APES Coaching Drills
We want to improve the quality of our coaching drills - what do we do?
In this episode we talk about how we coach using APES coaching drills.
We have to credit this episode’s acronym to the RFU.
‘APES’ stands for: Active | Purposeful | Enjoyable | Safe.
Ep 3: APES Coaching Drills Episode Summary:
WHY:
- Children disengaged and misbehaving wasting valuable coaching time!
- Bad atmosphere for both the children and us as coaches.
- Repetition of the dreaded line “When can we play a match?”
HOW:
We have to credit this episode’s acronym to the RFU - ‘APES’ stands for: Active | Purposeful | Enjoyable | Safe.
1) Active
Design the environment to maximise positive behaviour and minimise negative behaviour.
- Use lots of mini games instead of one big one.
- Have spare balls by the edge of the drill. This enables the drill to restart quickly if a ball goes off, maximising activity.
- Set up any equipment ahead of the children arriving.
- Design drills where children keep moving and are engaged with time challenges.
2) Purposeful
Ask 2 key questions:
- Is this drill appropriate for their skillset?
- Will this drill help us in future matches?
E.G: Once players are competent passers of the ball, we add in a defender to the drill to make it more match-like.
However, we sometimes make things purposefully harder.
- E.g. “Well, if you can touch and pass in an area this small, it will make the match seem much easier.”
For soft skills we change the game.
- E.g. To increase communication and teamwork in our tag rugby teams, we got them to talk and pass by playing mini-netball matches (where you can’t run with a ball).
3) Enjoyable
We try and make it enjoyable too.
- Don’t let drills drag on for too long or repeat the same ones week-on-week. At least add new rules!
- Extrinsic vs Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual.
- E.g. Using personalised scoring systems in our drills that individuals or groups try to then improve on - instead of against other groups.
✅ Intrinsic motivation is the more sustainable incentive for children in the long term.
- Try and balance the challenge perfectly in line with the individual’s skill level and slightly above.
Extrinsic motivation means that there is a reward at the end of the drill, like stickers or a certificate.
- Extrinsic motivators works when intrinsic is not available.
- E.g. At the end of the season or when the children are tired.
- This is basic conditioning by dangling a carrot for children with challenges and rewards.
- No ‘running laps’ punishment! Instead reward their success.
- E.g. The coaches will have to do something amusing like do a funny dance move.
- Other extrinsic rewards we have used before include certificates, stickers and trophies (be careful what you reward!)
4) SAFE
This is always our no. 1 priority as coaches.
- The ground you are standing on: is it icy? Are there holes? Is the area clear?
- Check the Weather.
- E.g. How many drinks breaks will the children need? How physically demanding will the drills be? How long will you run each drill for?
- Check that equipment is ready for use.
- E.g. We check that the goals are secured in the ground properly before we begin.
- Establish certain rules but explain WHY.
- E.g. “Today we are not lifting our hockey sticks above waist height, because we are new to the sport and we’ve seen people get hurt in previous years without this rule.”
- High ratio of coaches to children. Having more adults enables more supervision and support with anything should there be an issue.
- Focus on body positioning.
- E.g. Make sure we can always see all the children under our supervision.
Outcomes
- Now we’re using APES Coaching drills, we find that the children are more excited to attend coaching sessions!
- Much more often we make the most of our time with children who in turn improve their physical condition “match fit”.
- We barely hear the children ask “When can we play a match?”
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Want to send us something? Email us at: info@tomandjack.co.uk
RESOURCES:
📚 Dale Carnegie: HTWFAIP
📚 Richard Ryan and Edward Deci.
📚 John Wooden: Leadership
📚 Bill: The Score takes care of itself
📚 Simon Sinek : Start with Why
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