Description: Modern volleyball coaching ramblings and information
A lot of times, us coaches are former players and feel we know the game pretty darn well. I think one of the reasons a lot of us get into coaching is to pass on our knowledge to younger players or to stay involved in the game in some way, if we’re now unable to play or can’t play at a level we want to. The problem we have, sometimes, is we don’t realize that coaching and playing are very different. I’ve known many people who were outstanding players but make lousy coaches. On the other side of the coin, I’v
I have witnessed, and been involved with, programs with many coaches, and one of the things I noticed about some of the best is that their feedback is very concise. When giving feedback to an athlete, you must determine if the athlete is ready for it – even sometimes asking the athlete if he/she would like feedback at that moment. When it’s determined that an athlete is ready for feedback, that feedback must be concise, short, and specific. I’ve seen many coaches stop a drill in the middle of its implementa
In the same spirit of having an athlete self-organize, the feedback can be more effective if it’s phrased in a way that helps the athlete solve the problem himself/herself. Using the Socratic method is a great way to help with this. Ask the athlete questions and help the athlete come up with answers on his/her own. Give them the freedom to explore their way of viewing a skill and help guide them to solutions. Just telling them to do something often just turns into a waste of breath, because it ends up being