Sports Coaching

Techniques Used by Coaches to Improve the Performance





Notes for Sports Coaching Presentation
Techniques used to improve sports performance
Slide 1
Explain what I’m going to talk about and how many different techniques I will look at.

Slide 2
Goal setting- Describe what goal setting is. Talk about it being widely used, involves both the coach and athlete. Explain that there are 3 types of goals.... long, medium and short, briefly explain both long and short term goals. Explain how smart works. SMART... link to water polo. Short term goal in water polo may include improving overall cardiovascular endurance by trying to reach the next level on the multistage fitness test. I would first test by doing the multistage fitness test then after a four weeks re take the test and see if my training has paid off and if I was able to achieve the next level. The goal is specific, it can be measured by a fitness test. The goal is achievable, it isn’t too hard but is challenging. In four weeks it is possible to achieve this goal with the right training. The goal is realistic, I could improve to the next level on the multistage fitness test. Lastly the goal has a time limit on it, a time of four weeks to allow me to try achieve this by that time. A long term goal maybe to be picked for a welsh water polo game by the end of 2011. The goal is specific, it can be measured by actually getting into the team or not. The goal is achievable as there are lots of training sessions that are taken by Welsh water polo coaches. The goal is realistic and has a set time to be achieved by (2011).


Slide 3
Explain positives and negatives.

Slide 4
Observation analysis- describe that observation analysis is to actually watch the performer and determine good and bad points of the athlete. Talk about the feedback used. Give an example on swimming. A coach watches the performer and notices that the hand entry into the water is much shorter that it should be. The coach will then stop the athlete and tells them that they need to stretch the arm out a lot further, they may give the athlete a visual demonstration and depending what ability that athlete is they then may physically move the arm to the distance they want the arm to go in the water (manual guidance). Talk about top athletes being able to be videoed in training and then watch the video themselves to see anything they need to improve. A swimmer could be videoed while performing a dive. The underwater phase may not be streamlined and this has only showed up on the video as the coach is unlikely to see this from above the water, the coach and athlete can now work on this.

Slide 5
Explain strengths and weaknesses to this technique.

Slide 6
Fitness testing- describe fitness testing and that it is when an athlete is put under pressure and pushed to the limit to try get a recording of the level of fitness they have, this can be in any fitness component. The results will contribute to the coach setting a training programme to help improve weaknesses that have shown up in the test situation. For example the coach may decide to test the swimmers flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance. The swimmer may reach an extremely high level on the multistage fitness test and can extend to an impressive number on the sit and reach box. But the athlete shows that the muscular endurance is quite low, this may explain why the athlete struggles towards the end of the training session or during a long distance race. The coach now knows where the athlete lacks the necessary endurance and can now design a training programme to suit this fitness component. The athlete will have a set time to complete this training programme and then the coach will carry out exactly the same test with the same protocols and be able to compare results and see if an improvement has been made.
Slide 7
Explain the positives and negatives of this technique

Finish/conclusion.
Explain that each technique is effective and is used by coaches on athletes of all abilities. The three techniques I described and explained are very well linked. The fitness testing and observation analysis can show up weaknesses, the goal setting can then be used to help improve the weaknesses and focus the athlete to improve these weaknesses, fitness assessment will then be proof that the goal has been achieved.