This week I’m introducing you to another one of APA’s new coaches Scott Dodman.

 

 

I’m absolutely delighted to have Scott with us, who is on a work placement year from University of Hertfordshire.

 

So I asked Scott to come up with 5 lessons he has learnt in his first month at APA.  Here is what he came up with:

 

• Communication with both children and adults can often be restricted, due to time constraints. However, I’ve learnt at APA this is a very important part of interacting and sharing ideas, so that both the kids and parents have complete confidence in my desire to progress them so that they can reach their full potential.  What is more, by being positive and approachable I hope it encourage the athletes to listen and share my enthusiasm for my coaching session.

• Sometimes keeping it simple get results! If everyone understands the instructions they can concentrate on the end result rather than trying to keep up with complicated difficult moves. This helps to make the sessions fun and enjoyable.

• Safety is paramount to all the training we do with our athletes. It’s important to be mindful of how hard each person works and ensure that they do not cause themselves an injury. Stretching techniques are vital element of all my training sessions so the kids learn that it is not an option, but an essential part of their daily training regime.

• Smiling is my secret weapon!  People feel more comfortable around someone who smiles and seems approachable.   It may sound crazy but smiling just makes people feel good and as I am mainly happy I probably smile a lot! There are times when I have needed to deal with difficult situations in a group I am coaching but I deal with that and then the next session it is back to smiling, which keeps the overall environment nice and welcoming.

• Understanding how and why they are being asked to carry out a task will help to educate the athlete so they have a greater understanding their own body and how far they can push themselves.  By educating them on new skills they will soon become part of the athlete’s toolbox which ensures they are at their fittest when it really counts.

• On a personal note sometimes it is frustrating not being rubber man!  I cannot always demonstrate the exercise I want them to perform either due to my size or my lack of flexibility. However, using technology, such as the IPAD allows me to demonstrate how to carry out the exercise correctly. This allows me to share with them my University theory based strategies but in a more realistic setting. I know from research that the specific exercises help get results so it is great to share this with them at a level they can use and interpret.  Using these techniques have helped to make me feel confident teaching any exercise even if I can’t do it myself.

 

 

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Finally, remember, APA are running a FREE workshop on October 25th 9am-12pm  ‘5 Numbers to Live by.’  It is looking at the key ingredients to a world class S&C programme.

 

Book HERE to register your place.