Funny how you get used to focussing your attention on your own game when you are not coaching, so going back to focussing on the person the other side of the net was the first challenge!! I had already done this in a previous life from young player to coach, now I need to do it again!
We covered a little bit on communication on court today, with a view of encouraging competence and autonomy from the player. After spending quite some time in primarily off court roles, it was certainly nice to get back on the court and start coaching again. Whilst the terminology has changed, the basic coaching principles have remained the same and if anything, what I have learned off the court from managing coaches, committee members and volunteers has helped me to develop my people skills and communication skills in a variety of ways.
On reflection, I am now a lot more competent at reading people, understanding their motivations and getting the best out of them; something that I can take back on the court in a coaching capacity. So...time to put the hours in and put my newly learned theories into practice - anyone for tennis?
To further support our learning, part of our course involves some external placements; some within a performance tennis environment and others within other sporting bodies and even non sporting businesses related to our own interests and learning areas. Tennis Australia in the New Year sounds appealing, but may need to read more about what expenses I can and can’t claim before booking the flights!!!
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