Developing Your Coaching Philosophy image
Posted on July 9th 2020 by Richard Hicks

Developing Your Coaching Philosophy

A Coaching Philosophy not only forms the basis of your thinking but it also determines your own direction, the way you approach player management, team values and those around you.

Here are a range of experienced, passionate and dedicated coaches talking about a range of topics, giving you an insight into their varying coaching philosophies:

Stuart Lancaster: Ex-England Head Coach, now with Leinster and enjoying a renaissance in his coaching, discusses his own coaching philosophy.

Stuart Lancaster: Coaching Philosophy

Paul Hull: Ex-Bristol Coach, discusses his coaching philosophy.

Paul Hull: Coaching Philosophy

Sir Ian McGeechan: Ex-Lions Coach, Wasps and Coaching Superstar.

Sir Ian McGeechan: Coaching Philosophy

Quins: A club philosophy that gives direction to the players and coaching staff.

Quins: Coaching Philosophy

A coaching philosophy is an important tool for guiding how you coach and shouldn't be overlooked. It provides you with some clear guidance on the objectives that you should pursue and the approach you will take to achieve them. It helps you to make effective, consistent decisions, and to coach in a way that adheres to your values.

There are some consistent principles that go into creating your own coaching philosophy:

1) Be yourself: This really means that you need to know yourself. So you could conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, oppurtunities and threats) or profile on yourself.

2) Define your coaching objectives: Using SMART (specific, measurable, assignable, relevant, time-based) goal setting you can establish your own and share them!

3) Establish rules: Creating rules that make sense and relate to 1 and 2, that are agreed.

4) Build and nurture relationships with players: Empathy or emotional intelligence is a valued ability that many successful coaches have instinctively.

5) Be organised: Or better still be an effective planner or use of plans, whether they be session plans or season plans.

6) Involve your assistant/ support coaches: Don’t isolate yourself and don't be an island. Share responsibility, delegate roles and tasks!

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