The Essential Guide

The Sports
Coach Bible ‘17
RITARIAN
AUTHO

DEMO
CRATIC

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6 7
3
10 11
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CONTENTS
1. Getting Started 3 - 11

2. Preparation 12 - 22

3. Mentality and 16 - 19
Motivation
 N G
T I D
T T E
E
G TA R
S
Coaching is a career
enjoyed by millions
around the country.

It can be a great way

of getting involved in
sport and making a
difference at the same
time.

1
Section 1
Getting Started

Who should I coach?

It can be a little daunting throwing yourself into an adult coaching session from

HOW TO GET
the off, so building skills and knowledge by coaching kids is the place most people start.

Whether you’re starting out with children or adults, you could break yourself in by
becoming an assistant coach. Learning from those who have been there and done it will
bring rich reward for you as a coach in the future, and becoming an assistant can build

INTO COACHING
valuable confidence without overburdening you by becoming the primary coach.

Do I need qualifications?
It can help you keep fit, physically and To become a fully recognised sports
coach, you’ll need some level of
a coach whilst completing their level 1,
eventually progressing to higher levels and
mentally and contribute to a more towards qualification. As part of a 2002 government
task-force, the UK Coaching Certificate
taking greater coaching tasks on as a result.

an active nation. Here we’ll explore the (UKCC) was set up as a comprehensive Helping out a qualified coach as an
qualification structure for coaching sport in assistant doesn’t require any formal

?
ways to kick-start your coaching journey, the UK. qualification, but gaining a level 1 gives
you more confidence in your ability, and
the questions you may need answering More than 30 sports now use this covers the basic tenants of coaching in
endorsement in the UK, so for everything your sport.
and what it takes to become a great coach. from football to angling the UKCC is the
qualification to gain. If you’re coaching at an independent
level, with you as the lead coach, it’s
The National Governing Body for your recommended you get to level 2 – and most
Why should I coach? sport will have all the details on how you can
get on their particular UKCC endorsement
clubs will actively help you gain this
qualification.
ladder. Many coaches will start out assisting
There are any number of reasons why people get into
coaching, and one of them is just a burning desire to get involved. A
lot of coaches are ex-players whose career was ended early due
to injury. Maybe you’re a lover of sport, who wants to put years of
playing knowledge to good use.
What are my responsibilities as a coach?
Ultimately, most coaches just want to put something back into Clubs may want you to gain some The well-being of performers should be
sport and a local community that has served them so well. Plus, you’ll knowledge on things like first aid and laws placed at the very height of everything
be playing a vital role in shaping the future of many humans around keeping children safe. As the coach you do as a coach, so it’s worth making sure
beings, on both a sporting and wider social level. of a youth team, parents will be leaving you’re aware of legal responsibilities
their children in your care – so it’s your around child protection, negligence,
responsibility to ensure they’re safe during risk and duty of care before you take on any
the session. youth coaching roles.

Aside from these safety and well-being

factors, your responsibility as coach is
purely to do all you can to develop the
performance of players in your team.
Section 1
Getting Started Be Passionate
Just asking a coach to be passionate about what they do is hard. You tend to
either have it, or you don’t. But seeing as you’re a sports coach who dedicates a lot

WHAT MAKES
of their free time to help your club and individuals within it, we’re guessing you
probably do.

Having passion and radiating passion however, are two very different

A GOOD COACH?
things. Take pride in the achievements of your players and your team. Strive to be the
best every single day, and that should fuel the passion you have to coach your
team.

Plus, passion and positivity are infectious. Breeding these helpful characteristics
amongst your squad starts with you. Become passionate about what you do and
you’ll inspire the rest of your team to do exactly the same.
There are plenty of opinions out there on
what makes a good coach. Every coach will Upgrade your training environment
have a different style, approach, and focus, Hard work and dedication are one Perhaps it is those drills that need a
thing, but if you haven’t got the
but there are some key characteristics that environment for success, you’re
lift. Participants will appreciate looking at
something from a different angle, so look
are important contributing factors. going to come up short. to mix in something new at every
opportunity.
What can you do to give the training
ground a little lift? Many coaches
Develop Relationships suggest incorporating music, with
it injecting a fresh, fun vibe into
Coaching is all about building individual. What motivates each training. Is your equipment up to
relationships. As a coach, your players member to play sport? Where do they scratch, or are you still using the
are essentially your clients; making them want to be in your team, at your club and same stale equipment to undertake
the best they can be is in your hands. Part generally in their sporting career? the same stale drills?
of your job is identifying how to do that
with each player’s different needs. Make a connection with your players
by becoming an avenue for them to
As a coach, you need to make yourself achieve these objectives, and before long
available to your players at all they’ll be the ones coming to you for
times. Place their interests at the heart of advice.
what you do, show that you care about
their success on the pitch – and they’ll
respond by giving their all in return.
Improve them by improving yourself
Identify how to place yourself as this Coaching is about giving your impart better knowledge on your
trustworthy figure amongst each knowledge and commitment to a players, improving their skills and making
group of players in order for them to you a better, more efficient coach.
improve their skills on the pitch. But as a
coach, constantly evolving your own To determine those coaching gaps,
skills can be just as important as those look to those who you deliver your
you train. sessions to. Take the time to take each
of your players aside to ask them what
Identifying and addressing the gaps in areas you could improve.
your coaching repertoire allows you to
Section 1
Getting Started
How this coach affects their players
Whilst intended to engender For youth team players in particular,
respect for the authoritative this can have a damaging effect
figure of the coach, an on long term progression.
authoritarian approach does Unable to learn why they are

WHAT ARE
not inspire players to think being asked to do perform in such
for themselves. Communication a way, this lack of knowledge on
is one way, and ideas and their sport could have a knock on
thoughts about personal and team effect on their ability in the future

COACHING STYLES? development are not encouraged. – particularly if they are met
with a different type of coach
down the line.

In the coaching industry, there are three

clearly defined and generally accepted THE DEMOCRATIC ONE
coaching styles. These are differentiated The chalk to the authoritarian place, outlining overall objectives and the
by the overall direction a coach leads his cheese, democratic offers a method general direction of where they want the
that’s more agreeable in 21st team to progress. From there, it’s down
team in – as well as the objectives they set Century sport. In this scenario, the to the players to mould their game,
coach acts as more of a facilitator to the and the team’s as a whole to shape the
out to achieve for their players. decision making process. Opening up a way they all go forward together.
two-way communication channel, players
and recipients of this method of coaching This way, a greater emphasis is placed

THE AUTHORITARIAN ONE are encouraged to offer their input

into the process.
on the processes rather than just
the outcome, and greater patience
is required to gauge the long term
In some ways, democratic coaching is progression of those particular
As you can probably guess from the Authoritarian coaching is considered a seen as a ‘self-coaching’ approach. methods.
title, an authoritarian coach tends to little old fashioned today but is still The coach puts a basic structure in
treat their team in an authoritative, used in elite sports due to its outcome
controlled manner. In a similar way to based approach. Where professional
how a strict teacher might with their pupils sports are merely concerned with How this coach affects their players
in school, what an authoritarian coach winning, authoritarian coaching lends
says is final, offering no room for input itself well by offering results for the
from players on how a training session team at a faster rate than other A democratic coach empowers pride and take ownership of their
should go, or how the team should play. coaching styles. their players by making them improvement, and working as a
accountable for their actions. team to improve as a unit leads to
In theory, what an authoritarian coach is Playing a key role in the decision developed social skills.
believed to instill in their players making process, players grow their
is discipline. For team sports, this can decision making skills and remain in On the flip side, handing this level
often to very important. If a coach has a control of how they want to play. of control over to players can be
clear idea in their mind of what needs to For the future development of the dangerous. Instead of having
be achieved and how to go about doing team, this can prove vital. one coach who decides exactly the
it, organisation through authoritative processes in place for the team to
coaching can be key. Allowing players to take control lets progress, you might suddenly have a
them learn every aspect of their whole team’s worth of opinions –
game at their own speed. As time and not necessarily all pulling in the
goes by, they can develop a sense of same direction.
Section 1
Getting Started

WHICH STYLE IS
THE CASUAL ONE RIGHT FOR YOUR TEAM?
Taking the concept of the The philosophy of a casual coach is that
democratic coach and taking it to a happy collection of players will
the next level, the casual coach eventually lead to a successful As a coach, you have the flexibility to adapt
offers even greater freedom and team. Create a fun and engaging
control to players. environment for your players, and they your own style depending on the needs of
Predominantly, this type of coach is
will revel in the responsibility to grow
both individually and as a team.
those you are coaching. Ponder the goals you
concerned with creating an environment
where the players can enjoy the
want to set for the individuals in your team and the
freedom to learn new skills and ideas team as a whole.
off their own back.

You are the leader of this group of athletes,

How this coach affects their players and it’s your job to get the best out of them as
For coaches and their players, this
can go one of two ways. Creating a
individuals and as a team. Think carefully about
fun and light working environment for
all can breed a bond between all the
all these questions above before making a
squad and their coach. decision on the best way to coach your team.
Plenty of time for socialising as a
team is likely to follow, but ultimately
progress needs to be made at
some stage. Tipping the balance too
far in favour of flexibility and RITARIAN
AUTHO
freedom can lead to a collection of
unmotivated players – and results
could suffer in the long term.

For this coaching style, trust is key.

Handing over all this responsibility
to players could backfire if certain
individuals aren’t able to motivate
themselves to continually
improve without instruction. Often,
the stronger members who are able
to self-motivate progress, whilst
those who aren’t will simply slide into
regression.

DEMO
CRATIC
2 PREPARATION

Fail to prepare, prepare to

fail. It’s a thrown around cliche
that applies to a number of
walks of life, but in coaching, it
rings truer than most. Give your
team the best shot at victory
by preparing as thoroughly as
possible.

In this section, we’ll cover

how you can best maximise
your time before each game
by preparing both on the
training pitch and in the
mind.
 Section 2
Preparation

SET GOALS
Before you can set off for a new head into training had a higher
season, you’ve got to know where percentage of self-regulatory

MENTAL
you’re heading. Goal setting can efficacy (basically a sports person’s
provide you, individual players self-belief that they can pull off a task
and your team as a whole with an or goal under the pressures of a game
overarching final objective - and situation) when compared to those

PREPARATION studies find that it actually helps

boost motivation and self-belief.
A 2013 study of American Footballers
in the Journal of Strength and
who didn’t set appropriate goals.
Goals setting is a three stage
process that allows players and teams
to focus on incremental goals that all
Conditioning found that athletes add up to one overarching goal.
Sport is as much a battle of minds than of who set process goals (defined as
effort goals in the study) before they
the body. Witness any elite level sport,
and you’ll uncover how pressure and Process Goals
a lack of mental preparation can have Each goal needs a clearly defined set of actions to be achieved, and
that is where process goals come into play. The ultimate, top-of-the-tree,
drastic effects on sport. eat sleep and breathe to achieve goal (more on that in outcome goals) needs a
pathway if you’re ever going to get there.

Your local club may not have the In reality, that is a process you put in place to help you get to the final goal.
spotlight shone on it quite as strongly
as elite sportsmen and women do, but if
teams take their competitive sport seriously
(and it’s what makes sport as passionately Performance Goals
magnificent as it comes), then your players A Performance Goal is sort of your school progress report, a miniature
will also be subject to the mental strains goal you set on the path to your ultimate goal that lets you know how you’re
that make sport so tough. getting along.

Below, we’ll talk through two methods for

helping your players prepare themselves
for the rigours of competitive sport, Output Goals
leaving their roles and objectives clear in And finally, the desired end point on
their minds. your goal setting journey. Every part
of your goal setting process is geared
towards the outcome goal, and it
should be your main source of motivation
and will only be achieved through the
correct implementation of process
and performance goals.
Section 2
Preparation
RECOVER
Finding your final destination
Let’s start in reverse. Work out where you as a coach and a team want
FROM DEFEAT
to be at the end of the season - that’s your outcome goal.

Defining a solid outcome goal begins with assessing how a team has Success and failure are part of the fabric of
performed with regards to their previous goals. Have you recently been
relegated or promoted? Have you just lost your best player so need to sport, which means that sometimes you’ll
reconsider how the team might perform?
be left licking your wounds after a defeat.
These are all questions you need to ask yourself before setting an outcome
goal. Once you’ve found it, write it on post-it note and slap it on your changing
room ceiling – this is the goal that will consume your entire season.
Learning from defeat and coming back stronger
Once you’ve got a team outcome goal, work with your players to provide
them with similar objectives. For them, it could be breaking into the first team, is going to be vital to long-term success, so here
or scoring a certain number of goals – just ensure that they feed into the
team’s goals of improving and succeeding.
are two tips for top bounce-back ability.

Decipher your process goals Control the controllable

So now you know where you’re going, but how are you going to get
there? That’s where process goals come in. People who place lots of emphasis on teams, and coaches focus on the
uncontrollable factors can actually controllable – things like technical
These are a series of smaller goals that you’ll need to achieve in order to feel worse in the long-run as they or tactical aspects of performance, the
achieve your outcome goal. For sports teams, these are usually areas of your start to feel less and less like they amount of effort that they put in etc.
game the team (or individual players) need to improve upon. are able to change the situation
they are in. Players, coaches, and It is also beneficial to players,
As a coach, is there a gap in your skills or knowledge base? Perhaps teams can become so wrapped up in coaches and teams feel more in
your work in defence is lacking a little bit, or you’ve always lacked top-class the uncontrollable that they move control of their current situation
communication skills? Identify them, and do everything you can to improve. towards being pessimistic in and – importantly – be aware of what
response to every possible solution. they need to do to change it.
For your players and your team, it’s more about how they can become better Consequently, people are likely to
players out on the pitch. Do you score enough goals or points? Does an How many times have you heard that be more motivated to work towards
individual lack discipline on the pitch and finds himself getting sent off a one team member say “The problem changing their situation because they
lot? with that is….” or “Well that will can see the metaphorical light at the
never work because…”Instead end of the tunnel.
These all qualify as relevant process goals, so identify them and draw up a of spending time attending to the
list of performance goals to set about improving them. uncontrollable, successful players,

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Section 2
Preparation

TRAINING
PREPARATION
Take a whole team approach Mental preparation done, it’s time to get
out on the training pitch. Training is where
The first step to a whole team approach is to establish effective the hard work really begins. Talent is
communication about the current situation. Whoever is facilitating the meeting
may benefit from allowing team members to openly discuss the current situation one thing, but without application on the
before breaking reasons down into controllable and uncontrollable factors. training field, it will all go to waste when it
The main reason behind this is to get members consciously thinking about these comes to match day.
different factors. This is often the most important step in recognising that they are
different. It’s then important to quickly shift the team’s focus to the controllable factors and
then identify potential solutions and barriers to controlling what is controllable.
Use training as an opportunity to get your
ideas across as coach, making it clear how
It is very easy to keep dwelling on what has passed, but the honest truth is that you wish your team to play. Allow ample time
can’t be changed once it has gone but the lessons learned may have a significant
impact on moving forwards. for your team to execute your instructions, and
you’ll find them gelling for real out on the
Once you’ve done this, feed back into your goal setting loop, adding what needs to
change and improve to ensure you perform better next time round. pitch.

10 11 MAKING THE MOST

6 7 8 9 OF PRE-SEASON
Preparation starts with pre-
season, the time of year that leaves

2 3 4 5 all sports players letting out a

collective groan. Still, a good pre-

1
season can allow your team to hit
the ground running - so here are a
few pointers to getting it right.
Section 2
Preparation
NAILING PRE-MATCH
Run and run some more
Your squad isn’t going to thank during a game. So, rather than a
PREPARATION
us for saying this, but in the early long distance jog around the local
weeks of pre-season, there really is community, you need to focus on
only one thing that should be on a high-intensity interval training. Being ‘prepared’ is multifactorial Within Sports Science, there
coach’s agenda – running...lots and in nature and should encompass is a phenomenon known as the
lots of running. The priority in the early weeks of many aspects in the days leading ‘Supercompensation Cycle’. Any
returning to training really should be up to the game. Leaving one area to training or match stimulus causes
The best way to rebuild any lost around regaining fitness, but that chance can significantly impede your a degree of fatigue and in order
fitness that was sacrificed with those doesn’t mean you push players beyond overall performance on the pitch. to reach the same physical output,
burgers and pints of beer over the breaking point. The worst outcome
we must adequately recover
summer is to engage your players in a for a player is losing valuable pre-
Most sports require more first. If sufficient recovery has taken
substantial running regime. season training time due to picking
up an injury, and if you find this is the athleticism now than they ever have, place before the next stimulus, there
Thanks to advancements in sports case then something in your sessions with one example being football. People may also be a small window where
science, the days of trekking up needs to change. are running faster, jumping further our performance may even be
mountains and running marathons to and covering more distance on top enhanced.
build aerobic fitness are long gone. Push your players hard, but ensure of doing it more frequently than ever
In its place, elite sports teams tailor you’re making gradual progress before, so you need to provide your So preparing and recovering well may
their training sessions to much more rather than throwing them in at the body the components it needs to improve your performance over time
accurately resemble their activity deep end. deal with this stress. and prevent the gradual decay
in performance from inadequate
recovery between matches.
Get in the game quickly Fitness
So, as soon as you possibly can, a when they do, they do it for their love of Baseline
coach should be introducing game the sport. So as a coach, enjoyment is
situations into pre-season training. paramount.
The sooner players can get their minds
back into the game, the better. You’ll leave A great way to do this is to simply play
yourself with more time to experiment, the sport they love. Finish off a training
and players will be more comfortable in session by going into a game situation.
their individual roles.

All this talk of sprinting and salads is no

doubt a little depressing for your squad
– but now to lighten the mood.
Train
For most of us, the willpower required
to get off the sofa and back on the
Return to
pitch is difficult after two months off; and Fatigue Recovery Supercompensation Baseline
Section 2
Preparation
The pre-match warm-up is your opportunity Potentiate – higher intensity sport specific
to prepare mentally and physically exercises that replicate match activities.
for the game ahead and should follow
a structured and progressive RAMP The on-pitch warm-up should last 25-
process: 30 minutes and start with simple, low-
Raise – increase your heart rate through intensity movements before progressing
pulse raising activities (low-level sports or to higher-intensity sport specific
Preparation for match day should 2-3 days before a match, drink movement skills). movements or drills.
start around 3-4 days before the adequate amounts of water to maintain
game and incorporates various different healthy hydration status and aim to Activate and Mobilise – wake up key
aspects including nutrition, hydration, and eat a portion of lean protein with muscle groups and take joints through
physical preparation. There is currently every meal for recovery. This should be their full range of motion (using dynamic
much debate within relevant research areas accompanied by 4-5 smaller meals each stretching).
about the correct nutritional strategies day to help maintain blood glucose
for athletes. The truth is, there is no one- levels.
size fits all approach.
Alongside nutrition and hydration status
The fundamental aim of adequate nutrition you should pay attention to physical Recovery Recovery Method Points
leading up to any sports event is to preparation. Yoga, static stretching, and
ensure that you have sufficient stores low-level aerobic work are great to help After the match, the cycle
for the primary energy systems prepare the body in the days leading up starts again and the first part
8-9 hours of good quality sleep
(avoid using electric devices before bed) 4
(carbohydrates and some fat), you prevent to a match. of preparation for the next
gastrointestinal discomfort (excess gas, Ideally, you want at least 48 hours game is the recovery from this
bloating, acidic build up, frequent toilet of recovery between the last high- one.
breaks and cramping) and that you are intensity session and a match to help
Use this simple points
15 minutes static stretching of hamstrings,
quadriceps, hip flexors and glutes 3
adequately hydrated well in advance your body recover and avoid competing
of the match. with delayed onset muscle soreness system approach to
(DOMS). optimising recovery.
15 minutes of foam rolling quadriceps,
Generally, the guidelines would be to
slightly increase carbohydrate intake
After each match, it is
recommended that players calves and glutes 3
obtain at least 10 points
between the match and the
Digest good meal within 2 hours of
Match day next training session to help
minimise the effects of
finishing including natural protein (meat,
dairy, fish) and carbohydrate sources
3
fatigue and stress of the
The match day routine and ritual yoga and relaxed cycling could be good
match.
is a highly individual and personal methods to do this.
Drink 1-2 pints of water between
process. People prepare psychologically
and physically in many different ways. Generally, the main pre-match meal should
finishing training/match and going to bed 2
Look to try different things until you find a be consumed around 3-4 hours before
process that suits you. the match.

With afternoon kick-off times it’s advised

Travel home from match/training wearing
lower limb compression clothing 1
that some very low-level activity is
performed in the morning to help the
transport of nutrients around the body and
take the mind off the match. Walking,
Take part in another sport or activity at
low intensity for 20-30 minutes 2
 D
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M O
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Winning. It’s easy to think
about, less easy to actually
go out and do. But for many
of us, it’s what drives us back
to the pitch every weekend,
striving to be the best.

Like it or not, winning is a

huge part of sport – but
it isn’t just about having the
most skill or the best players.
Winning is a mentality, and
here’s a series of things you
need to consider when instilling
it into the minds of your players.

3
Section 3
Mentality and Motivation Preparation is key
Still, winning isn’t just about Preparation will not only provide your
believing you’ll win in your mind. players with the skills required to go

BUILDING A Don’t make a fool of yourself and your team

and back it up with some hard work on the
training pitch.
out and win, it will also breed confidence
in their own mind that they can perform
under pressure. Sports performance

WINNING MENTALITY
is essentially defined as replicating a skill
A few years ago a popular sporting theory during the pressure-cooker situation of a
suggested that after 10,000 hours competitive match.
practice at a particular skill, any old
pretender could go from novice to world With preparation not only comes the ability
Define winning for your team class pro. Whilst it’s now been widely to replicate those skills as if they were
dismissed from sport’s academic circles, it second nature, but also the confidence
Before you start, consider what winning is to your team. Finishing top of your still gives an indication of the hours you to head out onto the pitch and live up to
league table is an obvious choice, but it might not be applicable for your team. need to put in to even get close to being your full potential.
good at free-kicks, penalties or the perfect
Draw on our discussion of goal setting earlier to identify success for your team, and yorker.
use it as the centerpoint of building a winning mentality for your club.

Motivation as an instinct Failure is motivation

As a coach, observing your players how do they react to losing? Do they show
Satisfaction in winning often doesn’t Aside from psychological aspects, losing
in both training and on a match endeavour right to the final whistle, or
come from victory itself, it comes from is also a great way to focus your mind
day can tell you a lot about their does their performance drop in the face of
the months of blood, sweat, and tears and point out means of improvement.
mentality to be the best. adversity?
that went into it along the way. You’ll fail Identify the reasons your players or team as
more than you’ll succeed in sport, a whole aren’t getting the wins out on the
Analyse training performance as an There are lots of little clues that can help
but losing is a great motivator. Harness it as pitch and funnel it back into your goal
indicator of their mentality. When you you decipher a team’s mentality. If you
best you can, drawing on those negative setting and preparation.
give your team a task, are certain players find them to be lacking in the motivation
experiences that you and your team
going the extra mile to complete it required every day to breed that winning
wouldn’t want to go near again. When you start to see improvements,
successfully? If so, their attitude to excel is instinct, you need to refine your process
players will express a more rounded
likely to be stronger. for inspiring them.
skill set on the pitch and gain greater
confidence in their ability to win.
Are players exerting genuine effort
to complete drills, or do they add
extra skills on the end in an effort to
complete a drill better? On the pitch,

1
Section 3
Mentality and Motivation

MOTIVATING
YOUR PLAYERS
Attitude is infectious
As the coach, you ultimately set the who want to hold those responsible for
If your team suffer an unexpected
tone for how your team performs. failure. This can quickly seep into training defeat or go through a patchy run of
Whilst tactics are an obvious part of sessions, creating cracks amongst team
preparing your team for victory, attitude members and leading to you waving form, it could prove to be difficult
is vitally important to maximising
performance.
goodbye to your winning mentality.
to keep your players motivated.
And it starts with you. A negative
You know your team better than anyone.
Consider your attitude on the touchline
Sometimes, this can be the trickiest
attitude is just as infectious to players as during a match and during training, part of being a coach, so it’s
a positive one. If things start to turn sour, choosing your words carefully to get the
pointing fingers and allocating blame is best reaction from your team. important you know how to lift your
a natural reaction from human beings
team’s spirits when they can’t do it
themselves.

Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation is the use of external factors to encourage a player to perform
or act in the way you want them to, whether it be positive or negative. To put this in
a sporting context, Extrinsic motivation might be the promise of a goal/try scoring
bonus or a promotion to team captain. More negatively, a coach might threaten to
drop a player from their team if that certain player fails to perform.

Intrinsic motivation
The Intrinsic technique is the internal desire within a player to improve,
achieve and succeed. It’s your job as a coach to be able to inflame that desire within a
player, challenging them to become the best every time they step onto the pitch. More
often than not, the best coaches will be able to get their players motivated intrinsically,
meaning the extrinsic method doesn’t need to be used. Bare both techniques in mind
when you have to pick your players up, different players will be motivated by contrasting
factors and knowing what they are will come in handy.
Section 3
Mentality and Motivation

Create a positive atmosphere

Creating the right environment is effective method of success than being
vital and it starts on the training an authoritarian, hierarchical coach that
pitch. A positive atmosphere around the doesn’t connect with their team.
training pitch will be reflected in the
player’s attitudes and performances This positive environment comes from
when it comes to both training and match making your club a fun place to be
days. Simple things such as buying new and having fun is one of the most vital
equipment and sprucing up the changing aspects of taking part in sport, yet one
rooms or club house can be things that of the hardest to achieve. Challenging
help push your team forwards. your players and breeding that drive and
endeavour to succeed is itself part of the
Similarly, do you as a coach promote that fun of taking part in sport.
positivity when interacting with your
team? Positivity in coaching is a much more

Giving effective feedback

Alongside this, an effective part of any coach’s skills base should be an
instinctive knowledge of when to give feedback to players, what to say, and
the right tone to use for that scenario. Giving feedback to your players can inspire
confidence and increase motivation, reversing a lack of those things in a player
Prescriptive feedback
and challenging them to improve during every single session. As a coach, it will be
beneficial to know the descriptive and prescriptive feedback techniques. Prescriptive feedback, on the other
hand, does give that extra layer As a coach, it’s up to you to know
of insight into how to make those which players will need what feedback
improvements. Prescriptive feedback method. You don’t want to start giving
Descriptive feedback assesses the situation and offers more out feedback at any given situation
detailed feedback on how the player though, players may start to think their
Descriptive feedback is telling a after their team concedes. The feedback can adapt their game to improve their game is under constant scrutiny, which
player directly what you’ve just here would be “you failed to track your skills. So in the same situation, the coach tightens them up and eliminates the fun
witnessed the player do (or perhaps man.” For experienced players, this would would go into more detail about how element from the game.
not do). This method doesn’t include any be enough information and an effective and why they lost their man. For the less
specific requirements to be laid out but feedback process because they would experienced players, this feedback is
comes attached with an added connotation know where to make adjustments. better and can be a great aid to their
that the player should instinctively pick game.
up on. To put this into context, a coach
may use descriptive feedback to a defender
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