The Coach as Teacher

1. The Coach as Teacher Jody Brylinsky Suzan Ayers

2. Introduction Overview of the Unit Goals and objectives

3. Sport is defined by skilled actions and control of motor movements. • Greater skill development leads to more fun and competitive excitement. • Proper skill technique leads to improved safety for the athlete and opponents. Good Teaching is Good Coaching

4. Maximizing practice time • Consider the readiness of the athlete to learn new techniques or refine existing skills. • Identify appropriate sport skills, both technical and tactical • Incorporate as much game like experience into the learning as possible. • Allow for implicit learning and problem-solving.

5. Coaches will be able to: • Utilize a sequence that applies the critical elements of sport skill instruction. • Develop instructional strategies for implicit learning. • Identify the components of intentional instruction. • Provide effective presentation of the learning task . Goals of the Course

6. 5. Determine how best to use demonstration in instruction of sport skills. 6. Communicate critical elements of skill performance during instruction. 7. Know how much, when and what type of feedback will enhance skill acquisition.

7. Unit I:Critical Elements of SportSkill Instruction

8. Decide what skill is needed for this athlete at this point in his or her development and level of competition. • Identify the critical movement components and performance requirements of the skill. • Prioritize what will be learned in this practice period. Overview:Critical Instructional Steps

9. Provide a safe and well structured environment to perform the task, maximizing practice opportunities. • Communicate to the athlete what s/he is to do and why they are being asked to perform this task. • Check for understanding before allowing the athlete to continue. • Provide suitable feedback to reinforce correct action or modify errors.

10. Motor demands: Force vs accuracy • Perceptual demands: Open vs closed skills and environments • Movement decisions: Discrete or continuous Unique Demands & Purpose of Skill

11. Potential to improve the target skill • Appropriate for the athlete’s experience levels • Integrate performance with the game tactics Prioritize What Will Be Learned

12. Verbal explanations • Physical demonstrations • Athlete demonstrations • Ask questions to ensure athletes’ understanding Communicate What is to be Learned

13. People • Equipment • Space • Time Organize Practice to Maximize Opportunity to Perform

14. Practice • Supervision and feedback Provide AppropriateSupervision and Feedback

15. Critical instructional steps • Unique demands/purposes of skill • Prioritize learning • Communicate content/information • Organize practice considering P.E.S.T. • Provide appropriate practice, supervision and feedback Unit I Summary

16. Unit II:Implicit Instruction

17. Implicit instruction uses the athlete’s acquired knowledge about movement to solve a new movement problem. • Using analogies • Errorless learning Making the Most of WhatAthletes Already Know

18. Ask athletes to perform a movement task without giving detailed movement instruction • Present a question or challenge to perform the task using a well known movement analogy. Use of Analogies

19. Shoot the free throw by using a motion similar to putting hand in a cookie jar • To develop “soft hands” when catching, think of the ball as an egg • To build momentum in the softball throw “windup like a coil” • Move your arms “like a windmill” for the backstroke Sample Analogies

20. Create a learning task that contains the movement and performance requirements of the skill you wish to work on. • Give the athlete a challenge to perform the task , but do not give explicit movement instruction. • Allow for repeated attempts at the learning task until the movement is performed consistently in the manner desired. Errorless Learning

21. Putt 6” from hole then 10” then 24” • Grooving the golf swing by repeatedly moving the club through the swing to the follow through and back again • Holding a handstand with back 2inches from the wall • Standing on a box to practice the arm and hand placement for a blocking action in volleyball Samples of Errorless Learning

22. Implicit instruction • Using analogies • Errorless learning Summary

23. Unit III:Designing Intentional Learning Task Presentation

24. Get athletes’ attention • Communicate clearly • Use demonstrations efficiently • Provide critical elements Overview: Essential Parts ofPractice Task Presentation

25. Athletes must be able to see and hear • Minimize distractions • CFU often and using both skill and tactical questions Get Athletes’ Attention

26. Specify the task • Organize the drill to be practiced • Briefly explain why the drill is necessary • Logically present information • Demonstrate correct performance as well as commonly occurring errors • Personalize the drill to athletes’ prior experiences • CFU often to clarify challenging information Communicate Clearly

27. Provide accurate and meaningful demonstrations • Emphasize the key elements of a movement • During explicit instruction, show athletes how to correctly perform skills before asking them to try it Use Demonstrations Efficiently

28. Timing of Demonstrations • Make use of technology (video) to show model performance as well as critique athletes’ performance

29. Meaningful words help (like a windmill, hand in cookie jar, eyes to the sky, etc.) • Focus on a few essential elements • Change cues as skill develops • Knowledge of results vs knowledge of performance Provide Critical Elements

30. Unit IV:Summary of Coach Functionsin Teaching Skills

31. Ensure safe environment • Check for understanding • Regularly confirm that athletes are on-task and successful • Utilize different teaching strategies to enhance motivation and commitment to practice Last thoughts

32. People – consider fatigue as well as boredom • Equipment – changes due to instruction • Space – loose equipment and athletes • Time – know when to say when Ensure Safe Environment

33. What I am trying to do? • How am I supposed to do it? • Why will this be important to my performance? • Do I have time to think and do? Ensure Athletes’ Understanding and Active Engagement

34. Avoid paralysis by analysis • Don’t over coach Watch Individual Performanceand Provide Corrective Feedback

35. Active involvement • Confidence comes from being challenged not just succeeding Continuously Monitor Athletes’Involvement and Success

36. Repetition is important; over-learning • Use a variable practice schedule • Enhance learning and fun with multiple teaching styles. Enhance Practice Motivation and Commitment by Using DifferentTeaching Strategies