A little help....
Yesterday at NAF we had the very pleasant situation of having five young people coming along to assist the club. They have all been members of the club in the past and came along to help run things. This is a great place to be for the coaches as it frees us up to do lots of other good stuff. Most of our helpers are looking to (or have taken) initial coaching awards and are helping on their own time, which on a Saturday is very laudable indeed. It is not easy coaching/directing younger children when you are not that much older than them yourself so there are a few things that can help when attempting it.
Make sure you are in control; this extends not only to presiding the fight but making sure everyone is behaving and not walking across the pistes, keeping away from the fencing area, equipment is being worn properly etc. As the coach/leader it is up to you to make this happen. If you give the impression that you have eyes in the back of your head then the students will have more respect for you.
Take no lip; sometimes you will have to make decisions that students don't like, particularly when presiding. They may question or complain but at the end of the day that's life! You shouldn't allow them to give you too much grief as this will lead to bad behaviour at a later stage, particularly at competitions. Explain that this is the decision you have made and why and leave it at that. Do not tolerate cheek but point out to the errant pupil that this is unacceptable.
Encourage participation; Make sure everyone is involved and taking part. Some will not because they are lazy, others because they are shy. Either way encourage them to get stuck in as it's for their own benefit in the long run. Persistent malingerers need to consider whether fencing is really for them. This isn't harsh, it's practical. Normally there are people queueing up for fencing clubs so if there are pupils who don't want to be there then perhaps they should make way for some who are?
Divide your attention equally; make sure you are giving time to all pupils where possible.
Encourage; never forget that a word of praise or encouragement can make a world of difference. If you notice improvement or are pleased with someone then make sure you tell them.
So there you are, a few tips for all you folks getting involved in helping/coaching. Your efforts are greatly appreciated so thanks for doing it.
Make sure you are in control; this extends not only to presiding the fight but making sure everyone is behaving and not walking across the pistes, keeping away from the fencing area, equipment is being worn properly etc. As the coach/leader it is up to you to make this happen. If you give the impression that you have eyes in the back of your head then the students will have more respect for you.
Take no lip; sometimes you will have to make decisions that students don't like, particularly when presiding. They may question or complain but at the end of the day that's life! You shouldn't allow them to give you too much grief as this will lead to bad behaviour at a later stage, particularly at competitions. Explain that this is the decision you have made and why and leave it at that. Do not tolerate cheek but point out to the errant pupil that this is unacceptable.
Encourage participation; Make sure everyone is involved and taking part. Some will not because they are lazy, others because they are shy. Either way encourage them to get stuck in as it's for their own benefit in the long run. Persistent malingerers need to consider whether fencing is really for them. This isn't harsh, it's practical. Normally there are people queueing up for fencing clubs so if there are pupils who don't want to be there then perhaps they should make way for some who are?
Divide your attention equally; make sure you are giving time to all pupils where possible.
Encourage; never forget that a word of praise or encouragement can make a world of difference. If you notice improvement or are pleased with someone then make sure you tell them.
So there you are, a few tips for all you folks getting involved in helping/coaching. Your efforts are greatly appreciated so thanks for doing it.
posted by Dave at
12:44 PM
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