Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 4 | Page 28

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 4
APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 4
Ten tips for getting started with reflective practice
Box 2
I recently delivered a futsal session as part of a
community project for local college students. For
the first few sessions, the students misbehaved
and were disengaged with learning the game.
I subsequently spent a long time reflecting on
the session content, actively experimenting with
new ideas and devising strategies to gain their
participation, compliance and respect.
Box 2 demonstrates the fourth phase of Gilbert and
Trudel’s (2001) model, in which the coach ‘draws
upon a pool of resources in an attempt to generate
a strategy that could address the coaching issue’.
However, recent studies have shown that if a coach
reflects only on negative outcomes, this can have
a severe impact on their confidence and anxiety
levels (Knowles et al, 2006). Emotion, then, must
be taken into consideration when using reflective
practice in sports coaching. Furthermore, due to the
highly subjective nature of a coach’s role frame,
there is a risk of individual bias, which could lead
to missed reflective opportunities (Abraham and
Collins, 2011). Whilst this further supports the
need for self-awareness, it also highlights that
reflective practice can be enhanced and stabilised
by collaboration with others, such as a community
of practice or an experienced mentor (Osterman and
Kottkamp, 1993).
Collaboration
Many studies have advocated the use of mentoring
as an effective tool in coach development, helping
practitioners to improve motivation through
consistent guidance and encouragement (Cropley
and Hanton, 2011, Cushion et al, 2003). However,
some critics argue that mentoring in the context of
sports coaching does not provide coaches with a
critical perspective on their coaching practice, being
traditionally focused on passing on knowledge and
values (Gilbert and Trudel, 2006). Conversely, my
experience has shown that a mentor can do both,
and can be a powerful motivation for engaging in
deep and meaningful reflective practice (Box 3).
Box 3
In 2015, an FA Coach Educator filmed my first
England U19s Futsal session at St. Georges Park
and later sent me the footage, along with some
written feedback, which initiated our mentoring
relationship. His comments were structured as
informal questions, challenging the rationale
behind my decision making in a non-threatening
manner, thus providing a structure and framework
for me to ‘unpack’ the experience and consider
the implications of what had taken place. This
feedback prompted me to create a personal
reflective document, which became the catalyst for
my journey into the process of deeper reflective
practice.
Schön (1983) contends that reflection is more
likely to occur “in an environment that prioritises
flexibility, acknowledges that multiple views
exist, appreciates the complexity of issues, and is
non-hierarchical”. Further to mentoring, studies have
also shown that having access to knowledgeable
peers can improve the reflective process by adding
depth and external understanding through a
shared approach (Gilbert and Trudel, 2001). Whilst
competitiveness amongst coaches has been found
to limit the amount of information willingly shared,
it is generally acknowledged that having access to
knowledgeable coaching peers is crucial to achieving
a well-rounded reflective process (Cropley et al,
2012).
Box 4
During the last few years of my coaching career
I have engaged in shared discussion and debriefs
with fellow coaches, both directly following a
training session and continuing a week beyond.
I have initiated reflective conversation using a
simple structure of three questions taught on the
FA Youth Award:
• What went well?
• Even better if?
• Changes for next time?
The quality of reflection that the questions
elicit informs my understanding of the session,
including environment, practical delivery, player
progress, performance issues and approach to
mistakes, which directly impacts my planning for
the next session.
1. Allocate time
Make your reflection time part of your session plan
(not a bolt-on). Reflective practice should become
a coaching disposition and a habit to develop; it
shouldn’t feel like a chore. Try to allocate some
time straight after your coaching session so that it
is fresh in your mind. If you have a co-coach then
dissect the session together and talk through how it
went before leaving.
2. Use a simple structure
Using a simple format to structure your reflective
practice should help to make it manageable. For
example – What went well? Even better if? Changes
for next time? Structure your reflections into logical
segments which will reveal the story of what
happened and why, and what might need to be
changed or kept the same for next time.
3. Find a mentor
Choose someone who you respect and trust and
who understands your development needs. Often
the best mentors are those who can be completely
honest in a non-threatening manner and who can
encourage you to reflect purposefully and candidly.
Mentors are trusted advisors who can stretch
our thinking, encourage us in our strengths and
challenge us in our areas of development.
4. Video your sessions
Get into the habit of filming your delivery. You’ll
be amazed at what you can miss in the moment.
Analyse your body language, position and
disposition, even down to the intonation of your
voice – were your actions open and engaging? Were
your interventions varied? Were your questions
open or closed? Look at the body language of
the players – are they engaged? Do they look
motivated? How do they respond to various
interventions?
5. Personalise your method
Find a system that works for you and suits your
preferred learning style, otherwise you won't
keep it up and it will revert back to being a chore.
For example, if you prefer to talk and share your
reflections then speak to someone; if you're more
of a visual learner then use video to watch yourself
back; if you prefer to write your reflections down
then keep a reflective journal and track your
reflections over a few months to see if there are
any thematic issues that keep recurring.
6. Recognise your emotions
Always consider your feelings and state of mind
when you reflect. Be aware that your emotions can
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often drive your reflective conclusions, so try to
evaluate objectively and accurately. Think about
how you felt first, then break down what actually
happened, alleviating some of the emotional
factors involved such as anxiety, disappointment,
expectation, etc.
7. Reflect on both the good and the bad
It is easy to only reflect with intent when we
have an awkward coaching experience or when
something goes wrong. Make sure you reflect on
both the positives and the negatives. Record the
positive things that happen – we need to encourage
ourselves and our coaching colleagues in order to
build up confidence and expertise. Yes, the main
goal is to improve, but it also reminds us why we
are coaching in the first place.
8. Engage with shared learning
Start to use online learning and sharing platforms
(such as Hive Learning). These resources are great
places for coaches to upload sessions, discuss
research and share reflections on best practice.
9. Develop support networks
Find a friend that you trust, or even better a group
of coaching peers, who you can regularly share your
experiences with – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Coaching is a journey of ongoing development and
we need that connection and continuous dialogue in
order to keep up with the profession and sharpen
our skills.
10. Have fun!
Enjoy the cycle of coaching and learning. View the
awkward experiences as learning curves that all
contribute to honing and refining your coaching
practice. Think creatively and find approaches that
work for you.
Conclusion
In order to prepare coaches for a fast-moving
environment, it has been demonstrated that
different approaches to learning need to become
more valued within formal education programmes.
This attitude is becoming more prevalent in the
coaching industry. I recently experienced this on a
coach education course, when, alongside the formal
learning tasks, candidates were asked to establish
and lead regional CPD days that their fellow
coaches could observe. This informal element to the
course encouraged coaches to form communities
of practice outside of the formal delivery days,
thus reinforcing the importance of learning with
and from others. However, even though the course
encouraged shared conversation, there was a lack of
guidance on how to effectively implement reflective
practice into a broader approach to coach learning.
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