Why We Cannot Motivate As Coaches

Yes, you heard me correct. I believe no words from a manager or coach will instantly motivate a player. For me, it is the constant environment and culture that dictates the athlete’s motivation levels.

Athletes all have differing driving forces when it comes to the sport they participate/ compete in. Why some athletes are are motivated and why are others unmotivated?

Many coaches believe an inspiring speech will motivate their athletes to win or succeed in their respective sport. Like Bo Hansen, I disagree that we as coaches can motivate our athletes.

Listen to Bo talk about the Coach -Athlete Relationship below: 

Motivation can be subdivided into intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the “internal factors that drive an athlete to achieve, such as satisfaction and enjoyment of an activity or the attainment of a personal best time in a race” (Kornspan 2009). Extrinsic motivation on the other hand is defined as “external and sometimes tangible rewards or recognition (such as trophies, money or praise from a coach) that drives an athlete to achieve” (Kornspan 2009). Coaches have a misconception of motivation and begin to talk about what motivates us rather than how we are motivated.

Kremer & Moran (2013) have noted that ‘motivation is a process that occurs; not elements that motivate us.  They have found that ‘motivation is depending on effort, performance, outcome and satisfaction.’ Therefore, motivation will never increase for an athlete if they themselves are not willing to put forthright effort in. The athletes will not be motivated without the platform to perform.  Will the process and effort be worth the outcome? If this question is not answered with a yes, then the athlete’s motivation to compete will quickly diminish. If the athlete doesn’t experience and feel value in what he/she is doing; no speech, inspiring coach will be enough to keep the athlete motivated.

‘The benefit of intrinsic rewards for an athlete is they are self fuelling’ (Martens 2012). This evidently suggests that we as coaches cannot intrinsically motivate our athletes.  Martens (2012) goes on further to state that ‘great coaches know they cannot motivate their athletes but rather the climate they create allows the athlete to motivate themselves’. 

On the contrary to this statement, many coaches undermine their athletes by adopting a stick/carrot style. Basically this utilises a euphemism of a stick to punish and a carrot to rewards the athlete. In study completed on scholarship and non scholarship athletes, there were significant differences between intrinsic motivation. Those awarded scholarships (extrinsic rewards) displayed significantly less intrinsic motivation than those who didn’t deem their sport as work (Ryan 1980).

The importance of intrinsic motivation cannot be highlighted enough. As I have previously discussed, coaches cannot intrinsically motivate their athletes. However, they can extrinsically motivate their athletes to an extent. In the Sports Motivation Scale (Pelletier et.al 1995), we are presented with the extrinsic continuum of external regulation, introjected regulation and identified regulation.’ Some athletes will play for the praise from their coach. This can be potentially detrimental to intrinsic motivation of the athlete as the athlete is now merely playing for rewards’ (external regulation/ rewards). When the external components become internalised the athlete pressures themselves to play or they will experience the guilt of missing training etc (introjected regulation).  Finally, identified regulation is when they athlete recognises and begins to value behaviour and begin to do things by choice (Fortier et.al 1995).

For the athlete to be motivated, the direct speech or interaction with the coach is not sufficient. Athletes must be motivated through a dynamic process as shown above and be given the appropriate exposure to self determined actualisation and rewards.

Motivational Environment

The environment for an athlete will differ for every sport, culture and age profile etc. However, some environmental traits will be common no matter the variable.  The environment will be strongly systematic, feedback rich, goal orientated, situation where they athlete is worthy and also most importantly will be fun.

Firstly, I believe a model/ system needs to be established by the coach. Some seminal questions to ask yourself about your environment could be ‘what is the central purpose of the process, how is the process measured and how is the process operationalised?’ (Cross and Lyle 2002). This will give the coach a basis to review and give feedback to the athletes.

The environment will be heavily feedback orientated. Feedback will allow the athlete goal set and provide them with inspiration to set higher standards. An efficient form of feedback for a coach is augmented feedback (comments that can improve the intrinsic feedback) ( Schmidt & Lee 2011) . For example, if the athlete falls back in the catch of the clean, they realise internally this was incorrect movement. The coach then explains the weight distribution of the feet and indicates to them that the weight was too far back on the heels (augmented feedback).

“Athletes must see success in achieving their own goals rather than surpassing the performance of others” (Martens 2012). This gives great scope for the coach to implement an environment heavily compiled of goal setting. Athletes should set goals which are; “specific, realistic, challenging, both short and long term, for practice and competition, recorded, strategically achieved, supported and evaluated” (Gill & Williams 2008).

Within the environment, athletes must feel embraced in the group and feel apart of the process. ‘Inclusion the learners knowing the are valued and they have a mutual respect with the instructor within the environment – the social climate facilitates inclusion’ (Wlodkowski 1999). Martens (2012) has referred to ‘our self worth in life being our ability to achieve’. This is dangerous when athletes maybe in a losing climate. This environment can develop very little fulfilment as athletes have a fear of failure and their primary goal is to avoid failure. This again reinforces the need for athlete’s individual goals and not surpassing the performance of others.

Finally, the environment for athletes must be fun and enjoyable. Why do people play their sport and in some cases why do they achieve such longevity at a sport? Martens (2012) has stated that ‘athletes need stimulation and need to meet a certain stimulation level’. In other words, athletes need to enjoy and feel fulfilled when they train for competition and play sport. ‘People need the right amount of activation; not too little and not too much’. Throughout, psychological research and literature there is the term ‘flow’. I will be covering this in detail later in the essay. “Flow is when we are totally immersed in an activity” (Martens 2012) . According to Csikszentmihalyi (1997 p.32) when we are in flow “living becomes its own justification” – the deeply satisfying experience of an intrinsically motivating activity.

It has now become very clear that it is the coaches system and the environment he devises has a great impact on how motivated the athlete can be. As mentioned, the flow experience is an integral part of the athletes liking what they do. If the environment is fun the athlete will have a greater chance of participation long term and will feel satisfied with the process.

Excelling in Individual Sport

For an individual to excel in sport their needs become paramount. Team sports will differ from player to player but with a single individual it is vital to have certain aspects covered in their environment. Firstly, I would prepare a DISC profile on the athlete in question, allow them to learn using the flow experience, give them a sense of value and autonomy and also allow the environment to be enjoyable.

The DISC profile assessment is a non-judgemental tool which can distinguish behavioural differences between people (Hansen 2014). It can help a coach understand what motivates the athlete; provide a greater knowledge of their stressors and how the athlete solves problems.

A high score in Dominance aspect of the profile suggests someone who will do anything to accomplish their results. They tend to tackle situations very directly. For example, if you made a highly dominant athlete aware of a minor flaw in technique before a major championship; they would attempt to rectify it immediately. However if this is a complex problem a high “D” may not be equipped to deal with this as they act very quickly. Dominant athletes will often compromise relationships, technique and other aspects of the sport to achieve their results. It is far more important for them to achieve the outcome than to do the task in the right way. This is essential for a coach to understand and they need to guide the athlete in the direction that is best suited for their dominance weighting.

High scores on the Influence scale are extroverted by nature and low scorers are more introverted by nature. How does this affect their success in their environment? Well, extroverted athletes will derive their energy from social interaction and interacting with a fast paced dynamic environment. Perhaps a coach with an athlete like this would allow an entourage similar to that of many boxers who are quite extroverted and egotistical. On the contrary, an introvert enjoys their personal space and requires time alone to rejuvenate their energy. Therefore, the coach may have to alter their environment to reduce the amount of interaction with other people and perhaps even have the athlete train in a secluded setting before high level competition.

An athlete scoring high on “Steadiness” scale prefers a slower paced environment; they are calmer in their mannerisms and are in general more relaxed. In direct contrast, a low score on the “Steadiness” scale signifies a fast paced style, they also enjoy an environment that always is changing and is versatile. The coach may have to intensify the environment for the athlete or make it more indirect and allow processes to take longer and become more methodical depending on this profile score.

The final element in the DISC model is “Conscientiousness”. A high score here usually results in an athlete who will follow the rules and be engaged in a system outlined by the coach. These athletes will be very structured in their competency, tactical proficiency and are likely to operate well in a game plan. A low “C” will be an athlete who is less rule-governed and take rules more as guidelines than a code of conduct. They will of course follow the rules to a certain point but their motive for following the rules are entirely different to others. Suggesting to an athlete that you have to do this because its a rule or part of a system will not register with a low “C”. The coach will have to pitch the idea to them in a different approach. Suggesting to them that “you have to do this because it will get you closer to your goals or will make you run faster” appeals much more efficiently to a low “C”.

Understanding the athlete in question using the DISC model will allow the coach to monitor and vary the environment. Simply having one environment that never changes may not be the ideal situation for an athlete to excel. (Hansen 2014)

Within the environment of the athlete, they must fell valued. “When adults see that what they are learning makes sense and is important according to their values and perspective their motivation emerges” (Wlodkowski 1999). In order to value the athlete and make them feel worthy we must as coaches understand their values. Providing challenging tasks, positive feedback and approval can make the athlete feel worthy and valued.

In order for the athlete to excel, their environment must be fun. In two separate studies, fun was the main reason for athletes participating in sport (Ewing & Seefeldt 1990) ( Seefeldt, Ewing & Walk 1992). It is widely regarded that “motivation comes naturally and is prevalent when athletes are having fun” (Burton & Raekeke 2008)

“The activities the athlete will have will be stimulating, challenging and exciting” (Burton & Raedeke 2008) while in the coaching environment.  Drills should be limited and not be a major aspect of the training however in individual sport this is hard to avoid.  Therefore, it is known that skill development should; use developmental progressions to create optimal skill- challenge balance, keep practices stimulating by varying the activities, teach fundamentals by means of action packed, competition like activities that use the targeted skills, keep everyone active and don’t’ give the athlete time to get bored, allocate time where the athlete receives no feedback from the coach (Burton & Raedeke 2008)

It is a difficult task to have an individual athlete excel in the environment you create. The DISC profile will give the coach a baseline to create the optimal atmosphere for the athlete. Also the environment will have some similar traits to that of a team sport but it is essential the athlete never gets bored. The coach must simply ensure that his environment does not destroy the athletes intrinsic motivation to play the sport. ( Burton & Raedeke 2008)

Excelling In Team Sports

In team sports the DISC profile will be utilised also to get a background on the player’s individual personalities but will not be as important as there are far too many variables to monitor and cater for. Again the environment must be fun, autonomic and the coach must co-operate with the athletes. The flow experience will be vital to a team excelling. Also goal setting will be a integral part of the mastery orientated environment in which a team can excel in.

Many coaches place huge emphasis on feedback and it does have a huge part to play in the performance of team. But allowing the team to get immersed in their tasks is another aspect that has to be implemented as well. The flow has been brilliantly described as “the feeling and concentration that sometimes emerge in a closely contested athletic contest” (Wlodkowski 1999) .

The utilisation of small sided games over drills will be a staple in the implemtation of the flow experience. The athletes will then fell the competition aspect and will become immersed if the coach steps back and observes silently. The athletes ‘often lose self awareness  that sometimes results in a feeling of transcendence with the activity’ . (Wlodkowski 1999) has noted that the flow experience is the very pinnacle of learning.

Goal setting within the team environment will be another major aspect of how I would allow the athletes excel. Attempting to mould mastery orientated athletes would be a goal of a coach. This entails the athletes “focusing on learning and personal improvement, having a challenging task list, putting forth constant strong effort, increasing persistence and success being a by product of effort.

These athletes are drawn to obtainable yet challenging goals.  John Wooden’s emphasis on personal development, effort and preparation were his reasons for success with several teams. He would have the athletes create goals that were individual and not defined by exceeding others. This is something I would also adopt in the environment I would create.

 The drill vs. games debate is something that has become prevalent among coaches in recent years. Within the team setting I believe small sided games to be a far better means compared with drills. Drills can become monotonous for athletes. SSG’s allow the athlete to work in a more open environment and acquire more game specific skills and ultimately improve decision making.

Finally the TARGET concept would be something I would avail of in the environment of a team sport. The task structure would include variety and would be pre determined and planned with athletes having fun and placing short term goals on each task. The authority structure would provide independence for the athlete and be supportive at the same time. Rewards would be utilised for learning, effort and improvement ahead of winning. Group Structure would enlist each athlete with a specific role in the group. The athletes would be performance evaluated regularly and finally time frames would be allocated based on task difficulty and learning processes of the coach. (Burton & Raedeke 2008)

Conclusion

Athletes differ greatly from one to the next. Therefore, experience is hugely important when creating environments for the athlete. Over the course of a coaching career certain structures will work and others won’t. However, the intrinsic motivation of the athlete is paramount to all else when endeavouring upon the road of competitive success. The understanding of the athlete is vital to creating the right environment and avoiding the old school methods of motivation is no longer enough for coaching. Athletes have needs just as employees do in business. These needs have to be catered for individually and systematically in order to maintain their intrinsic motivation. If these methods are adopted properly the athlete has a great potential for success in his/her sport.

ACL Injury

The ACL

By Peter Shaw

The Dreaded ACL

I write to you from my hospital bed in the world class Santry Sports Clinic in Dublin. Having suffered the injury I always feared. I’ve unfortunately torn my left anterior cruciate ligament. It has been one month since I sustained the injury during a club level hurling match. In this article, I wish to provide insight to the mechanism of injury, some brief research on the ACL, my thoughts on prevention and ultimately my rehabilitation plan for the coming year. I’d like to take this as an opportunity to verify I am not an expert in the pathology of the knee nor am I a rehab specialist; this is merely a means for me to exercise my thoughts and maybe help some people in a similar situation.

Anatomy and Function

The anterior cruciate ligament begins at the underside of the femur and runs across to the top of the tibia. It is accompanied in the knee with the Posterior Cruciate Ligament , Medial Collatarel Ligament and Lateral Collateral Ligament. In my case, all the listed ligaments were intact along with healthy cartilage.  I found myself very lucky only sustaining an ACL tear and Tibial Plateau bruising which is consistent with this type of injury. The ACL plays a vital role in rotational stability which is essential in multi-directional field sports.

There are different types of orthopaedic treatment .The first utilising ipsilateral hamstring tendons to graft the ACL. The second is less common, is a LARS graft (Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System) . This basically an artificial graft. Also an allograft maybe used by cadaver from a deceased donor.  Finally, I opted for a Patellar Tendon graft which seemed far less invasive in comparison with the hamstring graft or cadaver option. Conor McGregor, Georges St. Pierre and Tom Brady have opted for the patellar bone graft in the past.  Couple this with the fact I had suffered hamstring trouble on that same leg before ; the decision made itself.

Protocols and Prehab

My first consultation was with Damien Sheehan and the team at Carlow Sports Rehabilitation Centre. The Lachmanns test, pivot shift test and anterior drawer test portrayed a poor image for my knee. I was immediately referred for an MRI which revealed a torn ACL. I then consulted Dr.Ray Moran who I had heard was the most proficient surgeon in the country at the patellar graft. He confirmed my greatest fears and I was provisionally booked in for an ACL reconstruction. 

Following the appointment , I worked tirelessly on regaining 0 degree knee extension (ability to straighten the knee).   I engaged in a heavy cycle of maximal strength once the knee was pain free and fully extended. It consisted of 5 reps and 5 sets of exercises such as a trap bar deadlift, single leg squat, single leg RDL’s , rear foot elevated split squats and step ups. The initial block was heavily prescribed with unilateral lower extremity strength. This was followed with 5 sets of 3 reps for a shorter period of time. The 5x3 cycle was based around bilateral exercises and building as much raw strength as possible before my surgery date.

Once you injure your ACL your knee will become inflamed and will swell dramatically. It takes just 10cc of fluid for your Vastus Medialis to switch off. .The VMO is a huge contributor to knee stability and strength. My whole quadriceps complex became atrophied due to the nature of the injury. Once I began strength training again , I prescribed some Blood Flow Restrictive training to stimulate some hypertrophy . This training involves in placing a Velcro strap around the musclotendon junction to restrict or occlude the muscles. It is a fantastic method to utilise with ACL patients because it can elicit hypertrophy using loads of just 20% of a 1 repetition maximum but placing little stress on the joint in question.

Surgery

Today I had my left knee reconstructed by Dr. Moran. The procedure lasts about 90mins in total. The surgeon will remove a piece from the middle third of the patellar tendon. The piece is inclusive of a piece of bone from both ends. An incision is made to allow an arthroscope (camera) to inspect the knee structure. At this stage the surgeon will alleviate any issues with torn cartilage. For example, Conor Mcgregor had damage to the posterior horn as well as having a torn ACL and discontinued MCL  : these would be repaired at this stage . A guide pin is then drilled through a portion of the tibia where the ACL would have been situated previously. It is guided through to the Femur where again the ACL would normally attach. The guide pin will allow the patellar graft to be placed in the appropriate position. Finally, an interference screw is passed through the femoral tunnel. The surgeon will extend the knee and place a second screw in the tibia.

Once I woke up I was immediately in pain. The knee felt heavy and stiff. I was prescribed some medication which eased the pain and I was then transferred to the overnight ward. Dr. Moran then arrived to chat about some exercises I needed to begin as soon as possible. Many people focus on flexion (bending of the knee) rather than extension (straightening the knee) . He advises gaining full extension within 6 weeks of surgery. Terminal deep flexion may not ever be regained full but it is possible to have sufficient flexion to return to sport.  

Prevention

So what are my thoughts on how this can be avoided for you or a team you work with? Firstly, contact ACL injuries are very hard to prevent. Non- Contact injuries are far more preventable. My first option is always assess. This can be done through a functional movement screen or even  the star balance excursion test. A coach should always be able to detect a high risk athlete or client during dynamic movement also. A simple squat in a warm up can trigger several athletes to knee valgus (Knee falls inwards /collapses) . These athletes need extra control to stabilise their knee. Some strides have been made in the industry with warm up designs such as FIFA 11, the Gaelic 15.) and IT Carlow have very recently launched an injury preventative warm up.

A landing error scoring system could be utilised to reveal and stability issues during dynamic movements. Simply, have an athlete step off a 1ft high box and then jump into the air once they hit the ground. I would advise each athlete to be videoed. This will allow a Biomechanist or expert to assess and score the athletes jumping and landing mechanics and red flag any glaring issues.  An anterior view here is paramount while a lateral view could add some benefit also. Anterior will reveal and knee valgus while lateral view will determine amount of knee flexion utilised and ultimately the force absorption mechanics.

As mentioned earlier, a warm up should incorporate preventative measures while still being specific to the sport in question. Drills I tend to use are some mini band glute activation exercises. These may vary depending on each athletes asymmetries. I incorporate a significant amount of jumping and landing. Throughout the warm up I am constantly cueing the landing mechanics of the athlete. I try to reinforce good control as much as possible. Some dynamic movement preparation is a staple of my warms ups. My personal favourites are the World’s Greatest Stretch, Inchworm, Superman Y Scapula retraction and many more. As most of my recent coaching has been in a female domain, I include a lot of hamstring recruitment exercise and I will discuss the reason why later in the article.

One area I feel that is thoroughly neglected in particular the GAA world is decelerating mechanics. I try get some deceleration work done in every warm up. An anecdotal concept I use is including some decelerating and landing mechanics in the cool down too. I feel this may ingrain some control while under fatigued conditions.  

My favourite exercises in a warm up for a field sport are jumping and landing drills. I use some neural activation drills such as pogos, ankle hops and fast feet while also working through exercises that require high neuromuscular control. I tend to use Countermovement Jumps with a stick landing, altitude landings (gym setting) , lateral hop and stick, left-right-left hops with a stick and also have the athlete stand on their left leg and perform two forward quick hops and stick on the third contact. Constantly during this I am screening for knee valgus and poor balance. With smaller groups I can begin to see left to right asymmetries during these drills also.

Strength Cures Everything

A comprehensive strength programme should be prescribed for an athlete who you deem high risk for an ACL tear. Proper coaching and supervision during this type of training can alleviate a lot of risks.

Unilateral training (single leg training) can teach the athlete proper neuromuscular control . Most sports occur on one leg so teaching the athlete how to stabilise their knee during these dynamic movement is crucial.

If you have an athlete who tears an ACL they should be referred to a medical professional. Most athletes will want to take a break once they receive the dreaded news but this is an opportunity to gain some strength that will pay dividend on the other side of the surgery. Also used as a chance to improve in other aspects and take a holistic approach to movement flaws or discrepancies.

Females and The ACL

It is common knowledge in our industry that females are highly susceptible to ACL tears. For the ordinary skill coach or athlete it may not be known.There are many  factors predispose females to ACL tears.  Dr. Gregory Myer has dedicated a lifetime of work on ACL tears and in particular women ACL tears. I had the great privilege of meeting and listening to Gregory speak three years ago on this subject.

Some risks are :

·         Wider Pelvis (Q Angle) and Knee valgus

·         Anatomically have a smaller ACL

·         Poorer core control compared to men

·         Poor posterior musculature recruitment (Land more upright)

·         Glute Medius activation (Knee instability)

·         Hamstring firing sequence may be a risk factor

There have been some studies completed in the affects of puberty in females and the correlation to ACL risks. It has been noted that females gain less hamstring recruitment during puberty and therefore are higher risk when landing from a jump.

ACL Problems

What should you expect in the future if you have ruptured your ACL? Firstly, you should return to play. Sadly there are some unavoidable repercussions . The risk of osteoarthritis is drastically increased and seems to be almost unavoidable . The younger you suffer the injury the earlier you will suffer degenerative changes in your knee. If you have got a hamstring graft and you are female you may suffer as this hamstring will be significantly weaker. However, it appears most surgeons will avoid undertaking a hamstring graft on a female with a history of hamstring injury.

Final Advice

Firstly, have a great physiotherapist. I highly recommend Damien Sheehan who I have been with my whole career. I would advise you to get it as strong as possible prior to surgery and avoid getting lazy. Anyone who coaches or participates in sport should engage in a strength programme. This programme should be heavily prescribed with unilateral work, require high neuromuscular and trunk control. Athletes should work on plyometric elements, in particular eccentric jumping. 

Positivity is key when dealing with any injury. This extended lay off is an opportunity to become a stronger version of yourself both mentally and physically. Once you have returned to play the rehabilitation of your knee needs to continued and your movement refined even further. I would advise you not to fear this injury but to embrace it if it god forbids occurs. Get that knee straight, get lifting heavy and get some muscle back into that leg. I’ve set myself the target of 7 months to return to performance and to surpass all my previous performance markers such as CMJ height, drop jump height, landing forces, speed tests and strength markers.

Finally I would like to thank, my friends in particular Andrew Morrissey for his help, family, team mates, physiotherapist Damien Sheehan, Dr. Ray Moran and Dr. Tom Foley and all the staff at Santry Sports Clinic.

Thanks for reading.

Do everything better.

Peter Shaw

Performing Supermans into Overhead Reverse Lunge 3 weeks post surgery.

What It Takes To Be A Top Coach

What It Takes To Be A Top Coach

By Peter Shaw

16/11/14

While studying for a BSc in Sports Strength and Conditioning, I have been researching coaching philosophies and developing my own. I have been coaching for four years but the past two years my coaching practice has been a lot more intensive. Coupled with this I have been observing quality coaches such as Dr.Liam Hennessy, Jim Gavin , Gerry Fitzpatrick , Martin Kennedy and all the coaches National Athlete Development Academy. I aspire to be a top coach one day. From my own experiences, studies and interactions with great coaches so far in my career, I’ve come to understand that to be a great coach you need to develop a multitude of qualities and skills. In my opinion, these are a few elements I deem necessary to be a top coach.

Empathy
A great coach understands his players and relates to them on a personal level. As a coach, you have to interact with people from different cultures, backgrounds and work/study commitments. All these have implications on your approach to the session and how you implement the training programme. 

“People don't care how much you know until you know how much you care?" John C. Maxwell, author of  'The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership'
This is crucial particularly in a team setting. Caring for your athletes directly correlates with the whole "buy in" factor of the team. Developing a connection with your athletes is imperative. Check out our other article by Des Shaw about how to connect with your athletes.


Empathetic coaches are by nature athlete-centred coaches. In my opinion these will always be more successful in the long term than coach-centred coaches. Coach centred coaches tend to be selfish in their approach, results orientated and egotistical which can yield results but athletes will see through this and are less likely to perform for a coach like this.

Positivity

I worked during the summer at NADA and its owner Martin Kennedy said something that resonated with me ever since. "As a coach if your players are moody or unenthusiastic go home and take a look in the mirror" 
The climate you create will determine largely what mood the athlete’s in. (Martens 2012) notes that "your athletes are more likely to become what you are rather than what you want them to be".

In a study done by Harvard business school; positivity directly related to the success of the team. Three teams were each given the same business task. The winning team had 5.6 positive comments for every negative. The team in second place had 3.9 positives for every negative. And finally the least successful team had a ratio of 0.36:1 which equates to 3 negatives for every positive comment.


Obviously I do not advocate everything a coach says to be positive but merely reducing the negativity of the environment the athlete is in is essential. I suggest the next time you coach, have a fellow coach or assistant observe your session and record your positive comments and negative comments. You may be surprised with your findings.

Experience
This could be possibly the most important of the list. As I have studied papers and books, I have quickly come to the realisation that some methods just don't work as described. In the field we will be forced to adapt and alter things on the spot. Certain things will of course run smoothly and others will have you tearing your hair out. It's up to you as a coach to have these experiences to become a more competent and versatile coach


I would encourage all coaches to diversify in their coaching. Don't always coach kids or always coach males for example. I coached ladies for the first time this season and it added so much to my thought process about coaching. When you feel disillusioned with your adult team perhaps coaching a kids team can rejuvenate you or inspire you again. Enrol yourself in a tutoring course. This will force you to analyse other coaches and tweak the finer details of the art of coaching. I would highly recommend all coaches to have a mentor and a network of other coaches which you can share ideas with.
Lots of top coaches conform into management. This another potential area for a coach to experience. Become a manager and discover for yourself if you wish to be a hands on coach or simply be a logistical manager and delegate to a team of coaches.


If you’re a young coach I would suggest shadowing or applying for an internship. My internship at NADA was invaluable and I still to this day contact the senior coaches there for feedback and with questions I have.
Lastly, I believe we as coaches know very little still. This industry is always evolving as sciences naturally do. Continuous professional development is a key element in becoming a better coach. Seminars, workshops, clinics and courses are of course expensive most of the time but choose wisely, as these are all an investment in yourself. There is always at least one thing you will take away and implement in your coaching almost immediately.

Observational
This skill is heavily linked with experience. As coaches we have to train our eye. The most vital way of doing this is by observing and analysing thousands of sets and reps. Another route to consider  is the use video technology. It can be used for your personal observation or visually displaying to the athlete what he is isn’t executing proficiently or provide them with positive feedback on what they are doing well. A cheap application I use for android is V1 Golf or Coaches Eye. It is a free app which can capture video and be utilised on the spot . You can analyse the skill/movement using lines, circles, boxes and degree angles in slow motion.
Without the skill of observation we cannot coach proficiently . For example , if we cannot spot the flaw in an Olympic lift we cannot cue the athlete to improve this particular lift . Being able to spot and fix is an art itself. Once we can clearly see faults then we can cue the athlete and thus improve their lifting competency or skill proficiency.
Next time you coach in the gym or on the pitch take a step back and give the athlete space. Spot one flaw and then cue them accordingly as opposed to being up close and noticing anything at all.

Leadership
Personally, I feel there can be two strands of leadership.  Sometimes as a coach you have to give control to get control. This can come in the form of delegation to your subordinate coaches. Perhaps giving the players more responsibility. This trust in your players can be a form of leadership. When the athletes are in competition they are in control so we have to give them some form of responsibility as coaches.
Secondly, a coach may have to be the head of the programme. A coach in this situation must be capable of leading the group in the desired direction.

Moran & Kramer gave a comprehensive list of 10 keys to leadership:

1) It has to matter                             2) Letting Go
3) Reflecting                                     4) Adapting
5) Motivating                                    6) Decision-Making
7) Monitoring                                    8) Communicating
9) Be Fair                                          10) Manage Conflict   
  
I hope these inspire you to perhaps change your thinking on coaching and broaden your mind on how you coach. Remember these are my list of top qualities coaches should possess; there are many more that a coach may require. Feel free to give feedback on your top qualities as well.

And finally I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the National Athlete Development Academy (NADA) for giving me the opportunity to intern there over the summer. It was an invaluable experience with great coaches and athletes.

Many thanks to Martin, Mairead, Kev, Cliodhna, Daithi, Conor and my fellow interns.

Do everything better.

Peter Shaw

Gaelic Football, the Real Beautiful Game

Gaelic Football, the Real Beautiful Game

By Des Shaw

31/03/14

As long as I can remember I have known the game of soccer to be called 'The Beautiful Game'. The phrase’s origins are disputed but it has been attributed to Brazilian footballer Waldyr Pereira (Didi) and the presenter Stuart Hall claimed to have coined it in 1958. In its current manifestation; with all the billion dollar sugar daddy owners, superstar egos with bank accounts to match, the mercenary ethos of most of the players and the constant diving & feigning injury, I’m finding it hard to see the beauty in this game. I conducted a coach education course recently with some Dutch physical education (PE) teachers who were visiting this fair isle and found myself coming away from it having somewhat of an epiphany; that our own Gaelic games are more special than I had ever realised before.

Some background about this visit; it was part of a European GAA initiative, who have the arduous task of developing our Gaelic games in schools and cities all around Europe. Currently there are over 360 international Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) affiliated clubs worldwide, 51 across Europe and 5 in the Netherlands alone. So my new Dutch friends travelled from the city of Almere located to the east of Amsterdam to pay us a visit and learn about the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Gaelic football. A total of 7 PE teachers from the Helen Parkhurst School in Almere made the trip. It became clear from speaking to them, that their school system operates differently to ours here in Ireland. They are a public school but they pay special attention to science education, information and communication technology (ICT), culture and society, sport and environmental education. While there is an overall curriculum, there is a major focus placed upon on these particular areas. An example of this is the way their aspiring elite athletes who attend benefit from special education, where they are provided the opportunity to develop their athletic endeavours with more focus by having tailored learning schedules and by being given special exemptions. Our Dutch guests were given a guided tour of Croke Park and then I had the great privilege of presenting a coaching seminar on Gaelic Football, on behalf of the Leinster Council.

My job for the day was to educate these Dutch teachers in the subject of Gaelic football, an introduction to the game so to speak. The main aim was to give them an overview of the game and highlight the basic rules and skills involved. I also intended to provide them with some ideas of drills and games that they could bring back to their schools and use in their PE classes. I decided to use a brief presentation with some group work followed by a practical element introducing the skills, rules and games to the group. After a brief introduction I set the group a little task of introducing themselves, naming their sporting background and highlighting the key components that encapsulated their particular sport. So an example I gave them was golf which requires: eye/hand coordination, balance, core strength, power, touch, reading, timing, flexibility, visualisation and mental toughness (I probably left out some but this was only an exercise). This is where the session became interesting for me and, I hope, for them too. In the room we had some diverse sporting backgrounds, which included swimming, soccer, volleyball, basketball and judo. The group described their particular sports in detail, all of which are great sports in their own right. Though the skills and physical demands required for playing their particular sports often overlapped, there were also unique and interesting components to each of them. To follow on from this exercise and as part of the presentation I used a Youtube™ clip of Gaelic football which provided a reasonable summation of the game.

Side note: I wish the GAA would put together a professionally developed summation of our games which highlights the key skills and rules for people who may never have seen our games before. The video I used although it certainly got the message across, at times was lacking in visual quality and it would certainly have been nice to have HD quality footage to convey our games in the best light.

Upon viewing this video clip the look on their faces was first one of confusion which then turned into amazement. What followed was a barrage of questions which I can only describe as similar to the shelling the allies received at the Siege of Bastogne, they were coming thick and fast and from every direction. It was around this time that I started to break down the basic rules and skills. Through the process of highlighting the skills and rules to my Dutch guests, I tried to relate as many of them back to some other sport that they were familiar with as possible. This is where my epiphany occurred. I came to the realisation that Gaelic football is so multi faceted and is a combination of the greater elements that encapsulate so many other sports. When describing the handpass our volleyball coach in attendance described it as a serve, when describing the catch or bounce it was evident to us all of the basketball skills required to play Gaelic football. This occurred time and time again when explaining the skills/ rules and I began to realise, as did the Dutch teachers, how special and complex our game actually is. The more I thought about the components of Gaelic football, both the skills and physical demands that are required to play it, the more I started to see the limitations of the others sports that I enjoy watching or playing myself. Take for instance soccer which in my opening is described as ‘The Beautiful Game’ which, when you break it down, really does require a lot of skill to play. However one the Dutch teachers made a very significant point, soccer completely lacks the hand/eye coordination of Gaelic football. This was more and more evident when we looked at other popular sports and if you think deeply about it, there are very few sports that feature as many skills to master as Gaelic football. In my opinion the only game that offers as much (and more) is another of our national games hurling, which requires all the same components of Gaelic football but involves significantly more hand/eye coordination with the introduction of a bat/hockey style stick (hurl) and smaller sized ball (sliotar). I know I am completely biased when it comes to this topic but I challenge anyone to suggest another sport that offers more in terms of physical demands and skills required to play.

To finish our day together I went through some practical work developing skills, drills and games in which my Dutch guests were the participants. This gave them a further understanding and appreciation for our game. Performing each skill individually proved relatively easy for them but when I introduced more skills/ rules to each game, it was evident that there was a demand for increased concentration levels to perform these skills and adhere to the rules. We then discussed at length the different types of games and drills that could be used and in this discussion I made a very important point that using Gaelic football in their PE classes would benefit their pupils greatly by developing skills and movements that maybe alien to them and their preferred sports. In the broader picture of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), diversifying and playing multiple sports early will encourage the development of a more complete physical literacy of their athletes. I have found in my coaching observations that players, who have played basketball, can develop better ball handling, tackling skills and incredible spin (pivot) moves that transfer so effortlessly and naturally on to the Gaelic football field. The players who never play basketball can struggle to develop these skills and perhaps in some cases never will. The same principle can be applied to Gaelic football, that it will offer other movements and skills that will help the overall development of any athlete regardless of their particular sports. This is a principle I always endorse and try to pass on to fellow coaches and aspiring athletes.

In conclusion found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable day; the merging of cultures provoked a deeper understanding of our sports in both my Dutch guests and I. It’s a strange feeling but I believe I have gained more from that coach education session than the actual participants. I have to admit I have been one of those critics in the past who have damned Gaelic football in its recent manifestations, with the blanket defences and the over emphasis and reliance on fitness levels. However this experience has unearthed for me a greater love, appreciation and understanding of Gaelic football, it truly is a special game and one which I feel we as coaches, players and supporters are not nearly proud enough of. Its complexity, physical demands and skill levels are unparalleled with the exception of our sister game hurling. My wish is that anyone reading this will also come to this realisation and develop a new appreciation and love for our game. Gaelic football is ‘The Real Beautiful Game.’

Until next time.

Do everything better!

Des.

Don’t Be Left Behind, Performance Analysis Is Here To Stay

Don’t Be Left Behind, Performance Analysis Is Here To Stay

By Des Shaw

27/03/14

Performance - that ultimate and coveted goal that all unwavering athletes, coaches and teams obsess about. We hear it so frequently from the top level coaches, managers and player in their interviews “It’s not about the result; it’s all about the performance”. It seems that the higher the level of competition the more this becomes the focus. So why do we obsess about it so much? Ultimately, for me, it’s the way you can be satisfied internally with what you are doing or trying to achieve within your sport.  Not every athlete, coach or team can win but if you are striving for performance rather than results you will in the end have that overwhelming self satisfaction that you gave your best irrespective of the outcome.

Many factors impact one’s performance such as; nutrition, strength and conditioning, skill acquisition, preparation, tactics and psychology amongst others. Even small changes in these factors can produce changes in performance and at the highest levels of competition and small changes in performance can be the difference between stagnation and improvement, between winning and losing. It is through performance analysis (PA) that these changes can be followed, recorded and judged. A recent study conducted by the Irish Sports Council caught my attention about the use of performance analysis in Irish Sports. Here’s an info-graphic that summarises the study’s findings and a link to the report.

There is a lot of information contained within the report but two findings in particular are especially interesting. The first was that 51% of level 1 coaches or higher use performance analysis (Irish Sports Council, 2014); so the more experienced and progressive coaches are, the more likely they are to use PA to support their coaching endeavours. The other statistic which intrigued me was that 87% of coaches said that PA was essential to their coaching and 79% of these coaches felt that it was also essential for developing tactics/ playing style. From these statistics it is evident that PA is becoming more prevalent with progressive coaches in Ireland but I find PA use is still in its infancy particularly in the lower levels of Irish sport. This is similar to strength and conditioning in this country 10 or 15 years ago when its use was also in its infancy but now it has become common practice with the majority of serious athletes, teams or clubs. I believe that PA will in time follow strength and conditioning and become an integral part of coaching practice and development for the majority of athletes, teams and clubs.

What Is Performance Analysis?

Performance Analysis provides the athletes and coaches with objective information that helps them understand performance. This process is underpinned by systematic observation, which provides measurable, valid, reliable and detailed information relating to performance. Performance Analysis can help enhance the coaching process by providing statistical, scientific and video information. There are many forms of performance analysis such as notational (statistical information), video analysis (video clips) fitness monitoring (fitness tests) or blood/ lactate testing (scientific).

This objective data facilitates enhanced feedback between coaches and athletes. Subsequent interventions in the; strength and conditioning, coaching process, tactical setups or style of play can then lead to a greater performance impact. How precisely this analysis is effectively integrated into athlete development programmes will determine how much performance can improve.

For the purposes of the rest this article I am going to concentrate my attention on the areas of notational and video analysis. Scientific and fitness monitoring would require a whole article on their own.

Why Use Performance Analysis?

In order to improve on performance and become more successful athletes/ coaches must reflect upon previous performance. Coaches and athletes must know and understand what they have done to make themselves successful/ unsuccessful. A great deal of time can be spent thinking about how to improve, or on trying to understand the elements that make up a good performance. Coaches generally rely on what they observe in real-time to inform their coaching decisions and provide their athletes with feedback. However, it has been identified that coaches are only able to recall 30—50% of key performance factors they had witnessed, even with special training in observation (Franks and Miller, 1991). So if the observation of performance is limited then the rest of the process is then in question. That’s why PA can be extremely beneficial. PA is used to provide measured observation during or after an event to quantify performance in an accurate, reliable and valid way because even the most experienced coach cannot achieve this type of measured observation.

How It Benefits Coaches

·        Provides the coach with a better understanding of how the athlete/team actually perform.

·        Provides the coach with objective data to help them develop an athlete/team’s understanding of how they actually performed.

·        Empowers the coach to make more precise decisions when it comes to their team selection process, coaching practice or tactical setups.

·        Helps coach develop a better understanding of the athlete/team’s strengths and weaknesses.

·        Provides the coach with a better understanding of the oppositions strengths and weaknesses or playing styles and tactics.

Notational Analysis

There is no excuse for any sports team for not organising some notational analysis to be collected for their games/ training. Pen, paper and a small bit of concentration from a well chosen volunteer is all that’s needed. Selecting and recording simple statistics known as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like scores, turnovers etc. will provide the coach with valuable information to assess the athlete/team’s performance.  Notational analysis can be conducted live during the event but trying to record too many KPIs can prove difficult and lead to inaccurate records. It’s best to select a small number of important KPI’s and record these accurately. Post game notational analysis yields the best results if you have a video recording of the event and will provide more in depth statistical analysis for the coach and athlete/team.  

There are two styles of notational analysis which can be used:

Frequency Tables

A frequency table is a simple case of creating a table based sheet and ticking off each event as it happens. Excel is a perfect tool for producing a KPI frequency table.

Schematic Plotting

A Schematic on the other hand involves plotting what happened on the pitch, this method gives you a more graphical representation of the events.

Once all the statistical information is recorded a more professional looking dossier can be produced for ease of reading for the coach and athlete/team. Here’s an example using excel.

Video Analysis

Video analysis is the process by which coaches and players review video footage of practices and games to improve the players' performance or to prepare them for future opponents. Video recording equipment is required to record footage of the game/ training. Footage can be shown to athletes/coaches but this is a cumbersome method of analysis because its time consuming and you still have to keep a watchful eye for key events that need to be addressed. A much more practical form of analysis use video analysis software such as Dartfish, Focus x2 or Sportcode. These types of software can allow the footage of key events that need to be addresses to be edited and compiled into shorter video clips for ease of viewing and presentation. Also many of these types of software can also double up to record and export the statistical analysis too.

Video analysis is a versatile tool for working with athlete/teams in search of improvement. Here are some reasons to use it:

1.     Tactical Setup or Style of Play – Coaches can use video footage to demonstrate formations, tactical positioning and styles of play i.e. long direct passing. It can be used to highlight where improvements need to be made by the teams tactically.

2.     Opposition Breakdown – Coaches can use analysis of the opposing team and highlight key areas like how they setup tactically, key players to watch and areas which they are weak and your team can exploit.

3.     Statistical Analysis – Video Analysis can be use to provide in depth and accurate statistical analysis of KPI’s which can be used to identify areas which may need improvement and also allows for comparing and contrasting previous or future performances.

4.     Individual Analysis – Focus can be placed on individual performances which will give the coach and athlete a better understanding of the individual’s contribution to the overall outcome.

5.     Bio- Mechanical Analysis – Video analysis can also be used to break down the bio-mechanics of an athlete’s performance. This great for sports like golf, powerlifting, swimming, sprinting etc. It provides coaches with slow motion video to break down the subtleties of the key movements required. 

               

Video and Statistical analysis is a central part of my own coaching practices and I would advocate its use to all coaches regardless of their level of experience. As I have outlined above, PA will provide you with that much needed objective data that can be used in your decision making for team selection, tactical setup or coaching practice. Coaches have been relying solely on their subjective views of the performance in their decision making processes for far too long. I'm sure all of you involved in sport have probably at some stage wondered ‘what the hell was the coach doing making that change’ or ‘can he not see that player is playing awful, he should take him off.’  My point is that often the subjective opinion of a coach can be to detriment of the team. I find that sometimes coaches can get too emotionally charged on the sideline and their viewpoint of the game is not conducive to making good decisions.  This is why video footage is shot from a high vantage point, so we can see the game in its totality. Rugby, AFL and NFL have all seen their head coaches remove themselves from the sidelines and positioned themselves in corporate boxes which allows them to get a more objective view of the game. It’s this objective view that empowers them to make better decisions and PA will give them even more quality information to make the best decisions.

Performance analysis, video analysis in particular can be great for teams or players who don’t respond well to verbal instruction. So when it comes to on field coaching about tactics or areas of weaknesses that need to be addresses some players find it difficult to comprehend what the coach is trying to work on. The use of video footage can produce that eureka moment for some athletes/teams when they see it visually. An example I personally experienced was with a coach who knew his team were turning over the ball too much and addressed it in his coaching session but couldn't get through to the players and no change occurred.  After I presented a short clip and statistics over three games, of their turnovers, the ‘eureka’ moment happened amongst the players and turnovers were reduced by 50% next game. Now it doesn't always work like that but perhaps just seeing it for themselves, refocused them to retain possession better the next game and that sometimes that is all it takes to get improved performance.

I could continue with more examples and more information on the benefits of using Performance Analysis but I think you get my point and it’s clear from the Irish Sports Council’s report that many coaches out there are availing of its many uses and benefits.  My advice is DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND, performance analysis is the way forward and its use is becoming more prevalent and if you’re not using it you can be sure the opposition will be. Find a decent performance analyst and bring them on board in your coaching endeavours you won’t regret it.

Now for the shameless plug, Shaw Sports Performance Solutions provide a variety of performance analysis packages tailored for even small budgets. For more information check out our Video Analysis page. Until next time.

Do everything better.

Des.

References:

Franks and Miller. (1991). Training Coaches To Observe and Remember. Journal of Sport Sciences, 285-297.

Irish Sports Council. (2014). Coaches Use and Perception of Performance Analysis in Irish Sport. Dublin: Irish Sports Council.