Wow-a friend of mine just sent me some video analysis from another pro. I will say this about that pro-They are good at teaching fundamentals and are excellent in teaching technique.
A few things I noticed-
1. Big holes in the analysis-some of the issues were discussed, but I saw many more.
2. In defense of the teacher, some coaches focus on only one or two things so their students do not get “overload”.
3. The illustrations were difficult to understand but I have to say using some of the over the counter telestration devices are not easy.
4. I do respect this coach and the athletes must be learning something as their technique improves and those improvements stand out.
5. I did notice a few holes in the explanations for example things could have been explained more clearly.
I did not watch the whole thing as I hate looking at other people’s coaching-for many reasons. The main reason is it takes away my focus on my own athletes and my coaching.
I taught school for 29 years and had to teach 7th and 8th grade English. Want a challenge? Try motivating 8th graders to read and write! It was not always easy! It was on the court and in the classroom I learned my craft and learned to love teaching. It is not all you know it is how many different ways you can transfer that information. After that it is “How can I motivate my athletes to keep improving?”
All of that said, I still have to rethink and reword explanations to my athletes. My interpretation may not translate to an athlete’s understanding and that is the hurdle we as coaches all face. That also is why I do monthly coaching because I discovered one lesson is nice, but repeating attention to problems will be more efficient on long term improvement!
These days with fewer tournaments the field is crowded with coaches. Athletes have their choice of many different types and personalities. That is a good thing for the athletes. I have the luxury of not paying my mortgage with racquetball income. That translates to my main motivation, which is not money. It is the love of the craft of coaching. I love coaching and I love my athletes. When they go the extra mile in practice, and work hard, the results are hard to argue with. I am blessed!