Hook ’Em In
Why engagement must come before instruction
Before athletes can learn, they must first be ready to engage. I often describes this simply as: “Hooking ’em in.” If attention is not there, learning will not happen.
Having said this, it takes work. Athletes need to feel:
• safe
• interested
• curious
• ready to participate
Teachers sometimes describe this idea as Maslow before Bloom. Basic needs and engagement must come before instruction. I have worked at schools with learners from all kind of backgrounds. Sometimes you have to ask, “have you had your breakfast yet?” The basics like sleep, shelter and the like from Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs are considered well by teachers.
In other words, basics like pencils or deoderant are important in learning. Good teachers espouse this maxim, ‘Maslow before Bloom’. However, exciting innovations in sports coaching skill acquisition or exercise science seem overrated by coaches. Yet, basic emotional safety and other needs are far more important being met than the latest trends in external feedback or higher order thinking. In my experience…
All humans want to feel safe. Nothing matters until this happens.
The First Minutes Matter
The beginning of a session often shapes everything that follows. If athletes are standing in lines waiting their turn, attention disappears quickly.
Instead, great sessions often begin with:
• movement
• games
• interaction
• curiosity
Players become engaged before the coach begins teaching.
Engagement Before Explanation
On the whole, many coaches start sessions by explaining what will happen. There is a place for this in your sessions but many athletes learn much faster when they experience the activity first.
“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
Once they are moving and interacting, the coach can:
• observe
• ask questions
• shape the environment
In my experience, learning begins once the athletes are hooked into the activity.
Coaching Through Engagement
Engagement does not happen by accident. Great coaches design environments that immediately involve athletes.
The goal is simple:
Hook them in first.
Once athletes are engaged, everything else becomes easier.
A Simple Reminder
If attention is not there, learning will not happen.
Before anything else:
Hook ’em in.
Part of the Coaching is Teaching Series
• Coaching is Teaching
• What do you Notice?
• 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.