G’Day ‘learners’.
Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:
Consider the idea of using Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…
Watch, share and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engagement’ YouTube OR Facebook Pages for more!!!
I have made this claim before… This is probably the best coaching podcast episode I have ever heard! Have a listen yourself. Dale Sidebottom interviews the amazingly brilliant but HUMBLE lifelong learner Stuart Wilkinson. This is not just because I am from a rugby league background like Stuart. Dale himself is from the home of Australian Football BUT this episode has been the most downloaded piece of his platform all year. HERE it is again!!! https://energetic.education/130-stuart-wilkinson-coaching-relationships-inspiration/
Thus, in my typical reflective way, I listened to this piece four times. I thought it best to share some of my notes and quotes. To give it some legitimacy I thought I’d also use ‘Australian Professional Standards for Teachers’ as a lens. I stopped here after 30 minutes of an hour long episode. Please understand that this is rare! I usually use pen and paper… THUS please don’t hold against me any formatting or editing issues. What is REAL is my use of the focus areas from the standards. There are 39 from memory and Stuart would cover most in this conversation with Dale. I’ll check anyway in Part II…
Reflection starts now and is in ‘itallics’ Standards cbe found here: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards The numbers are corresponding focus areas. There are seven standards. Selfishly I thought I’d throw in a little vision from my own channel. Please like and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engaement’ YouTube channel:
Your currency in coaching is your network! (7.4 focus area)
1.1 Could have walked into academy position… Went to grassroots to 'mess up there' - learn more about coaching 'was determined' - U/12 - 1.2 learn how young people grow cognitively, emotionally, physically, technically, tactically - mess up there before it would not damage an organisation
Have SEEN some amazing coaches 'light up the grass' ENGAGING people with balls cones and wisdom 4.1 - talks here about the science versus coaching (not one or the other) - today all jobs seem to be science
What does Engagement look like to you Stuart??? They're taking it somewhere you didn't plan for it to go Dale. High Level Engagement = They've picked up the problem and they've taken it on a journey 3.2 ENGAGEMENT, Relatedness, Learning - Well planned and supported - kids can save you - get on with it - 'letting go' 1.2
"Say to young coaches and PE teachers all the time… If you can 'light up the grass' for your players, they'll come back." 3.1 and 3.2
Coaching art is huge - got to become and expert in relationships 4.1 , expert in feedback 5.2, expert on how people learn in different ways 1.5 - get those three things right and your on field activities will "come to life for your players"
Innovate! Research! 6.1 and 6.2
What is the key thing coaches must have? DRILL down into relationships… Bit of a cop out really when people say it's hard to coach a team… Bollocks! Get to know them!!! Look at how they'll react to comfortable and uncomfortable positions… (feedback) 5.1 Get to know what challenges stretch them! 1.5 (what floats their boat) In the end it's HOW YOU FEEDBACK!!! 5.2 Not into gimmicks
There's huge pedagogical gaps at GRASSROOTS! People are closing the 'gap' (like us) - skill breakout zone into 'goldfish' bowl… Etc Acronyms etc = End up being a pedagogical crutch rather than just struggling (feedback) 7.4 Instead of Internet cards the growth of a coach is really about learning, reading, researching, trying, tweaking, trying, going back and speaking, going through that heartache Dale that you go through, as you are developing a mastery! 6.1-6.4!!!
Fun and learning is important to all through games. Research is clear. Trivial argument between TGfU and Ecological etc as a practicing coach I'm going to use all of them!!! 3.3
When in pathways Dale I demand games. If you are going to do anything it's done in a game! 3.1-3.7 Grassroots don't have this support… - helps local club 7.4
Instead of drills (better off just playing 'tig and pass' in game at training! 2.2 and 2.1 - better off observing, analysing and evaluate in a game and designing ugly game forms around this 1.1-1.3
Speak to the parents let them know it ain't like footy on TV - happy to share research 7.3 this is what they have to go through
The ex-players need looking after with modern day practices (referring to rugby club) 7.4
To be continued… What a leader of lifelong learning is Stuart!!!
Yours in learning,
Gunny