Wanting to do everything you can to be the best coach possible? The truth is, as a coach, you should be developing and improving your methods constantly. What works for one group of athletes, may not work for another. So it’s important to know your athletes and train them according to what they need. If you’re wanting to learn a few more ways to improve your coaching skills, you’ve come to the right place!
Easy Ways helps us understand some key points on how we can all be better coaches.
1. Keep a coaching journal
Many coaches seem to underestimate the benefits of documenting training sessions and keeping training journals. From improving technique and boosting efficiency to providing clear direction for lessons, training journals are extremely helpful for both coaches, as well as athletes. Top coaches have been keeping training journals to aid them in improving team performance and efficiency. Bottom line is – every coach should be journaling regularly, and documenting decisions taken and the reasoning behind them.
Check out these benefits of keeping a training journal.
2. Prioritise constant communication with your athletes
One of the bases of effective coaching is having good communication between the coach and athlete. You need to build a good relationship with your athletes by communicating with them. And it’s not just about talking to them, it’s about listening to them too. As a coach it’s so important to take the time to have a chat with each athlete to get their feedback, and understand what their thoughts and needs from you are. Once you start getting into the habit of constant communication, you’ll find that your relationship with each athlete will be much healthier and stronger.
3. Acknowledge each athletes needs
If you’re coaching multiple athletes, it’s important to assess each of their needs and goals so you can come up with specific coaching sessions and programs. Systematic planning is very important to ensure athlete and development. Not every athlete is the same, so planning tailored training sessions can go a long way. This may be more difficult for larger teams, however, it’s still important to acknowledge the different needs and goals of each athlete, and provide a one-on-one session if need be.
4. Always review your coaching methods
As with almost anything, you need to review whether your methods are working. Is athlete performance improving? Are your athletes happy with your training sessions? Have their needs changed? Is there room for improvement? These are important questions to ask yourself to figure out if changes to your coaching methods need to be made. A good coach will undergo continuous review and evaluation to improve their teaching.
5. Look out for new ways to improve
The best way to improve your coaching skills is to be on the constant lookout for methods that will help enhance the way you coach and train your athletes. Coming across this blog article is a great place to start! It means you’re willing to review how you’re coaching and improve where there may be cracks.
To learn more on how to improve your coaching methods, check out our blog and stay tuned for more articles to help you take your coaching skills to the next level.