Coaching curious players

To successfully coach your players, the first recommendation is to spend enough time explaining the “why” behind your sessions and exercise. Understanding how these skills will translate into game situations and help the team perform during a match is important for players. For the most curious within your team, engaging them in helping create and revise season and session plans can increase their motivation, hasten skill acquisition, and improve enjoyment. 

During a skill exercise, players might ask; “When would we do this?” “What area of the field or situation in the game would it be appropriate?” “Would any player do this or just specific positions?” “Why would we use tactic X or Y instead?" 

Giving explanations and responding to questions can take time, and practice time is valuable. Coaches should be prepared to help the players understand how a particular session will improve their on-field results in a way that still maximizes the time spent improving the skill. Below are a few ways to share the broader context while limiting the spent in discussion: 

• Prepare short introductions that provide the context and key learning points of the exercise within 20-30 seconds, for example: “In the last game we had trouble escaping pressure from their long kicks. We know we don’t kick that well, so this next exercise is to help us create and use passing options when receiving long kicks. The key points for us to improve here are support players getting into useful positions, clear communication, and reacting quickly to what we see. Let’s start with a little kicking and chasing game and develop from there.”
• Set time limits for questions, deferring further questions to water breaks or the end of practice.
• Send the practice outline and purpose in advance, with video examples, if possible.
• Have a well-described season plan and long-term goals, and describe how each session fits into the season plan and helps reach the goals.  

“Our players can ask a lot of questions in trainings to understand the how, the why, the when. This is great, however, there can be a downside, it can impact the number of quality reps and opportunities to learn by doing“. 

Crystal Kaua, Head Coach, Chiefs Aupiki.