Groups and Formations

Organising the players into groups so there is maximum opportunity to practise can be a challenge when planning to teach a skill. There are a multitude of ways to organise players into groups. One of the quickest ways to organise groups is to say “get a partner” of “get into groups of four”. To organise teams, use the numbering-off system or have your teams preorganised in your session plan.

A coach should be aware of the players’ self-esteem when organising groups. For example, when players choose teams themselves it is often the same person who is chosen last. They may be a player who either has low skill level or has a behavioural problem. The coach should consider the appropriate ways to deal with these individuals so that they are included.

Training Grids

Planning activities to practise the skill that involves all players in the space and time allocated can be a challenge. The grid system has evolved as a means of achieving this.

A grid is an area of playing space that has been sub-divided using lines or cones. The number and size of each grid depends on the number of players and type of activities, and the players are divided accordingly. The principal advantage of using grids is that large groups can be organised efficiently. The coach can observe the activities from outside each grid or as they walk through and is easily able to monitor player skill acquisition, correct individual faults and acknowledge correct skill performance.

Grids can be used for a variety of different games and drills. You can have players practising the same skills in grids or you may have different skills in each grid that the players rotate around. The grid system can also be used to develop fitness, particularly if space is limited.

 Progression Of Skill

When finalising the plans about how to teach the skills or tasks of the training session, it is important to consider the steps involved for learning the skill. If the steps for learning are too large, the players can experience failure and lose their enthusiasm and motivation. If the steps are too small, the players can become bored.

For the appropriate progression of a skill coaches should be able to draw on their own knowledge and break down each skill they plan to teach into smaller components.

Practice for Competition

While basic skill training and practice is essential to skill development, it is one thing to master these skills at practice but another thing entirely to perform those same skills under the pressure of competition.

Therefore, it is important to include opportunities for the players to practise their skills in conditions that resemble as closely as possible the actual competitive situation. This can be achieved by dividing your players into teams opposing one another at practice or by arranging friendly preseason games with other teams in the club or competition.

Equal Opportunity to Practise and Improve
The more opportunities players have to practise, the more likely there will be an improvement in skill. As a coach you should endeavour to provide all players with the maximum opportunity to improve and practise their skills.

Coaches often give more time to either the higher skilled players, to ensure that their players reach their highest level of ability, or to the lower skilled players, because they need the most help. By focusing on either of these skill levels, the other players in the middle tend to be ignored.