Coaches who are successful in working with female players have the critical ability to teach and relay information to players.
The art of developing a player is based on a coach’s ability to teach.
THE WRONG TEACHING STYLES
The one-way conversation: The most common is the coach that tells a player what to do with complete disregard for the player’s input. These types of coaches don’t care what the player has to say about their own game. They believe that they are right, and they know better than the player, and they do not allow the player to give much feedback. Coaches who use this style of coaching believe their success is based on how well the athlete can reproduce skills taught by the coach. Coaches who employ this method of teaching are often coached by someone who used this exact same style and believe it’s the way every player should be taught.
The Squash IQ: Some coaches think that the best way to teach a player is to simply fill their heads with absolutely every piece of information they can provide. Just because a player knows all the tactics and technique to the game, does not mean they can apply this. Experience will always out way knowledge, however, when a coach weaves in the right information in an environment that a player feels comfortable and confident in, the player is going to learn best.
CHRONOLOGICAL PHASES IN PERFORMANCE:
- Perceiving Phase: The player is attempting to determine what is happening and distinguish the information that is applicable. Accomplished players can rapidly sort through key information and sperate it from information that is non-essential.
- Deciding Phase: The athlete is deducing the most appropriate path of action to taker. The have received all the information they need at this point.
- Acting Phase: Signals are sent to the muscles to carry out the desired task with suitable timing and expertise. Although the execution phase is clearly important to success in squash, it must be understood that it alone is not responsible for on-court success. The two preceding phases are necessary in reaching this final stage: a fact that can’t be ignored by coaches. Coaches who maintain misconceived beliefs regarding how players learn won’t be able to help each individual athlete. These three co-dependent phases take place in a rapid sequential manner.
Players vary in their level of maturity and sometimes even their level of interest in the sport. Those obsessed with squash might act more like a sponge and absorb all the knowledge you throw at them. Others may not care one bit about getting better but love how it makes their body feel. Both are ok! The important part is finding this information out and adapting the load you give to them.
This page was written in courtesy of the Women’s Tennis Coaching Association WTCA
Stone, S (2019, November 17). Baseline level certification course – WTCA – women’s tennis coaching
