In this module, our Coach Development Mentor Sarah McQuade delves deep into how coaches can also grow and learn while developing athletes and suggests that perhaps the most important skill to getting better and improving as a coach is critical reflection.
She will look at how coaches can develop their own knowledge and skills in order to continue to support players’ performance.
The course will teach you about how reflection can form a part of your overall coaching process and where and how you can do this within your environment to become a better and more successful coach.
The first lesson looks at the most important skill to improving as a coach – the ability to critically and honestly reflect to helps us think differently about how we do what we do so that we can do it better in the future.
Sarah looks at how learning can happen in different environments and gets you thinking about when and where you have learned during your own personal journey developing as a coach.
Reflection is the process that turns experience into knowledge. If we as coaches do not reflect on our experiences, then we simply do not gain the knowledge. In this third module, Sarah explores the process of reflection, known as Experiential Learning.
In the fourth module, Sarah considers different ‘reflection cycles’ and how to incorporate reflection and Experiential Learning into your own coaching and development process. She also introduces you to her ‘Reflection Template’ that will enable you to reflect critically and honestly on your coaching experiences.
Test your knowledge and understanding of the topics and reflect on your learnings during the course.
Following a spell at Sports Coach UK, Sarah has since been working as consultant with sports organisations in the UK, including UK Sport, Sport Scotland, the PGA, RFU and UK Athletics supporting the training and ongoing professional development of coaches and coach developers.
Now based in the USA, Sarah is the founding director of E.T.C coaching consultants specialising in the professional development of sports coaches and sports coach developers and works closely with the US Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee, World Rowing and USA Football.
She is proud to work extensively with the University of Delaware and United Soccer Coaches, where she is a tutor and mentor on the Master Coach Program. She has also designed and delivered United Soccer Coaches’ Coach Developer Diploma.
“We see that the ability to impact athlete experiences relies on getting better as a coach,” says Sarah.
“Getting better at getting better means we have to reflect, and this course will help you explore the concept of reflective practice and give you tools to undertake reflective practice unbelievably well.”
The Be Better at Getting Better course is part of the MiMentor Coaches Toolbox series, along with Effective Planning & Preparation, Performance Data for Scouting, The Art of Effective Communication, How to Coach a Maverick and Creating an Identity, which can all be purchased together as a bundle.
MiMentor experts Mark Armitage and Nick Harvey lead you through six modules in our course focus on football fitness, great for pre-season and during the campaign.
Our Psychology Performance Mentor Philippa McGregor explores the adolescent years of players and provides some key considerations for coaches, staff & parents.
In our FREE Creating An Identity course module, MiMentor Expert Ben Garner helps you understand your key values and beliefs to develop as a football coach.