Using Video to Model Coaching

Imagine being a new coach and wanting to learn as much as they could about how to coach athletes. Where would you send them to gather this new information? Who would you send them too? What might you consider to be some of the most important things to learn? I think finding information today is easier than ever when it comes to learning about coaching. But providing players with models of how to coach is more difficult.

Simply put: There are just not enough video available for coaches to look at when wanting a good example of coaches in the act of coaching. Though there are snip its here and there the actual footage is lacking. We have tons of video of coaches sharing information but I think we miss the boat when it comes to good models of coaches coaching in the act.

There is much value to be gained when examining this idea of creating a library of coaches coaching. Often the idea of improving coaching instruction is really difficult to think about because it is hard to know what the best do. I think that some should be taken before starting this to consider what the best practices that coaches do, while adjusting as you work through this process of film, and highlighting. Three of the key benefits of using film to Model coaching come from controlling what you value, spread of best techniques, improvement of techniques.

This is important to consider because often coaches development is something that is considered to be on going. But without a process to help develop skills and techniques of the best coaches then often development is left up to chance. Which is something I think we would all want to avoid no matter what.

This is probably the most creative part of this process. How you are to spread this idea should be go basically create some type of space where coaches can look up different techniques or coaches quickly while having good models to work from. This is important because these models will be what others will start to make mental representations of as they go back to coaching.

Controlling What You Value

Video allows for coaches to highlight key techniques that coaches may be using when they are coaching. Video allows a long form of recording that can be snipped down to mere seconds to highlight exactly what you are trying to get across to others. This creates a way for coaches to know what they should be looking for when reviewing (potentially) of themselves in action.

Spreading Best Techniques

The main idea is that as you start to set up what you value from coaches you can start to spread among all within your staff the best techniques that others are using. “Look how ___ worked on ___ during practice this week.” By spreading these best techniques other coaches should start to then consider how they can build them into their own coaching practice with some help.

Improvement Of Techniques

Once you have started to spread these best practices, inevitably coaches will start to improve on the initial technique which should make better Models for others. As the Model of coaching improves you can start to see how this cycle can continue for a really long time. The main point being that the coaching improves over a given period of time.

This isn’t to say that film by it self will improve coaching but I think that starting to make a process around coach development should be examined deeper. How are we developing coaches? How do we know we are developing them? Plus many other questions should start to be examined as we dig into helping coaches improve.