Action & Reflection (LO4, LO5)

After the planning and preparation phase, we began to put our plans in place as we set up the first and second session. Through these sessions, we were able to see that not only had our planning helped but that there are changes to be made. In fact, we were able to quickly realise that although we were in their position at one point in time, there are differences on an individual level which require attention. For example, there were more students overall and therefore there was greater diversity in the particular part of the sport they enjoyed more. This also meant that there was a more diverse list of weaknesses. However, we knew we would be unable to cater to each and every individual. Therefore, after each lesson for the first month, we constantly discussed what we needed to change. As a result, the first season of this became constantly changing sessions which allowed for more stable and appropriate sessions that would allow for a steady increase in skill. So far, the primary difficulty has been finding a lesson plan that is fitting for all students. However, we have come to the conclusion that we can group the students based on their position and even their skillset. Though we want to try this, covid restrictions may prevent this as each group needs to stay the same for a certain number of weeks. Furthermore, a limitation of this  may be that games cannot be played at the end of lessons because players will not be balanced in terms of skill level and position. This is important because, through student feedback and just observations, we have realised that a lot of the skills are being used in games and this helps reflect our success and it further indicates the students’ engagement. Personally, I have realised that collaborating with my group to plan lessons has made it a lot easier. Occasionally, there are certain issues regarding leadership or communicating with the students and through feedback or even advice, the other assistant coaches have provided a lot of help as well all face similar challenges.