Coaching Mantras

At present we have a number of new, young and enthusiastic coaches getting involved in club activity. When you are just starting out it can be quite an overwhelming experience as there seems to be so much to watch for. One of the things that I can recommend from experience is to develop a coaching mantra; something you can keep in your head and recite to students when patrolling your class or club. Some of the things you could include in it are:
Bend your legs
Keep your front foot straight
Don't lean forward in the lunge
Bend your legs
Lead with the hand
Keep your back foot flat on the floor when you lunge
Look up when you lunge
Oh, and bend your legs
The discerning fencer will note that all these comments refer to the basics of footwork and the lunge. As a new Coach you can add huge amounts of value to your students and your sport by constantly driving home the basics. The instant gratification culture that we live in quite often lends it's attitude to people's expectations in sport. They wish to "get on with it", "learn the good stuff" and tend to forget the simple basics. It is the coaches' job to bring them back to the reality of learning any sport, i.e. that you must master the basics before you can attempt the complex. By constantly reminding (some might call it nagging) people about these aspects of their performance you will be doing your coaching duty. You may also find that these flaws underpin virtually all other reasons for techniques going wrong. Foundations built upon sand.....