Coaching Young Athletes

Review Good Performances With As Much Vigour As You Would a Poor Performance

Debriefing and reviewing performances is a critical aspect of athlete and coach development. It provides an opportunity to identify strengths and areas for improvement, which can help to refine future performances. But, did you know that it’s equally important to debrief and review good performances as it is to analyse poor performances?

I encourage all coaches of young athletes to debrief and review a good performance with as much vigour and rigour as you would a poor performance.

This could be a team performance, an individual athlete’s performance or your performance as a coach.

It is common to look deeply into a performance after a loss or when things haven’t gone as well as expected. It is less common to closely examine a good performance.

Following a good performance, it is really tempting to celebrate, enjoy the moment and move on. However, this can lead to complacency and a missed opportunity to learn and improve. That’s why it’s crucial to review all performances, including the ones that went well.

“What brought you to this point isn’t the same thing that’s going to keep you here. Keep learning, evolving & stay open minded.”

Allistair McCaw @AllistairMcCaw

It’s important to involve the athletes in the review process, as they can provide valuable insights and perspectives. As a youth sports coach, you can encourage your athletes to share their thoughts on what went well during the performance and why they think they were successful. This can help build their confidence and reinforce positive behaviours and attitudes.

Performances should be reviewed as soon as possible after the event, preferably within a day or two. This allows for immediate feedback and allows for any necessary adjustments to be made quickly. When reviewing a good performance, it’s important to celebrate the success but also to identify specific actions that can be taken to improve future performances.

So coaches, if you, your team or your athletes have performed really well, work out why and how it can all be done again.

How do you review performances?

Do you review all performances? How do you do it? When do you do it? Is it effective? What have you learnt? Let me know by leaving a reply/comment or by using the contact details below.

Further reading

Articles:

How to Conduct a Successful Coach-Athlete Season Review

How to Evaluate Your Own Coaching Performance

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