Coach links (16 March 2012)

In this update: managing change, everyday leadership, performance evaluation tests, Simon Walters on sport over winning and the Sportplan system.

Helping coaches and athletes manage change

Change is a constant within sport and how coaches and athletes deal with change will have a significant effect on how they perform. This article from Michelle Austin featured on the Australian Sports Commission site give some good practical guidelines on how to deal with change in a sporting context.

Drew Dudley: Everyday leadership

Coaches are leaders whether they realise it or not. It’s often the quite word of encouragement, or the pat on the back at the right time, that can have a lasting effect on another person. This short TED talks video is not directly connected to coaching or even sport – but it explains how we can all make a difference as ‘everyday leaders’ and it will put a smile on your face. Take a look.

Performance Evaluation Tests

Any good coach will understand that it is important to be able to measure performance – both in training and game situations. But with so many variables having an effect, how can you carry out meaningful performance evaluation tests? Renowned UK coaching expert Brian Mac provides some practical and detailed guidelines in this article featured on his website ‘Sports Coach’.

The Greatest Assistant Coaching Article Ever Written (i.e. because we think it’s the only one) 50 of the best Tips on how to be a World Class Assistant Coach

As sport has become more professional the demands placed on head coaches have grown dramatically. It is now well recognized that a head coach alone is unlikely to get the best out of his athletes and that a team of coaching staff with different areas of expertise will often produce better results. A key member of such a group will often be the “Assistant Coach” but little has been written about what such a role entails. In this article Australian coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith provides 50 hot tips gathered from a range of assistant coaches.

Simon Walters: Sport first, winning can come later

Creating the right sporting environment is so important when it comes to attracting kids to organized sport, and maybe even more important when it comes to retaining their interest. Over the last five years coaching in New Zealand has come a long way as coaches in most sports recognize the need to focus on fun and participation with young children. But sometimes negative or aggressive behaviour from parents and spectators on the sideline can be a more difficult problem to deal with. In this article Simon Walters from AUT outlines some preliminary conclusions from his recent research into this issue carried out in Auckland.

Sportplan

The internet has changed so much about how we live our lives and coaching is an area where this is certainly very true. There is now so much information about coaching on the internet that it is hard to keep up. One area which can be of huge value to all coaches is the provision of easy to use and well designed training drills. Whatever the sport you coach take a look at this site and see if the information provided can be of help.