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We began this session was a different style compared to the norm at placement, through the session I was looking for high tempo, high levels of engagement and enjoyment. Within this session we started by getting the participants straight into the main activities, were we worked on different aspects and scenarios within fielding, with different stations set up for the player to alternate around after set periods of time. My learning outcomes for this were to become better at receiving when taking catches in various different fielding positions. Fast paced off the bat i.e point, diverting catches like slips. This was a great way to introduce a high tempo into the session which was kept throughout the duration of this session. This was different due to the fact that usually we start with light stretches, both dynamic and static then introduce a pulse raiser. Therefore this session was a great way for the participants to both get warm and get straight involved into the activities. It is important that when I’m coaching I am aiming to be giving lots or praise and always looking to provide feedback to the participant to ensure they are alway learning, improving and enjoying it as well.

Player engagement was high for all the groups on their various stations, and you could see they were interested and enjoying themselves, which is extremely important as when running the sessions it is important we are working on what needs to be improved, but also keeping it enjoyable so the players want to improve. This relates back to the ripples on a pond (Race, 2001) and what underpins successful learning, the need to do something and the want to do it as well. However, for certain participants I could have increased the challenge point as at some stations they were found to easy for some, I could have increased the challenge point by using a STEPS (Newell, 1986) approach. For example I could have made the Target for throwing smaller, or the space bigger so its a greater distance this could have raised the challenge point. However sometimes you can be limited as this is an indoor sports hall and not the size of a cricket pitch. So adaptions have to be made.

Based on the Inverted U Theory learning is delayed at the easiest and hardest levels so keeping the difficulty level just below being too hard enabled players to get the most out of the session (Akizuki & Ohashi, 2015) this means that as the coach I should be trying to get all the participants working in their optimum learning zone so they can get as much out of the session as possible. I should have used reflection in action to see which participants needed the skills to be made harder to benefit them the most. After this went into a game scenario for batting.

During this session we used a different layout and a different style of trying to coach compared to the usual session. When looking back at the whole session with double loop learning in mind (Argyris & Schon, 1978) personally the session went really well and player engagement was high all the way through, with buy in from all the participants. .However I should be looking to actively increase or change the challenge point depending on the participants, which is why it is important to know your participants so you can adapt to each.

Reference list:

Akizuki, K. Ohashi, Y. (2015) Measurements of Functional Task Difficulty During Motor Learning: What Level of Difficulty Corresponds to the Optimal Challenge Point? Human Movement Science, 43 October, pp. 107-111

Newell, K. M. (1986). Constraints on the Development of Coordination. In M. G. Wade, & H. T. A. Whiting (Eds.), Motor Development in Children: Aspects of Coordination and Control (pp. 341-360).

Race, P., 2001. Using feedback to help students to learn. The Higher Education Academy.

After the Christmas break I was very excited to get back to coaching at the Ceylon Cricket Academy, as I was being to get more freedom in my coaching and more of my ideas were being implemented. Thursdays nights were a chance for me to be able to get some practical coaching done. At this point I had just started another cricket coaching job working with Pro Coach Yorkshire which gave me the opportunity to see very high level coaches and what they did differently in the ways of games, drills and these sorts of things. This opened my eyes to the freedom I had as a coach, I felt I was starting to be able to bring this freedom and use of experimenting into my coaching at the Ceylon cricket academy.

At this session we were supposed to have had 3 coaches to coach the elite squad. However the main coach was delayed and would be an hour late. This meant there was me, and the Pro for the session. Furthermore more the head coach had all the coaching equipment with him so all we had were the stumps, some balls and some cones.

At the starts of the session one of the participants came up to me and asked if I could work 1 v 1 with him on his wicket keeping, and more specifically his catching nicks, or edges off spin bowling. This wouldn’t usually have been a problem as I would have brought out the catching ramp which is a piece of equipment used to simulate diverting catches. However without this I had to adapt and create. I began with a rather simple set up and had the participant stood behind the stumps as if he were keeping to spin. I was about 5 meters in-front of him and on one knee. I started with under arm feeds on the full to get him moving his feet and trying to remain low, I then changed it to over arm feeds with spin on to try simulate spin bowler. I began reflecting in action, thinking to myself what can I do to improve this. I thought back to the CPPRF (Muir et al, 2011). To which I thought I had to make this varied rather than blocked, in order to get the best results and learning.

I then laid down cones on random lengths and line both upside down and normal. I walked back a bit further and began to throw spin again. This time a lot could happed as it could divert off the cones, spin off the ground and so on. Another reason for doing this was the fact that it would make sounds when flicking the cones, so not only would it divert like a edge but also make the sound to try and simulate as much as I could a game scenario. I also adjusted my feeds whether they were flatter and faster, or slower with more flight or even where I threw them from in the crease this was all to simulate the likes of a bowler in a game. this was all going very well and I the participant was enjoying the challenges I presented him with. But I wanted to do more. I raided a cupboard I was able to find two planks of wood. I place these down with in the net alongside the randomly placed cones. My thought for this was that the wood would simulate different pitch conditions. For example the ball may have skid on, kept low or jumped up. It was also another way the ball would divert swell if it took the edge.

Through this I was constantly asking the participants on what he thought and asking questions why I was doing what I was and ensuring he was keeping his technique. As I used a variety of different practice structures and moved from blocked which is good for learning a new skill but not great for skill retention. I then moved it to more of a varied/random approach. Then changed it to where the participant was exposed to ‘game-like’ pressures and research backs up that my participant would of retained the skill much better (Shea and Morgan 1979).

I really enjoyed this session and it was different to what I would usually do, but it was great to be able to try things out and be able to benefit the player. I find at this age wicketkeeping is often overlooked and a lot of the practice is done by themselves, this way I was able to directly assist him. He also asked if we could continue doing the one to one stuff every now and again on his wicketkeeping which was a good boost for my confidence in my coaching ability.

References

Shea, J.B. and Morgan, R.L., 1979. Contextual interference effects on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of a motor skill. Journal of Experimental psychology: Human Learning and memory, 5(2), p.179.

Muir, B., Morgan, G., Abraham, A., & Morley, D. (2011). Developmentally Appropriate Approaches to Coaching Children. In I. STAFFORD (Ed.), Coaching Children in Sport. Routledge.

This reflective post came from a session ran where the session was based on decision making in batting within a game environment. The session aimed to improve technical skills and increase tactical problem understanding (Tan, Chow & Davids (2012), through a conditioned game. The game was a follow on from the previous session where we worked on shot selection in trying to play the ball behind square leg. These shots included, a late cut, pull shot, the variety of sweep shots, flicking the ball off the legs, scoop and ramps.

As I had now been working with this group for a long period of time and I understood the needs of the participants, and the stage of development I was able to create a specific game, which could be modified. The group was split into two, by electing captains and numbering the rest of the participants. They each picked which side they wanted to be which in this instance was Pakistan vs England, and a full game was to be played. The participants were all very excited and a bat toss was done to determine who would choose whether to bat or bowl first.

As we were in a sports hall we used the full facility for this game. The game had certain constraints, to begin with no players on the fielding side could stand behind square. I and the coaches laid out scoring zones within the sports hall. So cones were in place and if the ball went backwards of square and through these cones they would be awarded 6 or 4 runs depending on whether the ball rolled to the wall or hit the wall on the full. The back wall (behind the bowler) would also be a scoring run but only worth 4 maximum, this was to make the players try to play the shots the learnt in previous weeks. The batters had one shot and they would have to run not matter what, then join the back of the queue. If the same batter got out twice they would be out for the remaining time, the fielding team would be ablate catch out players normally and also one hand off the wall, and also run them out. As fielders could field in a certain area they had to think tactically as to where they would be best situated. Each inning lasted 15 minutes.

The game got going and my participants began to understand the concept of the game. They really began to enjoy and express themselves. I could see this by the variety or shot being played and the competitiveness between the two sides. the constraints meant the batting team were able to play these harder shots and would be rewarded by doing so as they were high scoring and unprotected areas. I was confident my participants were at a level where they could use different shots to find scoring opportunities and these was really fulfilling to see as the coach.

My coaching behaviours consisted of high use of praise and hustle and I also used questioning to each team to see what they are thinking and I’ve they had set tactics. This conditioned game was enjoyable for the participants and displayed under the correct coaching climate (Gano-Overway & Guivernau, 2018) I was able to create an atmosphere where mistakes didn’t mean you were out or could no longer play. But they were able to practice skills, shots a new techniques that would be hard to pull off in a normal game environment.

References 

Tan, C.W.K., Chow, J.Y., & Davids, K. (2012) ‘How does TGfU work?’: examining the relationship between learning design in TGfU and a nonlinear pedagogy. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, Vol 17., pg. 331-348

Gano-Overway, L., & Guivernau, M. (2018). Setting the SCENE: Developing a caring youth sport environment. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 9(2), 83–93.

With the current global pandemic sadly the last two weeks of the Ceylon Cricket Academy were cut short. However working with the coaches and players at the Ceylon Cricket Academy is something that I will look back on very fondly. As it was a great opportunity and one that I am very proud to say I was a part of. To see players progress in the short time I was there, not only as cricketers but as individuals is the reason why I wanted to become a coach in the first place. To reflect on the year from a personal perspective it did come with its challenges and open my eyes to the life of a coach. But the main things I learnt were the importance of planning sessions and trying to set goals and targets each week. Another key thing I took from this coaching experience was how important reflecting one was. As it gives you an opportunity to look at what you’ve done and see what worked or what didn’t and how you might change it in future sessions.

I also learnt the importance of using conditioned games/TGFU where possible. Journal articles like Tan, 2012, explaining how TGFU work and using Newell’s model of constraints have really helped me in transitioning to a more game based coaching style. which I believe with cricket is hugely important. But a batter can do hour and hours in the nets, but you won’t know how they react in a game, in a certain situation, with different challenges and that why I think with this age and stage of development conditioned games are so important to progress these athletes. The use of games also allows me as a coach to use lots more questioning as to get them thinking and developing an understanding of the why and what they are doing.

I believe being given the opportunity to give feedback to the DUT students, has developed me as a coach because it was a chance for me to give feedback and share what I know but then breaking it down and help others with it. This will also help me when planning my own sessions as I will self reflect and see look to see what feedback I would give myself? I believe as a whole this experience will make me more employable as I am working with various coaches, from different cultures and this will assist my coaching.

Level 6 SMART Action Plan

As I progress on to Level 6, I would like to continue my coaching work in a performance environment,hopefully the Ceylon Cricket Academy will run next year so I will be able to continue my coaching with them and hopefully this will progress for me. With the completion of my Level 2 Cricket coaching course I will be able to seek more opportunities for paid work. Luckily due to my previous experience including this placement I was able to get a job working with Pro Coach Yorkshire and will be able to start this when I’m back at university. It has also presented me with lots of opportunities to work with a variety of different ages and levels of athletes to expand my knowledge. This is very exciting for me as I am keen to coach inside a professional environment. I will also be seeking more coaching badges, and cricket masterclasses were I will be be able to learn more about coaching with different aspects of the game and this will add greatly my coaching portfolio and experience.

Finally, I am exited at the challenge of my dissertation next year and undergoing my own research on coaches in performance environments. I hope I am able to tie this in with my placement as it will give me a better understanding of the context. This experience both academically and professionally will set me up with new skills and ideas to take me further in my learning.

Reference list:

Tan, C. Chow, J. Davids, K. (2012) “How Does TGFU Work?”: Examining the Relationship Between Learning Design in TGFU and Nonlinear Pedagogy. Physical Education and Pedagogy, 17(4) September, pp. 331 – 348

Newell, K (1986) Constraints on the Development of Coordination. Motor Development in Children: Aspects of Coordination and Control, pp. 341 – 360