St Marys 4 hours
Due to my trial going so well when coaching individually, I was offered both St Marys and Treverbyn primary schools for the rest of the term. I also received an email from the main boss congratulating me on such a quick start and mentioned how well I have slotted in the company. So when I arrived at St Marys I just had to make sure it was more of the same from previous weeks as using enjoyment in the session had proven very popular so far. What I was mindful off was making sure I will still providing enough coaching and teaching points in order to see progression from the group.
Year 3
At the start of the session I let the students know that I will make it as enjoyable as possible as long as we cover the session objectives. This session was the first time I came up against a stumbling block in the form of a container filled with all the kit being locked and unable to get inside due to the lock being faulty. I had to think quickly because it risked me about to deliver a session with no substance and no kit. In my car I had soft footballs, these balls would form basis of a full session of danish long ball because it is a sport which I had coached before when I was studying at 6th form and it incorporated both running, dodging and teamwork along with kicking. Cushion et al. (2003) have had experience in similar circumstances when the venue they required for a futsal observation was taken they reacted quickly with a contingency plan and used a small playground in the sports complex to still perform their session to the best of their ability and take observations required for their study. They participants I coached again enjoyed the session because you could tell from their competitiveness to win and enjoyment factor that they had a good time. Towards the end for a treat I allowed the teams to be boy/girl because that is what they asked for and for being so good during the session I allowed a quick game of boys vs girls which went down really well.
Year 4
I had to explain the circumstances of the container situation to the class and suggest that we do what we did with the year 3’s and play danish long ball. I demonstrated how you score points and play the game and you could see from their excitement they wanted to get going. I made an effort with some of the class that had a background in football to go a little easier on the class mates with limited skills in kicking a ball just because I wanted to session to be inclusive to everyone. Due to the behaviour being outstanding again with this class I did let them have a boys vs girls game again because for some reason it was what they really wanted, i obliged to them again as a treat to end the session.
Treverbyn 4 Hours
When I coach at Treverbyn I am more aware of what is required to gain full compliance from the group. I need to be more authoritative from the start to assert my position over the group. Hardman and Jones (2010) exclaim that at a negative of being so assertive is that it adds a seriousness element and It could add unwanted pressure to the group and in turn they could struggle to perform to the best of their ability.
Year 5
In the second session plan (see below) it focused on footwork and grip in badminton. The initial feeling when explaining the session was of confusion which was probably due to the technical side of it. I used a parallel activity session again because previous knowledge has suggested that it is probably the best action to take with primary school children especially when there is such an age gap. I was able to progress the students that grasped it early but also give extra help to those struggling with the fundamentals.
Year 6
The year 6 class were very excitable when they came in; this was to be expected for a Friday afternoon. Even though I was into my third week working with Go Active I felt like I had been there years because when I was explaining the session and demonstrating then everything just felt natural and any previous nerves disappeared. Instead of doing the warm up activity on the session plan I realised how energetic the group was and merged a badminton skill with running to benefit me for the rest of the session. I split them into 4 groups onto 4 badminton courts and told them that I want a rally to begin but as soon as you hit it I want you to sprint as fast as you can to the other side and join the back of the queue. This tactic worked well because for the rest of the session because their energy levels were a lot more controlled; which allowed the drills following this warm upto be performed well without disruptive behaviour.
Following on from what I said about only being in my third week of placement but already working independently. I feel like being thrown in at the deep end and having to sort everything needed for the sessions has allowed me feel more confident in my ability and has shown I am already at a good standard to coach due to the response from the schools. I have learnt this week that I need to analyse the situation from the start like I did with my year 6 class and make changes accordingly to best suit the whole group. Overall feeling from both days was a sense of achievement I felt like I was actually sharing my knowledge and skill to both schools and they were taking it in.
Session Plans.
References
Cushion C, Armour K, Jones R. Coach education and continuing professional development: experience and learning to coach. Quest. 2003;55:215–23
Hardman, A. and Jones, C. (2010) The Ethics of Sports Coaching. (1st ed.) Abingdon: Routledge.