GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #20 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - YET ANOTHER SHARE OF THE GREAT PRAGMATIST WAYNE GOLDSMITH'S THOUGHTS ON 'COACHING' IN IRISH EXAMINER

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of cultural behaviour change 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!!!

Fortnite is not the enemy! Bad coaching is… HOWEVER, what if I told you that in my country at least the heads of the big sports admit this regularly to my face around drop-out???

In any case, I am behind in the 'Blogging’ project and looking to catch up this weekend... Feel free to 'unfollow' or 'unfriend' me 'friends' BUT I think sports coaches can still change the WORLD! However once again, we face massive cultural barriers that I have listed over and over and over in many forums over many years. Luckily, people listen to Wayne Goldsmith. At the other end of the spectrum there’s Gunny and “He’s mad!”

THUS I say: I agree with Wayne’s thoughts and love the Irish Examiner.  Yet I have seen this shared so many times on socilals AND am left asking what are we gonna DO???

I am getting tired of TALKING and REFLECTING on this drop-out because of poor coaching thing…  https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/fortnite-is-not-sports-enemy-outdated-coaching-is-920377.html#.XMzwYOQoRgw.email

Can any great teachers please SHOW the alternatives to drills??? I am not talking 'CARDS’ stuff so great in English Rugby. That is WHAT. We need a lot more HOW…

In any case Wayne is a great human! This is enough. Could be the main point?   

I do DRILLS but... called "Gunny Madness" in my country. They are game like etc... The Australian Sports Commission has been promoting a thing called ‘Game Sense’ in coaching since 1995. YET nothing has really changed as I have written about or presented at ACHPER conferences and the like. THUS, what Wayne and many of us are agitating for is putting the foot forward to change culture!  

I don’t want to sound negative, and of course I have been accused of sports corporation bashing constantly. I am all and i mean ALL for this CHANGE... HOWEVER, the time for action is now!!!.

To me it seems that the Goldsmith piece has been SHARED by many in sports corporations just to increase Facebook, YouTube etc etc likes… Speaking of which this is how Gunny coaches so so so differently to Australian Football’s cultural tradition.

NOW, we must remember that research is DONE with ELITE and paid for by ELITE...  It will be soon. or right NOW, too late for Grassroots...  CULTURAL change is HARD!!!

I SHOW volunteers how to DO it all thanks to a ‘lightbulb moment’ at a sports collective Forum I conceived and helped run last year at Australian Catholic University. An old school mate whose rugby team I played in said, “How does it feel to be doing the Australian Sports Commission’s job Gunny?” The point is that they aren’t doing it and this cultural thing is very complex.

NOW I have vast coaching and PE teaching experience. I have also lectured/taught at university for 10 years but that’s all ‘blah...’ . You see, I would create whole university subjects that taught alternatives to drills, plus, making drills messy (or game like), through SEPEP, Game Sense, TGfU, TGM, CLA etc etc... Then I would go to schools and see 200 maybe students on ‘practicum’. ONE brave and brilliant teacher was the only one who demonstrated ‘alternatives’ to dominant cultural practices. Here’s to you Mr. Nick Toohey now a PE teacher on Brisbane’s northside. YOU were the only one kind sir…

YOU SEE, they all default to drills because that’s the cultural tradition (see reserach from, SueSee, Edwards, Hewitt, Pill etc). YET generally, their mentors were great humans!!! BUT the culture is set. HOWEVER, once again PE teachers can do drills and control chaos enough so that there is far more maximal movement. BUT still not enough...

There is a small growth in ‘awareness’ of alternatives. HOWEVER, there is much more after that required. In any case, “Gunn Engagement” YouTube channel is a place to start. I reiterate how the Australian Sports Commission once taught all of this. NOW though the sports who are responsible just certify rather than develop coaches.  

BUT even before all of this amazing stuff you ELITE coaches did last night in your sessions in this ‘new’ ecological or other approach, is more work to be done. I believe you may already be are a VERY entertaining and engaging coach. Yet, YOUR context is easy!!! I wil say it again: EASY! You could line them up and keep them happy because they are probably keen athletes anyway, PLUS, due to the professional support you may have the skills to manage a group of 30 with balls between two. THEY love you and you them. That is key! It’s easy for YOU at ELITE!

YET you ELITE can still get better. After filming yourself for coach development (no. 1 ‘no brainer’ for an experienced coach in talent area) Gunny’s number two tip is to go and watch a primary school PE teacher. You will learn plenty!!! I have told plenty like great peer Stuart Armstrong that that’s the missing piece. Controlling the chaos!

To make any real CHANGE we need our best coaches at Grassroots etc. It ain’t gonna happen... Some American PE teaching geniuses could show us all HOW: Pangrazi, Rink, Seidentop etc... I say, blow the dust off the texts and find the gold in the ‘operational’ part of pedagogy.

Happy to come and share with coaches but ! provide the “Gunn Engagement” YouTube channel which has videos where I am starting to SHOW all of this etc.

BUT back to the great teachers of our past like WOODEN??? LOVE! That ain’t a gimmick. His coaching was incredible as it was but LOVE was the foundation. NOW it’s hard to get volunteers to do this when kids are running wild!!! THUS they default to line ups!!! BUT I am talking here only (or writing) not SHOWING. Hope it makes sense…

Let me finish with an illustration. This week and next I am in Melbourne learning more about AFL. I talked on the phone to one of the heads at BIG AFL club. I was offered a coffee…

Gunny: Please take no offence. I worked in academia for 10 years. They TALK and I am done with that. We need ACTION. I am experienced but this means nothing until I feel your context side by side as fellow learners. I can’t TELL you about my work. I must SHOW you so you FEEL it.

That meeting has to be rescheduled. YET two amazing female PE teachers and senior AFL coaches had the same conversation with me. They GOT IT!!! Thus I’m looking forward to learning side by side with them on the grass oval. That’s SHOWING and FEELING not TELLING.

THUS in Australia at least, we are in a world of hurt. One of our biggest sports NRL changed some rules for youngsters to make things safer. My club’s numbers are down BUT not sure why. Will other sports follow? I am not sure… Actually probably not. THERFORE we are ‘aware’ that things might need to change, well some of us are anyway… Are the rest of us MOTIVATED? I think not… In any case, some of us are trying to fill in the gaps with the missing tools for the ‘toolbox’.

Yours in learning,

Gunny

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #19 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - STUART WILKINSON THROUGH THE LENS OF AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS

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

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #18 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - BORED IN YOUR COACHING? DELVING INTO THE GUNNY ARCHIVE...

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of REVISITING THE ARCHIVES 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 was talking today with a coaching leader, Murray Harley (pictured third from the left AT the very bottom of post), in Army Rugby attire with other famous Aussies, Ben Roberts Smith VC, George Gregan and Jim Williams. We swapped yarns about the intricacies of coaching and the need to be constantly innovative but balancing it with the ‘basics’ (which aren’t that basic, the HOW and the WHY).

As an army officer, no stone is left unturned under Murray’s watch. He has played close to the highest level below the Wallabies possible in rugby but more importantly has an uncanny knack to get the absolute best out his players as coach whether that be schoolboys or army rugby women. Aussies, if you are after an ‘expert’ in the ‘dark arts’ of scrummaging Murray is a ‘go to’ man but his tale of the New Zealand ‘scrum doctor’ Mike Cron got me thinking once again about the little things that are forgotten in coaching.

Below is some of the story about Mike Cron’s pursuit of learning innovation inspired by the World’s greatest athletes in any PE teacher’s opinion (when teaching ‘components of fitness’, Male Ballet performers!

““Every year you have to be better than last year otherwise you shouldn’t be here, so that’s the first thing.””

— https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2017/05/mike-cron-the-all-blacks-scrum-doctor-the-ballet-and-the-endless-pursuit-of-forward-perfection.html

Murray’s story about Cron again reminds me about coaches wanting to learn and those that don’t. How one of my first LinkedIn videos with the QLD U15s Australian football WOLFPACK was viewed by 5000 people including a Head Coach of a Dutch TOP tier football club, FC Utrecht called Jan van Loon. Jan humbly reached out to me with his Finnish legendary player/coach mate called Joonas Kolkka, to talk about Youth development and retention.

Thus, I swapped with Murray how I got Jan to also meet David Rath (AFL's coach innovation guru). and was told by Jan that the Hawthorn coach called Alistair also came... "Our best coach!" I told him. Those at the top of the coaching game it appears are always learning!

THUS, in the spirit of innovation here is something from the Archives called ‘Gunny’s Crazy Town’ from a few years’ ago when helping Australian Football:

Game Principles:

1. Maintaining possession

2. Creating space in attack

3. Create passing options

4. Good decision making in passing

General considerations in all of these games:

1) Normal AFL rules but the objective is attacking team to make as much ground up field as

possible – for example in one game there will have 45-60 seconds (each team takes turns with

rotations depending on numbers)

2) Team A starts from end line and attempts task, and Team B defends (unlimited touches)

3) Toucher often has to do a task, like, make their way around a sideline marker

4) Swap over when the ball is dropped or intercepted and Team B starts from the same position

5) There is always a winner = eg it could be the team which makes most ground wins

6) Play six on six etc but if odd number one player always attacks and swaps (number superiority)

7) However, on the above point, sometimes the game favour the attack depending on age

Field set=up below:

60m*30-40m

Now, if you’ve read this far, it means you are an innovator like Murray and the above coaches mentioned. Thus you’re probably asking: “What did it look like?” OR “How did it go?”

To ANSWER that you’re gonna have to do two things: 1) SUBSCRIBE to ‘Gunn Engagement’ YouTube; 2) SEND me something from your archives that was innovative. Doesn’t matter if it didn’t work… AT least you were having a crack!!!

If presently in Melbourne or Brisbane, invite me to your organisation or session if you'd like me to share my answer... UK and Ireland coming in September!!!

Yours in learning,

Gunny

www.craiggunn.org

Ben Roberts Smith VC, George Gregan , Murray Harley and Jim Williams

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #17 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - SPORTS COACHES, DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A BETTER PRACTIONER? WATCH A PE TEACHER!!!

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of pedagogical sharing to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…

Watch, share and subscribe!!!

A recent Twitter conversation got me a little rattled. I ain’t gonna lie…

It featured some UK and Irish sports coaching university academics whose work I respected. It was Saturday morning Australian time so I guessed that they had enjoyed a little too much of vino/amber fluid or the like.

At present there is a debate going on between Education Psychology and Ecological Dynamics. It’s worthwhile, and I like to know that the passion on display of the exponents on both sides is helping our learners.

However, I’m not sure who benefits from this kind of discussion…

(Some stimulus got the ‘It Depends’ movement on edge) Academic One: Can somebody show me where this fun approach is supported in research?

Academics One to Five: HaHaa… (much disparaging mirth at expense of others)

Academic Two or other: Maybe we should all be handing out business cards with baloons on them!

Academics One to Five: HaHaa… (much disparaging mirth at expense of others including the use of words like ‘gimmick’ and ‘props’)

Gunny: Teachers this is disappointing. I respect much of your research but I just presented at the Australian Council of Health Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER, 2019) International Conference and I used baloons.

Academics One to Five: HaHaa… (much disparaging mirth at expense of others including the use of words like ‘gimmick’ and ‘props’)

Gunny: I suggest you teachers have had too much to drink? (four of five tweeters removed their ‘banter’ within 24 hours)

In any case the sole representative left who works for one of the biggest sports organisations in the world in coach development remained. I thank that person for that!!!

Remaining Academic: Craig can you please tell me the research that supports this… Blah Blahhh?

Gunny: Google the Australian Early Years Learning Framework…

I mean really, do I have to do much more?

These are some observations I have noted and speak with some authority having taught/lectured/tutored in H.Ed. for a decade:

1) Public funding is provided to academics from tax-payer dollars YET research is written out in a way that most practitioners can’t understand

2) Most practitioners don’t even know where to find research even when on places like ‘Research Gate’

3) Most interventions are aimed at ‘elite’ sports’ coaches NOT those at the ‘grassroots’

4) MANY interventions don’t work anyhow when the ‘rubber’ hits the road due to socio-political constraints that really can’t be reproduced in a LAB etc…

In truth, the problem is that none of us, the stakeholders are stepping out of our own silos. But in any case, academics, where is your ‘grassroots’ evidence? Show me how YOU teach and coach!!!

Show ME the evidence I require to ‘rate’ your worth…

You see, I am only drinking tea but the missing link in all of your interventions is the HOW not WHAT. Indeed, why the emphasis on NEW research when we ain’t even doing the OLD?

Whenever I am asked to name my favourite coaching authors, I start naming PE teachers of old like: Rink, Launder, Seidentop, Mosston etc etc… AND whilst on a roll, if you really want to get better coaches go and watch a PRIMARY school PE teacher NOT the All Blacks. A bit like Sir Ken Robinson, the book ‘Legacy’ ain’t that special to most of the teachers I know. We know that we survive by living and breathing in as best a supportive environment that we can for unique learners.

Nothing against everybody’s work but we are all unique learners in a most dynamic world!!!

Finally, whilst at it continue sharing and remain curious. There are many ways to learn nowadays outside the hallowed halls of the higher institutions… Thus, how about we work together as curious learners and teachers?

Here is an example but the way: https://energetic.education/88-grassroots-coaching-with-craig-gunn/ Thanks fellow PE teacher Dale Sidebottom!

Yours in learning,

Gunny

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #16 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - COACHES WILL THIS ALWAYS BE LEGAL?

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of coaching ‘head awareness’ to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…

Please watch the fully within the rules impact below which is considered ‘good hard footy’.

I am a Level II AFL Coaches' Association coach, experienced educator of all contexts and well qualified in Rugby Union & League. I shared this vision to a coaching/learning group called, ‘Grassroots Coaching and Consulting’ (Facebook group NOT the page with all welcome to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/147501649318126/ ) This in the rules ‘hip and shoulder’ was met with some curiousity. We are an eclectic group numbering almost 550 from all around the sporting globe.

As it was widely shared and championed by the AFL I just want to ask: “Will this always be legal?” I have a feeling NO… However, we are just starting to learn a little more about the brain so everything is up for grabs! Yet I know that research including my own suggests that coaches in AFL are very slow at changing their practice, especially at the Grassroots… I try my own bit.  

I've been accused of #AFL bashing when I ask questions...

Love to hear from some brain experts about how wrong I am in my concern either way. However, I remain player first in my reflections here as the teacher that i am.

As for the young BUMPER (and I know it’s in the rules), he could have: tackled with right shoulder, pinned his right ear behind ball carrier's back, locked on left 'lever' (elbow) cut opponent's COG in half, driven him to the ground with leg drive keeping himself safer and opponent too.  

Teachers, what am I missing here w/o 'hate' please?  This is a blindsided shoulder charge for mine. 

AND again, please choose your 're-education' thoughts about me wisely because I have seen many AFL coaches teach & #contact is not highly ranked it seems. Grassroots???

Finally, one more time, can any brain experts please also tell me that this looks OK?

Yours in learning - Gunny

0431311070 in Melbourne from May 1st if anybody wants help in sessions with CONTACT.