The Coaching Toolbox: For
Coaches….& Teachers!
A Practitioner’s Viewpoint
Alan MacPherson
& Murray Craig
Session Plan: Abraham & Collins’
Coaching Toolbox • Intro – Who we are and our relationship with the topic
- Alan applied / research
- Murray – Physical & Coach Education
• Understanding knowledge(s)
• The toolbox
- Short explanation of the tools
• Underlying theories
• Q&A - How does this relate to what you do?
• Concluding Remarks
Why do experts standstill, go
backwards, or work hard to become
and remain expert - ? Abraham & Collins (2011)
“When faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and
proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on
proof.” (Galbraith, 2002)
Quote from Abraham & Collins (2011b)
Procedural
Knowledge
Declarative Knowledge
Tacit Knowledge
Types of Knowledge Underpinning the
Toolbox
Why am I doing what
I’m doing: Undervalued?
How to do – what
I’m doing (Coach): Vital – yet
problematic
Knowledge that is difficult to
tell…acquired through immersion in
a domain … composed of different
experiences: Vital – yet problematic
Toolbox Basics: How it works
Offers methods / options / combinations
3 Golden Rules
1. Make the content as personally relevant as possible
2. Promote athlete understanding wherever possible
3. For rapid short-term results make the session ‘easy’;
for longer-term development focused on retention/
transfer make it ‘harder’.
(Abraham & Collins, 2011)
The Tools (Abraham & Collins, 2011)
1. Knowing your performer
2. Assessment
3. Goal-setting
4. Physical guidance
5. Verbal instruction
6. Demonstration
7. Q&A
8. Command words
9. Feedback
10. Practice
Relationship &
Understanding
Communication
Skill Development
Environment
Physical Practice
Abraham & Collins, (2011a)
Coaching Toolbox – Practice
Continuum
Timescale -
Short term
Decision
Continuum
Timescale -
Long term
Expert
Demonstration
versus Coping
Demonstration
More versus Less Feedback
Instruction versus Questions &
Answer
Consistent versus Varied Practice
Massed versus Distributed Practice
Abraham & Collins, (2011 a, p. 223)
Coaching Toolbox for Coaches??
Underpinning Theory
• Classical Decision Making& Naturalistic Decision
Making
• Professional Judgement Decision Making (PJDM)
Classical & Naturalistic Decision-
Making
• Classical Decision
Making :
• Naturalistic Decision
Making Defined as:
CDM – Formal Knowledge
NDM – Intervention Knowledge Source
Micro
Macro
DM
Sty
le
Abraham & Collins (2011b)
Compare, contrast
options in advance –
not time critical
Recognise cues –
adapt – to the
environment: time
urgent
PJDM & The Toolbox
• Exploring tacit assumptions
• Tacit assumptions greatly influence coaching
behaviour
• Effective coaches looking to develop their
expertise have developed a mechanism to
challenge their own tacit assumptions
• Experience is really useful – if you harness it! Abraham & Collins, (2011b)
Lewis Hatchett –
Professional Cricketer Arik Armstead –
1st Round Draft Pick
Concluding Comments
• Why do experts standstill, go backwards, or work
hard to become and remain expert - ? Abraham & Collins (2011)
• We think it’s because there isn’t always a
framework for coaches to develop their
declarative knowledge – and interrogate their
own tacit assumptions about their coaching
practise.
Useful References
Abraham, A. & Collins, D. (2011a). Effective Skill Development: How should
athletes’ skills be developed? In D. Collins, H. Richards, & A. Abbott (Eds.),
Performance Psychology: A Practitioner’s Guide. Elsevier: Edinburgh.
Abraham, A. & Collins, D. (2011b). Taking the next step: Ways forward for
coaching science. Quest, 63, 366-384.
Martindale, A., & Collins, D. (2013). The development of professional judgement
and decision making expertise in applied sport psychology. The Sport Psychologist,
27, 390-398.
Abraham, A., Collins, D., & Martindale, R. (2006). The Coaching schematic:
Validation through expert consensus. Journal of Sport Sciences, 24, 549-564.
Session Plan
• Reflection on research (critical consumer)
- common sense / uncommon practice
• The study:
• Upside of verbal instruction
• Downside of verbal instruction
Workshop Session: Interpreting
Research • Designed to determine the effect acute verbal
instruction
• Critical Consumer’s are - sceptical not cynical!
• Work out the implications?
Acute effects of Verbal Instruction (Bobrownicki, MacPherson & Sproule).
Acute Effects of Verbal Instruction:
Results (Bobrownicki, MacPherson & Sproule).
Figure 1.3. Mean angular velocity averaged across participants for
the six experimental conditions
Figure 1.4. Mean throwing time averaged across participants for
the six experimental conditions
Figure 1.1. Mean maximum elbow flexion averaged across
participants for the six experimental conditions
Figure 1.2. Throwing accuracy averaged across participants for the
six experimental conditions
Javelin Case Study
• Contrasting Mental Focus between elite and
international throwers
• Examine the link between the variability in joint
movements and reported mental focus of these two
groups of athletes
• What is being used by the elite thrower?
Variability indexes for key kinematic variables Subject
Level Knee & hip Left knee-hip &shoulder Elbow – Hip
&shoulder Throwers’ reported
mental focus in event Comp. Training Comp. Training Comp. Training
E 1 5.0 7.1 7.8 8.1 8.1 10.9 “Rhythm… just rhythm.
I have to hear the
music.”
I 1 14.5 9.3 9.7 5.0 5.0 14.5 I have an emphasis on a
‘fast arm’ as my key
point. It’s my best
feature, my springiness.
I try to keep that going
in the event.”
I 2 17.0 15.4 15.3 13.1 13.1 9.8 “I just try to keep form,
stay on the floor and get
a good block.”
I 3 17.5 12.6 18.8 15.9 11.3 25.8 “When I am under
pressure, I always
concentrate on a giving
it a good ****. Get it
away quickly and things
stay respectable.”
Bespoke Instruction: Javelin Case Study
MacPherson, Morriss, & Collins (2008).
Bespoke Instruction: Javelin Case Study In
tern
ati
on
al
l S
tan
da
rd T
hro
wer
MacPherson, Morriss, & Collins (2008)
Bespoke Instruction: Javelin Case Study E
lite
S
tan
dard
Th
row
er
MacPherson, Morriss, & Collins (2008)
Workshop Session: Interpreting
Research • Two case studies - taken together – implications
for the toolbox?
• Thoughts?