It's not all about X’s and O’s (or reps and sets)
Take home message
constantly balance development of technical and personal coaching skills
For Coaches
High level coaching takes time to build the foundation of technical skills required. Enjoy the developmental journey.
For Athletes
It’s technical and tactical skills. Great skills applied at the right time will enhance chances of success.
There’s a lot involved in being an S&C coach. That’s why many spend a few years at university (some more than others, or in my case WAY more. Hey, we all learn at different rates, right?). We also acquire accreditation’s with national bodies and possibly continue to sharpen our trade with attendance at workshops, seminars and conferences. But there is more to the role than knowing the X’s and O’s.
Recently, an assistant coach I know made the point that as a young and upcoming coach, he thought he was ready for a senior role, a head coach position. Of course, now that he is the assistant coach, he realizes he was far from ready for the top job. It is his awareness of the nuances of coaching, how to be able to deal with the varying personalities within a team environment – the player management – that he appreciates. I’m not sure when that point is, but there is a transition from when we can only worry about our self and our performance, to being aware of the bigger picture and then being able to contribute and mold a program. There is a massive step from writing a program and running a session, to reporting to a coach and management team about every individual in the squad.
I think my two biggest impacts on my player group recently had nothing to do with my programming, but an ability to sense and act on the group “vibe”. The first was the Friday afternoon gym session - always a hard session at the end of a tough week. It’s where the famous Force Circuit Sessions originated (I’ve put some of sessions in a book). I needed high energy and enthusiasm, so I took over the music. In my humble opinion, there’s nothing like a bit of Dave Grohl screaming out of the speakers to lift the gym energy. Plus the banter from the players about my music choices (not to mention when I played, “This is the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, Level 2” introduction) really got them talking. The second moment was advocating to the senior players and coaches for a post-Saturday morning training coffee order so the players and coaches could finish the week sitting around the pitch enjoying each others company. As a team, we were supposed to be on the road where we would be living together 24-7, really connecting as a group. Recent world events changed that so I felt it was important to instigate a get together. Team sport is about the team, getting together and enjoying each other’s company. These two actions had very little to do with my S&C knowledge.
I think it is like any skill we develop. When learning to drive, it is all about the gear changes and coordinating the car. As we develop, it is less about the car and more about the other drivers and potential hazards. Maybe as a more experienced coach (and also being around more experienced coaches), it is less about focusing on what reps, sets or exercise to choose (coordinating the car - these decisions are a bit more automatic now) and how players and coaches respond in the training environment. I feel that my development as an S&C coach is less about my session programming sophistication, but the interaction with players and coaches. Getting on the same page as them and what they need from me. I appreciate that I, like many senior coaches who share their work and opinions, emphasize the importance of the softer skills of coaching. But I think this this is built on a deep foundation over time and is possible once we’ve attained a solid grasp of the X’s and O’s.
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