An intervention is a coaching method used within session delivery which outlines the steps taken to correct, enhance or develop the decisions a player has made.
Having an intervention process allows the coach to address specific topics area in a variety of ways to enable players to learn more effectively.
This season so far, have a think;
1) Have you intervened this year?
2) How did you intervene?
3) Did it help the players?
4) Do you intervene too much, or not enough?
5) Should you have intervened at all?
The role of intervention
Did you know, players can learn well without us? At times, they may not require coaching in order to play together, or to learn.
In fact, coaching – otherwise known as “well-meaning adult intervention into children’s play time” – can have a restricting and negative impact on enjoyment, creativity, inclusion and learning if not applied correctly or at the right moments.
Therefore, as coaches we may need to consider:
1) What can the players do without me? What is my role in sessions?
2) What overall impact am I having on the development of these players – positive or negative?
The big question is, if intervention is required what is the right intervention for the right player at the right time?
The Five Pillars
It is okay to admit as coaches we may need help intervening, whatever your experience level.
Intervention strategies known as the ‘Five Pillars’ will be used selectively by coaches as appropriate.
Each defined strategy will have greater or lesser relevance based on the situational dynamics (players, age group, situation, and so on) with each intervention being unique, and therefore cannot be prescriptive.
- Command – Coach tells and/or shows solution – “I want you to”
- Questions and Answers – Coach leads with questions to get a response – “What do you think about…”
- Observation and Feedback – Coach and/or players observe, play and feedback – “Let’s watch this…”
- Guided Discovery – Coach looks to guide the player to provide a visual solution with questions and prompts – “Can you show me…”
- Trial and Error – Coach and/or players decide on the challenge to try – “Try to…”
What could you do next?
Try one of the five strategies each session for the next five weeks -Apply one or two strategies maximum within a session to gain further understanding yourself over a number of weeks -Attempt to use these strategies on an individual basis, challenging players on the run whilst all other players continue playing -Get use to using the correct terminology – “Can you show me…try to…”
Give it a go and happy coaching!