My Third Session With Wigan Warriors

As I was not aware that we would be conducting the same circuit training session as the previous two weeks I felt more confident in what was expected of me. I turned up at central park and got the squat racks ready, wrote the circuit on the board and basically get the gym prepared for the player’s arrival. I did this to prove to myself that I was becoming more familiar with the protocols.  Shortly after being set up, the coaches and players arrived and the resistance training session began.

In today’s session there was an odd number of players in the U16 group, I was asked if I was willing to join in and work one on one with this player who did not have a partner. This individual was one of the more reserved players who I hadn’t spoken much previously. I saw this as a great opportunity and I was able to give the player feedback on each different exercise. The player took on board the feedback I gave him and tried his best to improve his technique with each set.

The players then went outdoors to work on sprinting. Players were split into three groups, each coach worked on each station and the players were instructed which drill to move onto. I worked closely with Ian and shadowed him while he took the first group, as the second group came jogging over Ian told me to do exactly what he had done and take the drill. I instantly was nervous and started to panic. Fortunately, I felt slightly more comfortable around the players and chose not to think about it, just do it! I used demonstrated whilst explaining how to do the drill. It basically involved the players doing high knees and making foot ground contact with both feet in between each hurdle with a sprint finish (see picture below).

 

The initial first drill was always going to be the most nervous but now I had done that I felt like I had accomplished something and I felt like my confidence levels had grown dramatically.

Now that I have been at my placement for 3 weeks, I feel like I am beginning to get used to the protocols required of me. Therefore, I believe I can now start to effectively utilise Gibbs’ model of reflection to give myself a better overview of how I am doing so far. 

Feelings 

Ian and the coaches are beginning to give me more responsibility and the players are beginning to become more confortable me, this makes me feel more confident in my own abilities my role as a strength and conditionist.

Evaluation/Analysis

The stand out good point/development for myself was taking the players independently through a sprint drill. I felt more confident in the feedback I was giving the players and my justification for giving that feedback. I feel more welcome and feel like I belong there rather than feeling out of my depth. I must admit however that although I am growing in confidence, I dont feel im anywhere near the standards of the other coaches and I therefore still have someway to grow. I dont expect to be near the same standard of the other coaches anytime soon as they have done this for years and have more knowledge, improvisation skills and full respect from the players that I am still looking to gain.

Conclusion

After todays session I feel like I would like to take more drills and put myself in positions where im not necessarily in my comfort zone with the aim to increase my own capabilities. I cannot allow confidence issues to hinder this learning experience, I feel I need to grasp this opportunity and make the most of it.

Action Plan

If I found myself taking a training drill again I would try and project my voice more and take other coaching qualities into consideration such as positioning. I would try and sound enthusiastic and motivational in order to enhance the athletes commitment to the drill.

By evaluating my day by the Gibbs’ model I can see that I have been improving in my role as a strength and conditioning coach. I have been gaining knowledge that will definitely help me in the future whilst making me more employable.

By Connor Franks