Tag: BOTS

Coaching Newsletter #3 – Merging repetition & game-realism together

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Subscriber Exclusives

There's often a conflict between the old-school coaches who design "drills" focused on repetition, and the new-school coaches who provide actual education toward what players will encounter in a game. But in reality, the two can easily be merged together. You see, game-realistic activities around a specific session topic naturally allow for repetition toward the patterns our players will encounter in the game. In this coaching newsletter, I use my personal experiences as a part-time professional athlete in the sport of trail running to detail how game-realism and repetition can be easily combined together.

Coaching Craft – Newsletter #2 – Coaching high-performance athletes

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Subscriber Exclusives

While coaching ideologies can generally apply across a myriad of ages and abilities, there are a few distinct differences. This includes: A greater attention to detail at the high-performance level. A greater attention to position-specific training. More complexity when adapting activities to add challenge/intensity.

Coaching Craft – Chapter 9 – Athlete Decision Making

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Sport Psychology

Chapter nine details how athlete's make decisions on the field, and the range of factors that go into harnessing optimal athlete decision making.

How athletes can improve their scanning and perceptions of BOTS

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Education, Sport Psychology

The number one aspect that separates elite players from amateur is the ability to make quick decisions under pressure. Elite athletes are better able to process information, and frequently take in more information when scanning their surroundings, even if scanning for shorter periods of time. But scanning, information processing and attention to detail are all skills that can be worked upon by athletes at any level, in any sport.

Game of Numbers #17 – Valentín Castellanos – Scanning to score four against Real Madrid

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Striker

Castellanos had one of the greatest games of his life, netting 4 goals against last season's Champions League victors. He became the first player in the 21st century to score four against Los Blancos in a league game, and did so with just 6 shots. With that, let's dissect how "Taty" Castellanos scanned for success in his heroic performance against one of the world's best sides.

Understanding the five corner model for player development & performance

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Sport Psychology

As coaches, we must recognize that players have an array of qualities that make them unique on the pitch. We must also recognize that each of these unique pillars need to be paid attention to with dedicated attention and care.

The benefits of consulting with a performance analyst

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Most Recent

Clubs, and certainly professional players, are not currently accessing this to the extent that would truly take their game to the next level. Yet so many youth coaches and younger athletes at the youth level remain unafraid to make that leap. Soon it will be those coaches and players who are already investing in their development as they work through the game, that will leapfrog those that continue to fall behind. Whoever takes the shot first will reap the rewards, and it's now up to the clubs and players to see the value.