Large Group Training
How do you teach a new skill to a large group? The options are either verbal or visual instruction.
Verbal Instruction
When teaching a new skill start by explaining what you want them to do. Initially, keep explanations brief and directs because as you do this, the athlete is thinking, "how am I going to do this?" Their focus quickly goes from your explanation to their execution. The coach should help answer this question with hints, or cues, for the athlete. There are two types of verbal cues, internal or external.
Internal cues draw the attention to the athletes bodies. These cues describe particular body parts and angles. For example, "Bring you knee up to 90 degrees” or ”Keep your feet dorsiflexed.” Internal cues describe the process the body goes through to get in the correct position.
External cues draw the attention of the athletes outside the body. These cues focus on putting the athlete in the proper mindset and environment. “Explode off the ground.” “Push the ground away.” External cues usually don’t talk about a body part, they describe how the body should move within the environment.
Research (here and here) says that external cues produce better results. Giving cues that describe the environment in which the body move enhances skill development. Linking a new movement or skill to previously learned or familiar skills and movements enhances skill acquisition. The best way to come up with external cues that do this is to use analogies. For example, “Take off like Superman” or ”Spin like the Roadrunner” or “Bounce like a super-ball.”
When teaching a new skill start by explaining what you want them to do. Initially, keep explanations brief and directs because as you do this, the athlete is thinking, "how am I going to do this?" Their focus quickly goes from your explanation to their execution. The coach should help answer this question with hints, or cues, for the athlete. There are two types of verbal cues, internal or external.
Internal cues draw the attention to the athletes bodies. These cues describe particular body parts and angles. For example, "Bring you knee up to 90 degrees” or ”Keep your feet dorsiflexed.” Internal cues describe the process the body goes through to get in the correct position.
External cues draw the attention of the athletes outside the body. These cues focus on putting the athlete in the proper mindset and environment. “Explode off the ground.” “Push the ground away.” External cues usually don’t talk about a body part, they describe how the body should move within the environment.
Research (here and here) says that external cues produce better results. Giving cues that describe the environment in which the body move enhances skill development. Linking a new movement or skill to previously learned or familiar skills and movements enhances skill acquisition. The best way to come up with external cues that do this is to use analogies. For example, “Take off like Superman” or ”Spin like the Roadrunner” or “Bounce like a super-ball.”
Visual Instruction
Pairing verbal instruction with visual aides has been shown to be very effective when teaching a new skill. There are two types of visual instruction, using a novice model or expert model. Again, research (1) has shown that both methods are effective.
The expert model uses visual aides demonstrating perfect form and execution. This demonstration can be in slow motion or normal speed. When using the novice model, the demonstration is less than perfect and attention can be called to errors. With both models, encourage athletes to engage by identifying correct or incorrect movements. Then illicit their thoughts as to why to the movement is correct or flawed. Ultimately, get athletes to discover their own strategies and methods to achieve correct movement patterns for themselves.
The key to teaching a large group by visual instruction is to use both the expert and novice model at the same time.
Pairing verbal instruction with visual aides has been shown to be very effective when teaching a new skill. There are two types of visual instruction, using a novice model or expert model. Again, research (1) has shown that both methods are effective.
The expert model uses visual aides demonstrating perfect form and execution. This demonstration can be in slow motion or normal speed. When using the novice model, the demonstration is less than perfect and attention can be called to errors. With both models, encourage athletes to engage by identifying correct or incorrect movements. Then illicit their thoughts as to why to the movement is correct or flawed. Ultimately, get athletes to discover their own strategies and methods to achieve correct movement patterns for themselves.
The key to teaching a large group by visual instruction is to use both the expert and novice model at the same time.
Large Group Instruction
The most effective group instruction takes advantage of the power of the group. To harness the power of the group begin with global instructions and then provide situations for local instructions and individualized attention.
When teaching a skill to a large number of people, start by addressing the entire group. Give out verbal instructions using internal cues. Finish by addressing the whole group with an expert model of visual instruction such as a live demonstration, video, or picture. Now the athletes are thinking about how they are going to perform the task and we are going to provide them the space and time to figure it out.
For activities that involve moving over a distance, like sprint and agility drills, use waterfall starts. For activities that involve staying in one place, like lifting weights or throwing, use partner coaching.
Waterfall Starts (Sprint or Agility Drills)
At the conclusion of the global instruction to the whole group, organize the group into different lines. Place a cone at the start, a cone at the finish, and a cone halfway between the start and finish. Instruct the first athlete in the first line, A11, to perform the drill in the direction of the finish cone. When A11 passed the halfway cone, the first athlete in the second line, A12, begins the drill towards the finish cone. When A12 passes the halfway cone, the first athlete in the third line, A13, begins the drill. This continues until all the athletes have performed the drill.
Both the athlete and coach have active roles during sessions that use waterfall starts. The coach should be walking across the lines, working the lines, observing each athlete. As each athlete is observed, when appropriate, the coach should call out using direct, custom, verbal instruction with external cues to encourage and correct. This provides each individual athlete the opportunity to be observed, encouraged, and corrected by the coach. The athletes waiting their turn also have an active role during this session. They should be watching the lines whereby receiving visual instruction from a novice model. As they listen to the coaching cues, they are problem solving their own movement patterns in anticipation of their turn.
Partner Coaching (Throwing or Weightlifting)
After addressing the whole group with verbal instructions and internal cues, partner the athletes in groups of two or three. For some tasks, it may be necessary to select partners of similar size and ability. As one athlete in the group performs the task, the others support and observe. The coach works each group, walking from group to group providing appropriate, individual, and custom external cues to the athletes. The other athletes are receiving a novice model of visual instruction and problem solving their movement strategies.
Rule of 3's
Not only does the coach need to consider the type of cue that is appropriate, but also when it is appropriate to call it out. Perfection is rarely the result in the first trial of a new skill. As athletes learn different movement patterns, they need time and space to experiement what works for them. For new skills, wait until the athlete has attempted it at least three times before correcting. When reinforcing familiar skills and movements, cueing can occur sooner.
Harnessing the power of a large group can enhance instruction. By giving global instruction using internal cues to the large group focuses the session. Then, by using waterfall starts or partner coaching, each athlete is observed and coached using individualized external cues. All verbal instruction must be focused, minimized, and prioritized according to the task. Using these techniques is an efficient way to provide large group instruction.
(1) Hodges, J.N. and Franks, M.I. (2002) Modelling coaching practice: The role of instruction and demonstration. Journal of Sport Science 20, 793-811.
The most effective group instruction takes advantage of the power of the group. To harness the power of the group begin with global instructions and then provide situations for local instructions and individualized attention.
When teaching a skill to a large number of people, start by addressing the entire group. Give out verbal instructions using internal cues. Finish by addressing the whole group with an expert model of visual instruction such as a live demonstration, video, or picture. Now the athletes are thinking about how they are going to perform the task and we are going to provide them the space and time to figure it out.
For activities that involve moving over a distance, like sprint and agility drills, use waterfall starts. For activities that involve staying in one place, like lifting weights or throwing, use partner coaching.
Waterfall Starts (Sprint or Agility Drills)
At the conclusion of the global instruction to the whole group, organize the group into different lines. Place a cone at the start, a cone at the finish, and a cone halfway between the start and finish. Instruct the first athlete in the first line, A11, to perform the drill in the direction of the finish cone. When A11 passed the halfway cone, the first athlete in the second line, A12, begins the drill towards the finish cone. When A12 passes the halfway cone, the first athlete in the third line, A13, begins the drill. This continues until all the athletes have performed the drill.
Both the athlete and coach have active roles during sessions that use waterfall starts. The coach should be walking across the lines, working the lines, observing each athlete. As each athlete is observed, when appropriate, the coach should call out using direct, custom, verbal instruction with external cues to encourage and correct. This provides each individual athlete the opportunity to be observed, encouraged, and corrected by the coach. The athletes waiting their turn also have an active role during this session. They should be watching the lines whereby receiving visual instruction from a novice model. As they listen to the coaching cues, they are problem solving their own movement patterns in anticipation of their turn.
Partner Coaching (Throwing or Weightlifting)
After addressing the whole group with verbal instructions and internal cues, partner the athletes in groups of two or three. For some tasks, it may be necessary to select partners of similar size and ability. As one athlete in the group performs the task, the others support and observe. The coach works each group, walking from group to group providing appropriate, individual, and custom external cues to the athletes. The other athletes are receiving a novice model of visual instruction and problem solving their movement strategies.
Rule of 3's
Not only does the coach need to consider the type of cue that is appropriate, but also when it is appropriate to call it out. Perfection is rarely the result in the first trial of a new skill. As athletes learn different movement patterns, they need time and space to experiement what works for them. For new skills, wait until the athlete has attempted it at least three times before correcting. When reinforcing familiar skills and movements, cueing can occur sooner.
Harnessing the power of a large group can enhance instruction. By giving global instruction using internal cues to the large group focuses the session. Then, by using waterfall starts or partner coaching, each athlete is observed and coached using individualized external cues. All verbal instruction must be focused, minimized, and prioritized according to the task. Using these techniques is an efficient way to provide large group instruction.
(1) Hodges, J.N. and Franks, M.I. (2002) Modelling coaching practice: The role of instruction and demonstration. Journal of Sport Science 20, 793-811.