The Practice Environment
The training environment is an important place for development. Within the training environment, there are many elements necessary to achieve a productive atmosphere, such as creating a challenging environment, using positive feedback to athletes, and facilitating practice where all athletes have the ability to improve skills. These aspects involve the general competitiveness of practice and the ability for the athletes' to have a positive experience while learning. To ensure these characteristics are functioning properly, there are certain criteria coaches can assess to create a productive practice environment.
A Challenge
Practice is a place for learning
Facilitating Practice
Remember
A Challenge
- The practice environment should be challenging enough for athletes to work hard. The coach should create a situation where athletes are able to attain a performance level they were not previously able to achieve and avoid comfort zones (Crust & Clough, 2011, p.27).
- Practice should be hard
enough that athletes must work hard to fight and get through in order to
develop their own sense of personal toughness (Weinburg, Butt & Culp, 2011,
p.164).
- Athletes should attempt difficult challenges and promote self-belief that they will be able to accomplish increasingly tougher challenges.
Practice is a place for learning
- It is important for coaches to remember that the practice environment is best recognized as a learning environment. Coaches should maintain a positive environment
for all athletes to flourish. It is important for coaches to avoid negative criticism and critiques (Gucciardi, 2009, 1490; Connaughton, Hanton & Jones, 2010, p. 186; Butt, Weinburg & Culp, 2010, p. 325).
- Coaches should maintain an open line of communication
with athletes (Gucciardi, 2009, p. 1490). Allowing athletes to ask questions and voice concerns is important for the learning and the coach athlete relationship.
- Players should also be available to work without fear of failing. Players should work with the idea that a mistake is only a mistake if one fails to learn a lesson and apply it in the future (Gilbert, 2011, p.3).
- When conducting practice, it is
important for the coach to be the only person with the power to criticize. And
if a player needed to be reprimanded, it would be in private, allowing the
player to save face, but also keeping with the continuity that practice should
remain positive.
- “Criticism is to correct, improve and change. It is not to humiliate, demean, or punish. It is a task that requires great skill and judgment and is best left in the hands of able coaches” (Wooden, 2005, p. 176; Smoll & Smith, 2001).
Facilitating Practice
- Coaches must facilitate
development through the proper set up of practice sessions. The coach’s
attributes must support the athlete’s ability to get the job done. (Butt, Weinburg & Culp, 2010, p323-325; Ryba, Stambulova, Wrisberg, 2009, p.283-284).
- “Coaches cannot change heredities, but they can change how they coach” . Coaches should utilize activities that will help all athletes develop, regardless of abilities. Keeping this in mind might help all athletes reach a greater optimal experience (Weinburg, Butt & Culp, 2011, p.168; Ryba, Stambulova & Wrisberg, 2005, p.166) .
Remember
- If the athlete does not believe in their own abilities, they might be less likely to reach a successful level.
- And if they are unable to feel that they are successful in the practice setting, it is unlikely that they will have the necessary confidence to be successful in a game or competition.