How to Avoid Reverting to Traditional Coaching Habits?
A really interesting question was posed by one of our members inside the Transforming Community regarding how to avoid slipping into traditional coaching habits. After all, we pretty much all grew up with the traditional approach to coaching.
It is important to remember that absolutely no-one is a blank slate. We all come into every situation in our lives informed by previous experiences, and it is these experiences which continuously shape our perception of the world around us.
The concept of "forms of life"—originally derived from philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein—refers to the socio-cultural environment that shapes how individuals perceive and act within a specific landscape. It encompasses the shared customs, traditions, and values of a community
"It is important to note that some forms of life can result in system capture, termed acculturation: the tendency to coach and support athletes ‘in the way that it has always been done.’" "While traditional ways of coaching and supporting athletes in elite sports organizations may yield some success, adhering to traditional methods because of system capture may risk misconceiving athletes, sports teams—and even sports themselves—as stable, linear systems, rather than as complex, adaptive, nonlinear systems."
Rothwell, M., Davids, K., Stone, J. A., O'Sullivan, M., Vaughan, J., Newcombe, D. J., & Shuttleworth, R. (2020). A Department of Methodology Can Coordinate Transdisciplinary Sport Science Support. Journal of Expertise, 3.
Therefore, when tasked with adopting a Constraints-Led Approach after previously using the traditional approach, your coaching behaviors will not flip overnight. It will take a great deal of experience to change your perception and actions as a coach. This is why resources like our Transforming membership exist to help coaches go through this transformation!
Some of the feedback our members shared on the post was so tangible, that we felt the replies warranted their own blog!
One of the best replies came from Adam Omiecinski. Adam encouraged the coach to set KPIs for themself heading into each practice, while constraining themselves to only asking questions if they are feeling moments of offering too much instruction. Another constraint Adam suggested was marking down on a piece of paper each time very instructive feedback was offered.
Coaches could try this:
The Inquiry-to-Instruction Ratio
- KPI: 2:1 (Two questions for every one piece of direct instruction).
- Measurement: Use a tick-sheet. Mark a "Q" for every open-ended question (e.g., "What did you see there?") and an "I" for every direct command (e.g., "Sprint to the corner").
- Goal: Shift from being the "source of truth" to being a "guide to discovery."
Do you have ideas on making the shift towards a CLA approach? We’d love to hear them!
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