Ok…You’ve just got your level 1 coaching qualification and you’re ready to change the face of tennis coaching in the UK…where do you start?
Yes… Level 2, now you can really start to make a difference in tennis…Now let me lead a session!
Level 3…here goes, watch me start coaching the next big thing in tennis with my new found skills…
Level 3 (5 years later)…The next big thing will be here soon…
Level 3 (10 years later)… hmmm, maybe i’ll just keep as I am and run my sessions…
Level 3 (20 years later)… Basket feeding and i’ll just stand here and shout…
Maybe you go further and get level 4 a year or two after level 3, ‘right, this is it, if the player won’t come to me, i’m gonna turn an average player into a Wimbledon champion…
Level 4 (10 years later)…ok they’re playing county tournaments, not bad, at least i’m working in a performance group.
Level 4 (20 years later)… Basket feeding and shouting…
How many coaches have the same level as enthusiasm from the first day of coaching right through their career? It’s rare to find a coach that is that enthusiastic, especially on a cold, wet day in the middle of winter with a group of 12 year old beginners that aren’t enthusiastic themselves.
It’s the job of YOU, the coach, to inject enthusiasm into any groups or individuals that you coach!
Is it simply that coaching techniques have changed since the ‘more experienced’ coaches qualified? Coaches do go on CPD courses but some coaches are set in their ways and go on these courses just to get their points up for the year.
I’m in a fantastic position where the coaches I am surrounded by are coaches brimming with enthusiasm and leading as an example for all of the younger coaches coming through, myself included!
The coaches I am surrounded by are like new coaches even though they are experienced, bouncing around with mini red players, joking and smiling with oranges and greens, injecting enthusiasm into juniors with conversation and jokes and even their coaching of the adults is enthusiastic enough without being over the top!
Too many coaches ‘skate’ by in the sense that they turn up to work, coach their sessions, wave players on court and wave them off again and the waving is about all the enthusiasm they show!
What makes a coach enthusiastic?
Coaches that are enthusiastic are ‘busy’ with their body language with gestures and clear demonstrations, engaging players in conversation and being excitable with their voice!
A lot of coaches that are ‘racquet huggers’ and ‘basket feeders’, show little enthusiasm and get by through shouting to players from next to their baskets and standing by the net or baseline, again, shouting at players.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for basket feeding however it is a skill to inject enthusiasm when feeding from a basket and also basket feeding creates a false environment of rallying/playing ponts. There are also numbers of players to take into consideration as too many players on a session means that too many players would be waiting off while the coach feeds to one player.
Same with ‘racquet hugging’, there is a time and place to observe players but coaches don’t use a racquet just to look the part, a coach uses a racquet to lead a session, with demonstrations and to also jump into drills even if it means a player waiting off and watching the coach use that time to teach.
Coaches that join in and engage with players can inject enthusiasm, create a positive atmosphere and can make the session ‘special’ meaning players enjoy and want to return to the sessions in the future.
Just remember, no one wants to be:
A) waiting off court while 5/6 other players get basket feeding.
B) coached by a coach that tries to fuse their racquet with their jacket for the whole session.
C) shouted at by a coach that hasn’t either engaged them in conversation or joined in to hit with/teach them any individual points.
Are you a basket feeding racquet hugger or are you the enthusiastic coach players respond to?
samcoaching 