There’s a post on the AVCA blog on the subject of developing the coach’s eye. I found it interesting in that it from the very start goes in a different direction than I expected.
When I first saw the headline I thought it would be about something like having the ability to diagnose a problem at a deeper level than just the last contact. This is a topic I wrote about here.
In reality, the post is about the ability to focus and avoid distraction. To quote:
A coach’s eye is having the ability to just focus in on certain aspects of a volleyball skill or movement while letting everything else go.
I definitely think this focus is important, and I like how the author compares it to the concept of mindfulness. It’s very easy for other things to distract us as coaches. We need to resist that at all times if we’re going to accomplish what we want.
The post could be written a bit better as it wanders around some (ironically), but the main points are worth keeping at the front of your practice planning and execution process. They are:
- Use an exercise where the players have the opportunity to consistently work on the skill element or tactic in question. I talk about that here.
- Focus your attention and feedback specifically and solely on the drill’s focus area. And realize there’s more than one source of feedback.
And, of course, it all starts with knowing your priorities in the first place.
6 Steps to Better Practices - Free Guide
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter today and get this free guide to making your practices the best, along with loads more coaching tips and information.
