FOUNDATION COURSE ONE

FOUNDATION COURSE ONE

Agenda for the Week

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4
10:00 Developing a Developing the Developing
10:30 Coaching Skills of Coaching Technical Skills -
Philosophy - Seef - Mike Mike Exam
11:00
11:30
12:00 Developing a Developing
Developing the
12:30 Coaching
Athlete - Seef
Technical Skills -
Philosophy - Seef Mike
13:00
13:30
14:00
14:30
15:00 Developing the
Developing the Feedback and
15:30 Skills of Coaching
Athlete - Seef
Study Time
Results
- Mike
16:00
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

When a coach first begins to work with athletes he tends to be initially focussed on developing his
competence in the ‘doing’ of his coaching. With this competence comes confidence in working with
athletes.
 01 The basic skills of coaching

Table of Contents

02 Building and developing

Agenda for relationships

Module 2 03 Providing instruction and explanation

Developing a Skills of Coaching

04 Providing demonstrations

05 Observe and analyze

06 Providing feedback

07 The skill of communication

08 Developing effective communication skills

 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

The Cyclical Process of Coaching
• The process of coaching can be simply stated as a process of planning what you are going to do, doing
what you have planned to do and then reviewing what you have done.
• This ‘Plan-Do-Review’ process of coaching is cyclical,
repeated over and over, and involves the skills of
planning, doing and reviewing. PLAN
• All three areas combine to provide the coach and Full Display

athlete with the best possible environment for

REVIEW
progress and development.

DO
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 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

The Basic Skills of Coaching
• Five basic skills of coaching that all coaches should use as a foundation for their work with athletes.

PLAN

1. Build and Develop Relationships

REVIEW

2. Instruct & Explain

DO
3. Demonstrate

4. Observation & Analyse

5. Feedback
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

The Five Skills of Coaching
• Five basic skills of coaching that all coaches should use as a foundation for their work with athletes.

Provide
Demonstrations

Provide Observe &

Instruction Analyse
& Explanation
Provide Feedback
Build & Develop
Relationships
Safe
Environment *

* The Coach must always create a safe

environment
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Building and Developing Relationships
• It does not matter how much knowledge a coach has, what qualifications they hold or what other skills of
coaching they possess – if a coach cannot build and develop effective relationships with athletes, he
cannot be an effective coach. This is the primary skill of coaching.
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• When you are in the presence of your athletes it is important that they view you as having an appropriate
confidence at all times.

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 Skills of Coaching
Building and Developing Relationships Don’t:
• Fall into the trap of
focusing your attention on
one, or only a few, of the
athletes in the group.
• Only identify and feel
comfortable with the best
performers in the group.
• Be inconsistent with the
philosophy of ‘athletes
first, winning second’.

Any athlete striving to win and not winning

should be as valued, and feel as valued,
as much as an athlete who can win with
ease.
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Build and Develop Relationships
3. Show interest in
and respect for
each athlete
4. Use athlete’s
2. Smile and make names
eye contact
5. Coach the
athlete rather than
‘coach
1. Be confident as
athletics’
a coach in front of
your athletes
Safety

* The Coach must always create a safe

environment
 Good coaches do:
Skills of Coaching
Building and Developing Relationships

• Sees and recognises the

unique needs of each
individual athlete in front of
them.
• Uses their knowledge to
meet the needs of each
individual.

Do not simply ask the

athletes if they understand;
most will inevitably say,
“yes”, whether or not they
have actually understood.

“Coach the athlete rather than ‘coach athletics’”.

 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Provide Instruction and Explanation

3. Keep it Simple
4. Group athletes according to
2. Gain Attention numbers, ability and activity

5. Check for
understanding **
1. Think about
what you’re going
to say
Safety

** Check for understanding by asking the athletes

questions and having them say what they are
going to do.
Skills of Coaching Building and Developing Relationships

Understanding
• Do not simply ask the athletes if they
understand for most will inevitably say,
“yes”, whether or not they have actually
understood.
• Check for understanding by asking
questions and have them tell you what
they are going to do, or to repeat what
you have said.
 Skills of Coaching
The ‘Showing’ Skill of Coaching Demonstrations can be
used for:
• Used with a new skill to
Demonstrations introduce.

• Provides a visual picture of a technique or a • Show the whole skill.

drill. • Act as a ‘cue’ for an already

• It does not mean that every coach should be learned skill.

able to demonstrate everything in athletics • Provide a simplified model of a skill.

themselves • Used simply to motivate or inspire.

• The coach should ‘provide a demonstration’, • Used to illustrate a particular point

which may mean that they physically do it or

that they provide the demonstration through
other means Demonstration is a very important
• When using a demonstration decide:
tool for helping novices in the
• the purpose of the demonstration
• what type of demonstration you will first stage of learning when they
use are trying to gain a picture of
• who should provide the demonstration
what is required.
 Skills of Coaching
The ‘Showing’ Skill of Coaching Demonstrations must be:

• Accurate – provides a
correct image, one that
provides an accurate
demonstration of the
technical model

• Appropriate – to the level

of the athlete, one that
provides an image that is
possible for the learner to
copy.

Checking the purpose of the demonstration is a

good way of ensuring that a demonstration is the
right coaching aid
• Skills of
Coaching The ‘Showing’ Skill of
Coaching
Live Demos Videos
Quickly organised, can be You know exactly what
viewed from different angles image you are going to
and can be adapted readily show. Provides a more
to the needs of the group. accurate image. Can be
viewed in slow motion.
Types of Demonstrations
Pictures
Gives only a snap shot of
the action. Used as a
sequence of ‘stills’. Easy
reminder of key positions
 Skills of Coaching
The ‘Showing’ Skill of Coaching

Comparison of methods of demonstration

• Carefully decide the purpose and type of demonstration.
• Position the athletes so that all can see and hear the
demonstration.
• Ensure the athletes are far enough away from the
demonstration for them to see the whole movement
• Provide the demonstration at least 15 metres or more from
the athletes

• Focus the athlete’s attention on one or two key points.

• The coaching skill now is to select the relevant one or two points.
• Permit the athletes to view it in silence, without interruption by speaking to them.
• Athletes need to focus on one ‘information receiving channel’ and this is the visual channel.
• Demonstrations should be repeated at least two to three times from several directions.
• Unplanned demonstrations can occur whenever you are coaching. All athletes, learn a great deal by
simply observing, copying and practising.
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Provide Demonstrations

3. Focus on one
or two key points
4. Silent demo - repeated
2. Position so all several times from several
can see and hear directions

5. Ask, “would you

like to try that, or
1. Decide purpose would you like to
and type of see
demonstration it again?”
Safety
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Observe and Analyse – the ‘Seeing’ Skill of Coaching
• Observation and analysis becomes increasingly important as your coaching skills develop.
• Detailed technical models help you to focus your observation and provide a basis for your subsequent
analysis.
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• Beginner coaches can begin to observe and analyse basic principles without knowing the specifics of an
event. For example, was the athlete’s movement from slow to fast, was it from low to high, which part of
the body started moving first.
• Focusing on a phase or body part can assist
observations.
• By breaking the action down makes it possible to see
the parts in real time.
• SSDmodels
Technical Storageshould guide your observations.

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 Skills of Coaching
Observe and Analyse

• Technical models may include details on:

• how you might break down the action to improve your observation
• the biomechanical principles that permit the athlete to develop optimum force
• specific coaching points and tips on what to observe.

All this information assists your observation and analysis.

Example:
In biomechanics you may learn simple information on the ‘Law of Reaction’, Newton’s Third Law of Motion
which provides a clear explanation of the need to drive back forcefully against the starting blocks in order
to maximise the speed forwards out of the blocks. Similarly, by understanding a little about projectiles and
the importance of the speed and angle of release, you can focus your attention on this as the implement is
released in any throwing event. Some knowledge of rotations in the air helps you to understand how to
reduce forward rotation after take-off in the long and triple jumps. By studying the simple mechanical
principles you will be able to focus your observation more easily on the key factors that will influence
efficient movement whether it is in running, walking, jumping or throwing.
 Skills of Coaching Activity Classroom #4

Observe and Analyze

Take 5 minutes to think for a moment about observing any athlete carrying out a
skill. Think, now, of an athlete who is learning a new skill. Discuss the following:

Is each attempt by this beginner likely to be same as the previous

attempt or will there be great differences between one attempt and
Question 1 another?

What will the difference be between the consistency in executing

multiple movements by a novice athlete and a experienced athlete?
Question 2

Why should a coach observe various efforts by an athlete, from

different angles before making a judgement on the athlete’s
Question 3 technique?
Observing:
Skills of Coaching
Observe and Analyse

• Inexperienced coaches
tend to stand too close to
the athlete when
observing.
• The further you are from
the athletes, the more the
action is ‘slowed down’.
• You ‘observe’ with your
ears as much as with your
eyes.
• Observe and make a
comparison with the
technical model.

“Coach the athlete rather than ‘coach athletics’”.

Too often coaches focus their analysis
only on ‘faults’ and ‘fault correction’,
rather than identifying and building on
what is correct.
Athletes often lose what they were
doing correctly and become
increasingly frustrated if we only focus
on the things they do wrong.
Skills of Coaching
“By focusing on what is correct the
coach builds a solid movement
foundation and, additionally, builds
confidence and increases
motivation in the athlete.”

Skills of Coaching
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Observe and Analyse – the ‘Seeing’ Skill of Coaching
What to do next? You may choose to either:
• Provide a demonstration emphasising the point you want the athlete to work on next.
• Provide feedback.
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• Do nothing at present, perhaps ask to see it some more times, “Let me see it again.”

What you decide to do will be based on your coaching

experience meeting the needs of the athlete, taking into
account their energy levels, motivation, concentration,
confidence and skill.

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 The combination of observation and
analysis is given the term the ‘coaching
eye’.
Beginner coaches should practice
observing before they analyse.
Good coaches watch and listen more
than they speak.

Skills of Coaching
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Observe and Analyse
3. Compare with
your technical
model
4. Identify what’s correct as
2. Observe several well as what’s incorrect
times from several
directions
5. Decide what
action to take, if any
1. Break the
action
down into phases
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 Feedback is essential to learning
Without feedback the athlete will not
know where to focus their attention to
improve their performance.

Skills of Coaching
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Two main sources of feedback:
• The naturally available feedback from within the athlete as a result of making a movement. This
feedback is sometimes referred to as intrinsic feedback and is always present for the athlete but they
may not always be aware of it.
• Additional feedback to the athlete that can
Full be provided by some external source such as from a coach,
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other athletes, spectators, mirrors or from watching a video replay. This feedback is sometimes referred
to as extrinsic feedback.

Both types of feedback are important.

For beginner athletes the intrinsic feedback will be less important as the athlete does not yet know what the
movement SSD
should feel like.
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 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Giving feedback:
• This means that the coach should provide their extrinsic feedback intermittently, not all the time.
• Constant feedback from a coach may produce rapid short term gains in athlete performance but slows
down long term learning by not developing the athlete’s ability to use intrinsic feedback.
• Constant extrinsic feedback can also make the athlete totally coach-dependent and not able to function
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in training or competition without the coach.
• Following the several observations, the coach should focus on what the athlete did correctly. Try to be
specific when you do this and provide usable information.
• Example: “that was good” holds no real information. It might be better to say, “that was a much better
effort because you held your posture well throughout the movement.”

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Skills of Coaching
Providing Feedback Questioning:

• Raising the athlete’s

Always remember to delay giving any additional
extrinsic feedback until the athlete has had time to awareness of what is
process the intrinsic feedback. happening through
questioning can be very
useful.
• Encourage the use of
intrinsic feedback through
careful questioning.
• Examples: “what were you
aware of at take-off?” “tell
me what you saw when you
were doing that sprint drill?”
“what did you feel at release
in those last three throws?”
Skills of Coaching
Providing Feedback

As you develop your experience and knowledge as a coach it is easy to see more and
more correct and incorrect things.

Provide feedback for just one,

Use your judgement to decide:
or two, key important points?

What is the most important correct

action to reinforce?

What is the best correction for the

most important incorrect action?

How will you express yourself

briefly in simple, understandable
language?

What further practice must follow?

 Skills of Coaching
Providing
Feedback
How you provide your extrinsic feedback
will set the learning climate for your
athletes.
You should always be honest but express
this honesty positively.
Example: it might be better to say, “Try to
really explode and extend your leg and
ankle off the take-off board”, rather than,
“Don’t be so rigid at take-off.
Keep it positive
When some coaches hear that they should, “Keep it
positive”, they feel they have to say to the athlete,
“Well done”, “Good effort”, “Excellent!” regardless of
whether the athlete has actually done something well
or not.
“Keep it positive” refers to the climate of practice that
you create, not praising poor performance.
Experienced coaches frequently sandwich criticisms
between two positive statements.
The athletes are both motivated and also know what
they have to do to improve.
Example: “You really put a lot of effort into
that last attempt”, a positive statement.
Then “Your arms were very passive as you
sprinted. On these next attempts try to
focus on your arm action and driving just
the upper arms backwards, forcefully but
relaxed”, some critical feedback. Finally,
another positive statement “Keep this
effort up and you will continue to make
good progress in your sprinting.”.
Skills of Coaching
“Effective coaches are effective
communicators.”

Skills of Coaching
 Skills of Coaching

Developing the Skills of Coaching

Provide Feedback
3. Ask questions
to raise self-
awareness
2. Identify and 4. Limit to one or two key,
reinforce what the important points
athlete did correctly
5. Keep it positive

1. Observe several
times before
giving feedback

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 Communication

Communication

Communication is the two-way process of exchanging information between the athlete and
coach.

Communication assists motivation, goal setting and all skills learning.

Success in coaching depends to a large extent on your ability to communicate effectively

in a variety of situations and with people of all types and ages.

Communication skills, like all skills, can be learned.

Coaches need to have effective communication skills

 Non-verbal:
Skills of Coaching
Communication

• Communication is not simply

talking and listening.
• Also includes forms of non-
verbal communication such as
facial expressions, clothes and
appearance and bodily posture.
• Non-verbal communication is of
equal, if not more, importance.
• Every message a person sends
is composed of two parts,
content and emotion.
• Content refers to the
information in a message and
emotion refers to the feelings

“Listen not only to respond.”

• Skills of Coaching Communication

Effective communication involves

Learning to use Developing non- Developing

your voice verbal skills questioning
skills

Developing Developing and

listening skills maintaining credibility
 Coaching Skills

Improving Communication
Learning to Use Your Voice
• Good coaches vary their voice patterns to maintain interest.
• Emphasise important points. Pause for a moment before saying something very important.

Developing Non-Verbal Skills

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• Be aware of how they communicate non-verbally in different situations and make necessary changes.

Developing Questioning Skills

• A ‘closed’ question is one that has a “yes” or “no” response, a right or wrong answer or a single word.
• A ‘open’ question is one that has no ‘correct’ response as it allows the athlete to express what they are
thinking, what they are aware of.

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• Start with ‘what’ and are good for asking the athletes to think.
• Avoid questions that begin with ‘why’ as they may seem to criticise.
• Avoid leading questions such as, “You do know what I mean don’t
you?”
 Coaching Skills

Improving Communication
Developing Questioning Skills
• Develop your questioning skills:
• use questions rather than telling to provide a balance to your coaching.
• think about the purpose of your question and use open and closed questions appropriately.
• plan and phrase your questions carefully, keep them simple and avoid ‘why’ questions.
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• really listen to answers, don’t assume anything, check you have understood and then think before
you speak.

Developing Listening Skills

• Really listen to what others say.
• Don’t plan what you will say next, and only work through your own ideas.
• Use the following techniques:
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Active listening: Look at the athlete, make eye contact, ensure posture, gesture and facial
expressions show interest and that you are listening. Don’t think about your response.
• Avoid interrupting.
• Show that you understand.
• Ask questions.
 Coaching Skills

Improving Communication
Developing and Maintaining Credibility
Athletes accept, respect and are more likely to communicate with a coach who has credibility.
Develop credibility by:
• Knowledge of athletics.
• have confidence in what you Full
know about athletics and also the confidence to let athletes know
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what you don’t know. It is better to say “I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll find out”,
• Talk only when necessary.
• If you talk too much athletes will not know what is important and what is not.
• Clothes and appearance.
• Athletes like to feel pride in their coach and this is developed if the coach appears
professional in dress, manner and preparation.
• Behavior.
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• The behaviour of all coaches should be consistent with, and
follow the spirit of, the IAAF Code of Ethics for Coaches.
 Coaching Skills

Thank You
Introduction to Coaching – The Official IAAF Guide to Coaching Athletics by Peter J
L Thompson. © The International Association of Athletics Federations 2019. None of
these materials may be used without the explicit permission of the IAAF.