Start With the Game
Becoming immersed in a game helps coaches notice what is required in sessions.
Why the game itself should come first.
Many coaching sessions begin in the same way:
A warm-up.
Lines of players.
Drills that isolate technique.
Only later do the athletes actually play the game. But the game itself is where the real learning happens.
As you may have heard, I often begins sessions differently.
Start with the game.
Everyone likes to be chased. Adults and kids alike!
The Game Creates the Context
Games immediately create the things that matter most in sport.
• interaction
• decision making
• timing
• pressure
• space
Players must move, respond and adapt. Instead of practising skills in isolation, athletes experience how those skills appear inside the game itself.
The Game Reveals the Problems
When a session begins with the game, situations quickly emerge.
Space appears.
Pressure increases.
Mistakes happen.
Opportunities appear.
This gives the coach something valuable: a real context for learning.
Instead of explaining everything before the activity begins, the coach can observe the game and ask questions that help players understand what is happening.
Learning Through the Game
Starting with the game does not mean the coach is passive. The coach is watching carefully. Small adjustments can change the experience for the players.
The coach may change. Just some examples appear below:
• the size of the space
• the rules of the activity
• the number of players
These adjustments shape how the game unfolds and create new learning opportunities.
The Coach Observes
When the game comes first, the coach can see how players are thinking.
Who notices the space?
Who recognises pressure?
Who moves early?
These observations help the coach decide when to step in and when to allow the game to continue.
“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things”
A Simple Principle
Great coaching sessions often begin with the activity that matters most.
The game itself.
Part of the Coaching is Teaching Series
• Coaching is Teaching
• What Do You Notice?
• Hook ’Em In
• Start With the Game
• Let Them Explore
• Shape the Environment
• Coaching Behaviour Matters
• Keeping Kids in Sport
Want to go deeper into this idea?
Craig will soon be releasing a short course on creating engaging coaching environments.