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HOW ANXIETY SLOWS DOWN ATHLETES: SCIENCE, THEORIES & COACHING FIXES
There has been a major shift in classrooms across the country. Gone is the one sized fits all model where a hard-nosed teacher motivates students with threats of poor grades, detentions and overall fear. Studies have shown that the type of “motivation” we experienced does not yield positive results, especially with the post-pandemic student. Just…
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THE BEHAVIORAL ARCHITECT – WHY GREAT COACHES TRAIN THE BRAIN, NOT JUST THE BODY
Most coaches train and run practices by focusing on the neck down. But what if the body is just the messenger? We have been taught in most athletic pursuits to train the body to fix the brain. “Work out to feel better.” “Practice this shot a thousand times to train your mind.” However, elite performance…
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FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS IN COACHING: THE ESSENTIALS
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN COACHING – THE TEACHING STRATEGY THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING Coaches tend to think of assessments at the end of a period – whether it is the end of a practice, the end of a game or the end of a season. However, in education formative assessments are the heartbeat of learning. Teachers use…
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HOW TO BECOME A YOUTH SOCCER COACH
Maybe you love soccer and have dreamed of coaching. Maybe you are a parent who has stepped up to coach your child’s team because no one else would. Maybe you are just helping out when you are available. No matter the situation, you are reading this for a reason. What are the basics for becoming…
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WHY EFFORT MATTERS MORE THAN RESULTS: THE COACHING MINDSET THAT BUILDS LONGTERM SUCCESS
Let’s paint a little picture – one that is all too common in sports. There is a high school soccer team that has been built over the last few years with a core group of seniors. The team achieves outstanding success riding senior talent and leadership. There are underclassmen contributors who are a part of…
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STOP STRETCHING FIRST: A SMARTER WAY TO START PRACTICE
Let’s close our eyes and take ourselves to any Little League field in America. It’s a warm spring evening, a bunch of 12 year olds run down to the dugout and gather in the outfield with their gloves. They group up in a circle and stretch – all the typical stretches – jumping jacks, toe…
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COACH-PLAYER CONNECTION: THE FOUNDATION OF EFFECTIVE COACHING
While I am a big believer in the education principles that carry over to good coaching, none of it is possible without a strong connection between a coach and a player. In fact, of all the principles discussed, connections are the biggest and most important. The coach-athlete connection is the foundation for effective coaching. OLD…
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THE POWER OF A FOCUSED PRACTICE – HOW TO IMPROVE AN ATHLETE’S PERFORMANCE FAST
Let’s cut straight to the chase – every practice must have a focus. Plain and simple. A coach has to steer the practice toward an outcome. It may be a skill or drill, it may be a play or concept, it may be a point of emphasis – but there must be a focus. One…
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WHY LEARNING STYLES DON’T WORK IN COACHING – AND WHAT DOES INSTEAD
How many of us have taken those “learning style” tests at some point – either at school or at work? The ones that give you a bank of multiple choice questions and then tell you what kind of learner you are. The theory behind this is that understanding if you are a visual, auditory, reading/writing…
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MAXIMIZING ATHLETE PERFORMANCE: HOW COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY IS THE KEY
Coaches face many challenges in today’s environment. They have to recruit or attract the right athletes. They have to develop these athletes. They have to coach in games to make sure the athletes are successful. Many times the development of athletes gets overlooked. Coaches have to spend a tremendous amount of time on other tasks…
