So, what did we learn today...?

Part 1

The ultimate question that defines to us coaches whether a session has been of any use whatsoever. Usually silence follows before one or two murmur a vaguely linked, common theme such as ‘passing’. So, who is to blame? Is it just the players being poor learners or not paying enough attention? Should we as coaches take some blame?

The thinking behind these next two articles is that whilst tactical innovations, individual philosophies and general standards of coaching have improved from grassroots football up; the way we send messages to our players and supplement their learning is often neglected.

So why is this? The majority of coaches will tell you that they understand each individual learns differently so it’s not an awareness problem. The issue lies with implementation of learning strategies to support all players in their learning process. Using the VARK model created by Fleming and Mills, we can see that there are 4 main types of learner: visual (pictures), auditory (sounds), reading/writing, and kinaesthetic (movement/feeling). Now your players will often fall into one of these categories so now I ask the question that whilst James has an auditory preference and is good at taking on your verbal instructions, Toby is a visual learner so would you expect him to learn as efficiently as James? I hear you saying ‘what do you expect us to do then, find out everyone’s specific learning style?’. No of course I don’t (unless you want to of course), just learn to consistently cater for all learning preferences during your training sessions. I have listed some ideas below in terms of how you can do this:

Visual: If you have a tactics board then brilliant, if not then just use a piece of paper and some coloured pens. Draw out your session before the players arrive. If you have a tactics board you can use the counters to depict the movements you’d like.

N.B – putting pictures of your players’ faces on the counters can often promote engagement with the tactics board.

Auditory: This style should be straightforward for most as it requires using words to explain the session. However it should be noted that many learners come under the umbrella of auditory-digital which just means they need to fully make sense of what is going on to make a good attempt at it. So using clear and simple language is integral to really appeal to these learners.

Reading/Writing: This can go alongside your image as it requires some written instructions for the session. Make sure it is, again, clear and simple to understand and written in a structured way.

Kinaesthetic: The best way to appeal to the feelings-based learners is to allow for ‘practice runs’ of the session. You could do a walk-through or even set aside a few minutes at the start for the players to get used to the drill/practice. It’s important that you try to avoid criticising or sending in extra information during this period and only input to reinforce the instructions. These learners will grasp the information once they have a feeling for it.

So, there you have it. I have no doubt if you implement these strategies consistently that you will see not only improvements in how quickly your players learn but also in the standard of your sessions.

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I know many of you will still be sceptical about these ideas or maybe you already use most of them but still struggle to convey the messages you want. Below are some key points that may help solve some of your issues:

• Time-restraints may often be a common theme for many coaches however the majority will still set aside 5 minutes to draw up a session plan so why not use that time to draw a diagram and write some instructions next to it? You can leave it out for players to look at when they arrive, so they begin processing that information immediately.

• Use of language. I know I may have bored some of you with my repetition of using clear and simple language/instructions however I really can’t stress this point enough. I have learnt the hard way that even though you understand the terms pressure, cover and balance; it doesn’t mean your players will (even if they say they do). One way to examine your language is to write down how you would explain the session and highlight words that could be challenging for some players. You can then look to find ways to simplify the terms because at the end of the day, football is a simple game and we should therefore try to explain it in simple terms (forget the jargon).

• Be patient when you first start a practice. As I explained previously, kinaesthetic learners may take a few minutes to understand the session and learn the key points so be patient and supportive at first and try to minimise input to allow players to focus fully.

• Guided discovery can be useful. During these sessions try to ask the players questions and wait for their responses, allow for silence and get them thinking in terms of the key learning points of the practice. This will make the players engage and not just operate on autopilot which enhances the chance that the points will be learnt in the long-term and help their development as footballers. De-briefs at the end of sessions are great for this, remember to allow all your players to input and not just the loudest/most confident.

• CONSISTENCY IS KEY. Nothing more needs to be said, don’t make this process a one off; consistently carry it out and reap the rewards for your players.

Hopefully this has got you thinking of ways you can implement these ideas into your sessions. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this topic so please get in touch with me. Equally if you’d like us to work together then please don’t hesitate to message me.

Thank you for reading and all the best for your week ahead.

Callum