Go back to basics with your session planning

There is often a lot of talk among the coaching community on social media about coaches losing confidence in their sessions, or a few (what they would consider) ‘bad’ sessions causing them to doubt their own ability.

Since returning for the new season, I have been in the same boat. When coaching just once a week, for an hour and a half, it can be difficult to get back into the groove after a break of a couple of months.

One huge benefit of platforms like Twitter is being able to tap into the knowledge, expertise and experience of various coaches of all levels, who are willing to chip in with ideas and advice.

One tip that resonated with me was to simply go back to basics when you are feeling low on confidence.

There is such a wealth of information out there when it comes to session design and delivery, whether it be whole plans or different things to incorporate or consider – like the STEP principle, pitch geography, restarts, individual learning points, player ownership etc - that sometimes you can feel a bit overwhelmed and bogged down in the detail, to the detriment of the actual session.

So back to basics can be key. Last week, I planned a session for a group I had had last season. I knew the players and thought they could handle what I had planned. 

Then, the night before the session, I was told I would be taking a new group – the youngest group, who were brand new to the centre - so I didn’t know the players.

No problem, I thought - I’ve planned my session, I’m prepared.

"I started doubting the content of the session. So, on the spot, I scrapped it..."

But, driving to the venue, I realised I had really planned for my old group and started doubting the content of the session for the new, younger players I didn’t know.

So, on the spot, I scrapped it. Typically, I pride myself on being organised. I like to know what I’m doing and feel in control. So this certainly wasn’t an ideal situation.

But I had a session in mind that I had run previously with a whole range of ages – and participated in myself – which I knew was widely popular, met the week’s theme and I was comfortable delivering on the fly.

This really fitted the bill and, as a result, it went down really well. The players engaged with it, got loads of opportunities for repetition, had fun, were active the whole time, were challenged and could answer key questions throughout relating to the coaching points. 

I hadn’t over-planned, the session was simple to set up and run, and was adaptable, which was helpful because I ended up with two fewer players than I expected.

Importantly, I was confident in delivering the session – which certainly contributed to the success.

For me, this was just one session and my confidence is still a bit shaky. But going back to basics and delivering a session I knew well, and had previously been successful was a great starting point.

And there’s nothing wrong with taking a successful session, changing the focus, and using it again for a different topic next week.

Flexibility is the key.