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Writer's pictureZander Deckinga

Sketching Success: A Coach's Guide to Teaching Skills

Updated: May 4

In the metaphor of teaching skills like drawing a picture, let's make our technique clearer by refining our approach. Ever found yourself struggling to explain something you thought you understood well? That was me when I first started coaching. I realized there's a difference between knowing how to do something and explaining it well. This realization changed how I coached, leading to quicker breakthroughs for my athletes.


Now, imagine we're sketching a skill. We start with the basics: where we're going, how we move, and how we land safely. For example, in a back-handspring, we aim to move backward, flip by using our hips, and land by bringing our feet under us.


Next, we add more details to our sketch. We ask ourselves how we do each part. Moving backward isn't just about jumping straight back; it's also about going up a bit. It's like drawing lines at a 45-degree angle. We apply this to every part of the skill, including the flip and the landing.


Think of it like drawing a complex scene. We don't start with all the details; we begin with the big picture. Similarly, in coaching, we break skills into small steps, so athletes understand the basics before going into details.


Once we have the basics down, we add more details. Each movement is broken down and explained clearly. For example, when teaching the initial jump for a back-handspring, we focus on bending at the knees to get ready to jump. This helps athletes understand the mechanics better.


Finally, we use clear words to explain the skill and what we want to achieve. Instead of trying to describe a skill how I am seeing it like saying "sit," we explain how to bend at the hips and knees, then push through the toes. This explains to the athlete exactly what they are expected to do instead of leaving them with any guess work. This helps athletes see the picture we are trying to paint, feel more confident and gives them a clear plan to follow. With this approach, we help athletes understand skills better and feel more confident in their abilities.

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