Coaching Youth Netball

An Essential Guide for Coaches, Parents and Teachers

Anita Navin

• Publisher: Crowood
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781785001161
• eBook ISBN: 9781785001178
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Teaching Methods

Coaching Youth Netball is a one-stop resource that will offer coaches, teachers and parents everything they need to deliver fun, dynamic, player-centred practice sessions as well as guidance to how to run a team and a club. Coaches at all levels will find ideas and information that will help them formulate plans to suit their players' abilities. Topics covered include practical games and drills; fundamental skills including movement, catching, throwing, passing and shooting; game sense, defensive and attacking skills and ways to manage your team and your club. Includes practical games and drills, enabling coaches to run productive sessions for young players and helps teach fundamental skills, including movement, catching, throwing, passing and shooting. This one-stop guide offers coaches, teachers and parents everything they need to deliver fun and dynamic netball practice sessions. Fully illustrated with photographs and diagrams.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO COACHING YOUTH PARTICIPANTS

Anita Navin

Successful coaching of children is associated with positive participant outcomes such as enjoyment, the promotion of intrinsic motivation and self-esteem. Effective coaches know all the techniques and tactics within the game of netball and will be able to demonstrate the ability to individualize communication and activities based on the needs of the participant. Effective coaching is not only related to the development of netball or game-specific outcomes, but is connected to the all-round holistic development of the individual. Successful coaching in the youth context should not be driven by winning but should prioritize the holistic development of the young person.

Fig. 1.1 The potential pressures and demands placed on a young participant.

There can be many influential factors underpinning a young person’s behaviour, motives and individual needs when they enter into a coaching session and it is therefore important to build a relationship with the individual. Fig. 1.1 offers an example of a young person’s commitments both within and outside netball. The coach should develop an understanding of any family or education demands that can impact upon the individual in a coaching context. In addition, if a participant is a member of a performance development pathway there will be added netball demands from another context.

A participant-centred and holistic coach will develop trusting working relationships with each individual and most of all will have an insight into the lifestyle demands of each person. Acknowledging an individual’s potential is vital, and ensuring the needs of the person are known and met is critical to success in the coaching role.

A humanistic approach in coaching is essential, where the total development of the participant is a priority. A coach will focus on enhancing self-awareness, growth and development of the participant, ensuring each individual is engaged in decision-making within a session. To facilitate the attainment of such humanistic outcomes, the coach will empower participants by asking a range of open questions to engage and prompt ownership of the learning process. In addition, participants will be encouraged to work collaboratively and foster a team climate for learning. The coach must provide a safe and supportive environment for learning, enabling the young person to make personal choices. Supporting a participant’s ideas and self-expression are important factors for the humanisticfocused coach. There are several assumptions connected to the humanistic approach and coaches are encouraged to model each and every one in their coaching practice.

Understanding individual needs within the group is critical in coaching.

It is therefore not just about the development of sport-specific outcomes; the coach should promote the development of the young participant as an authentic and valued individual. When coaching young novice participants there will be greater coach control and coach dependency. As the individual develops competence and confidence there should be opportunities provided for self-management, self-determination and shared decision-making. A primary aim of any coach is to ensure there is a shift in coach dependency as an individual develops, in order to ultimately promote personal autonomy and participant independence.

Individuals should be encouraged to work collaboratively within a session.

Coaching effectiveness has also been defined by the participant outcomes a coach should strive for when supporting the development of the young participant. Known as the ‘4Cs’ – competence, confidence, connection and character (Côté and Gilbert, 2009) – the outcomes should be a reference for all coaches in the youth context. (Sports Coach UK offer ‘5Cs’, developed from the work of Jean Côté, which includes Creativity, and the five Cs are referred to later in the text.)

ASSUMPTIONS OF A HUMANISTIC APPROACH

• Competition goals should not take priority over personalized goals and the needs of the individual.
• A coach should promote an individual’s development through empowerment, engagement and self-determination.
• Netball will be only a part of an individual’s life, so a coach should consider this in relation to other human experiences such as family, career, education and health.
• Coaching should focus not only on the technical and tactical aspects of the sport but on emotional, social and psychological performance.
• Coaching should be built around successful interpersonal and professional relationships between the coach and participant.

The four Cs – representing the outcomes of effective coaching in netball:

Competence Technical and tactical skills of the game, improved health and fitness and healthy training habits.

Confidence Overall positive self-worth.

Connection Positive bonds and social relationships with people inside and outside netball.

Character Respect for the sport and others (morality), integrity, empathy and responsibility.

Coaches should always ensure they have a clear philosophy representing a set of values to underpin their coaching behaviour and practice. Successful coaches will be selfaware and will ‘know themselves’ through the ability to self-reflect on their coaching. This self-reflection should closely connect with your own philosophy, remaining as a guide for coaching practice and making sure you as the coach remain true to yourself. A coaching philosophy is often a statement of the beliefs and values that coaches will model their coaching practice upon. When difficult decisions have to be made in the coaching role, it is the philosophy that should be used to underpin the outcome.

Developing Your Coaching Philosophy

All coaches will possess values they believe explain their actions in both life and coaching. For example, if a coach values hard work and effort in a session, rewards will be based on this commitment and maximum effort. Other values may include respect, health, honesty, self-responsibility, trust, friendships and enjoyment. Coaches should uphold their values and model them in everyday life to ensure they impact positively on all individuals they come into contact with. Having a positive influence physically, psychologically and socially are important considerations for the youth coach. An example of a coaching philosophy for a coach in netball is outlined below:

AN EXAMPLE OF A COACH PHILOSOPHY

As a coach I will create an environment where there is mutual respect between the coach and participants. I will promote openness, honesty and equity at all times and I will be accountable for all that I do. I will educate participants to become independent and strive to ensure everyone reaches his or her true potential. I will remain committed to ongoing learning and development to maintain currency in the coaching role.

As a result of additional experiences in the coaching role your beliefs may change, so it is important to modify your philosophy. Reflect upon your coaching practice to ensure that there is a match with your philosophy. A philosophy should influence coaching practice and an individual’s coach development pathway.

Coaching Process Skills

The coaching process or craft-based skills provide a set of guiding principles for the delivery of an effective coaching session. A coach must have knowledge of technical and tactical components impacting upon performance, along with the necessary communication and interpersonal skills, to be...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Acknowledgementse
• Contents
• Contributor Profiles
• 1 Introduction to Coaching Youth Participants Anita Navin
• 2 Managing the Youth Netball Club Environment Nicky Fuller
• 3 Planning a Youth Netball Session Anita Navin
• 4 Application of a Game Sense Approach Alison Croad & Jose Castro
• 5 Coaching the Technical Skills in Netball Anita Navin
• 6 Coaching Defensive Skills Maggie Jackson
• 7 Top Practices for Developing Attacking Skills Denise Egan
• 8 Integrating the Rules of Netball in a Coaching Session Gary Burgess
• 9 Developing Psychological Skills and Leadership Jane Lomax
• 10 Nutritional Guidelines Penny Rumbould
• 11 Coach Development Abbe Brady and Barbara Daniels
• References
• Index