Mod 03 Asca Level 02

ASCA Level 2 S&C Coach Accreditation Module 3
Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

MODULE 3
Coaching Theory

This Module deals with Coaching Skills applicable to a

Strength and Conditioning Coach
• The role of the Strength and Conditioning Coach
• Coaching skills of the Strength and Conditioning Coach
• Teaching exercises
• Analysing exercise skills
• Motivation in coaching
• Goal setting
• Organisation and supervision

The Role of the S&C Coach
• What is the role of the S&C coach?
• Sports performance enhancement through an improvement of the physical

capabilities of strength, speed, endurance and flexibility.
• The coherent integration of the training of these factors into the overall
sports training plan.
• Work with sports coaches and sports medicine staff to achieve the above
objectives.
• Consider the appropriateness of training – given the chronological and

training age of the athlete – consider the Long Term Athlete Development
(LATD).

Coaching Skills of the S&C Coach
• The basic coaching skills include:
• Teaching / coaching skills
• Supervising / organisation skills
• Possess a sound knowledge of the principles of training, ability to write

programs and LTAD, etc.

Teaching of Exercises & 3 Stages of

Learning a Physical Skill
• Teaching methods should be appropriate to the athlete (stage of learning and
primary method of learning).
• Motor-learning studies have identified three stages of learning:
• STAGE 1 – The Cognitive Stage : the athlete has to think about how to
perform the skill – this stage may last a few sets (rare) up to a number of
weeks.
• STAGE 2 – The Associative Stage : the athlete has some control over the
skill – but it is not reflex based yet – this stage may last a few sets to a
number of weeks.
• STAGE 3 – The Autonomous Stage : the skill is reflex based within the
athletes neural circuitry – it may be weeks or months before this stage is
reached by a novice.

Teaching a New Exercise to a Novice Athlete
• The Australian Sports commission recommend a 5-step approach when

teaching new exercises to novice athletes who are in the first stage of learning
(for that exercise).

The 5-Step Appropriate to Teaching Novice (Cognitive

Stage) Athletes are:
1. Name the exercise
2. Demonstrate the exercise (no verbal data)
3. Identify 2-3 key aspects of technique associated with successful performance
4. Demonstrate the exercise again, concentrating upon and outlining those 2-3
key aspects during the performance
5. Athlete practices the exercise, concentrating on those 2-3 key aspects with
only limited feedback from the coach.

When Teaching the Beginner/Novice Athlete
• The S&C Coach:
• Should not give lengthy verbal descriptions of the minute details of

technique.
• Realise that at this stage novice athletes are predominantly using the visual
depiction of the exercise and 2-3 keys (verbal) to attempt to replicate the
‘master’ performance.
• Therefore do not overload the cognitive processes with lots of ‘bits of
information’.
• Allow plenty of practice in low stress situations (very light weight for
strength, slow speed for speed drills, etc.) – getting the kinaesthetic feel of
the exercise.
• Realise that knowledge of results is more important than knowledge of
performance for novices.

Exercise Choice and Novices
• Because novices are heavily cognitive when learning the skill of new exercises,
exercises for these athletes should be simple (basic skill).
• Advanced exercises (e.g. power clean from hang) are inappropriate for novices
to attempt – there exists a teaching progression of a number of exercises for
power clean from hang and athletes need to follow the teaching/skill acquisition
process.

3-Step Reinforcement Procedure
• Exercise skill is a behaviour and behaviour can be modified.
• To reinforce good technique irrespective of the stage of learning of the athlete,

the following 3-step procedure has been recommended:
1. Provide simple positive praise (e.g. "good rep”, "well done", "excellent”,
etc.).
2. Positive reinforcer (e.g. “good chest position”, “great knee lift”, etc.).
3. Corrective reinforcer if needed (“keep your chest up more”, “need to lift

knee higher”, etc.).

Timing of Providing the 3-Step Reinforcement changes

according to the Learning Stage of the Athlete
• Cognitive – provide after the set.
• Associative – provide after reps (where applicable).
• Autonomous – provide during reps (where applicable).
• All – more detailed feedback after the set.

This is Based Upon the Findings that:
• Cognitive stage athletes can really only think enough to alter technique
effectively after a set (i.e. in preparation for the next set).
• Associative stage athletes can really only think enough to alter technique
effectively after a rep (i.e. in preparation for the next rep).
• Autonomous have reflex based control of their skill and therefore can alter the
skill effect during its actual performance.

Ongoing Coaching of an Exercise to a Novice
• Before the set, the coach prepares the athlete by getting them to focus upon the
two or three key aspects of performance.
• Athlete performs the set.
• After the set the coach provides simple positive praise related to basic
outcome and outcome of key aspects, with corrective info where applicable.
• NB Novice athletes cannot readily process information given by the coach

during a set or rep (too much cognitive) – feedback regarding technique
etc. mainly given after set!

Note!!
• Sometimes athletes like to learn in different ways (or combinations of ways).

• Visual (by watching “show me that again coach”)
• Kinaesthetic (by feel “let me try that again coach”).
• Audio (by listening “explain that again coach”).
• Irrespective of the dominant learning strategy, athletes take the cues they
need and attempt to replicate the performance of the exercise.
• The 5-step approach uses visual, audio and kinaesthetic methods and
hence is applicable to most athletes.
• However be amendable to different learning strategies by athletes – modify
your teaching strategies where necessary (e.g. deaf, visually impaired
athletes).
• Because these athletes have better control/techniques, feedback can be
given during a set, after each rep (if necessary).

Coaching the Associative (2nd Stage):
• Example
1. Coach prepares the athlete by getting them to focus on those 2-3 key
aspects of technique that are appropriate for that athlete.
2. After each rep, the coach can provide simple praise, a positive reinforcer
and a corrective reinforcer (only if necessary and only a few key words
must be used).
3. After set, coach provides simple praise and positive reinforcers and more
detailed corrective information (if necessary).

Coaching the Autonomous (3rd Stage) Athlete in Exercises

they are already Proficient in:
• Coach prepares the athlete by getting them to focus on those key aspects of
technique.
• May also use arousal techniques (psych-up).
• Coach can provide corrective reinforcer during rep if necessary.
• After each rep, the coach may provide simple praise, positive reinforcer and a
corrective reinforcer (only if necessary and only a few key words must be used).
• After set coach provides simple praise and positive reinforcers and more
detailed corrective information (if necessary).

Teaching New Exercises to More Advanced Athletes
• Because advanced athletes should have already been taught, and have
mastered, the basic exercises, it is not always necessary to use the 5-step
approach when teaching these athletes new exercises.
• Most new exercises that an advanced athlete learns are merely variations or
extensions of previously acquired motor skills.
• Therefore teaching new exercises to these athletes is often a matter of

‘chaining’ and ‘shaping’.

How to Teach More Advanced Exercises
• A complex exercise is merely a collection of less complicated parts which have

been learnt previously and then ‘chained’ together and ‘shaped’ into the final
complex skill.
• The part-whole method of teaching involves the ‘parts’ of a complex exercise

being learned somewhat separately and then ‘chained’ back together to form
the whole complex skill.
• Some ‘shaping’ must take place.
• Is best suited to complex rather than simple skill exercises.

Visible learning – A modern approach to teaching
• Developed by John Hattie (University of Melbourne)
• Designed to improve learning outcomes and is based off research in

student/teacher learning outcomes

The 3 Step Method - theory
1. Provide a ‘clear learning intention’.
2. Provide ‘in point’ detail that anchors a reference point or sequence of events.
3. Have a success rate that measures the ‘visible behaviours’ related to the
learning outcome

3 Step Method - Example 1
1. Learning intention – Improve 2nd pull of the power clean
2. Detail;
a) Extend hips fully
b) Keep elbows locked
c) Powerful shrug – shoulders to ears
3. Success criteria – video the set and provide feedback on ‘correct’ finish
position

3 Step Method - Example 2
1. Learning intention – Foot strike in maximal velocity training
2. Detail;
a) Pre-tension the ankle / posterior leg
b) Hammer the foot down
c) Hit the ground under or slightly behind the hip
3. Success criteria – Perform walk through’s so athlete can ‘experience’ success.

Speed up drill execution and provide video feedback of successful execution,
i.e. 6 out of 10 (60%) foot-strikes were as desired.

Example
• Power clean from hang into a split leg receiving position is the shaping and
chaining of two exercises.
• If an athlete has performed strength training for a period whereby their skill level
is autonomous for the following exercises:
– Power clean from hang

– Lunges
• Then the coach merely has to illustrate that the power clean from hang into the
split position is a chain of these skills and the athlete merely has to learn to
shape them into the final product.

Practical session
• In the practical section you will see that the Weightlifting Exercises (cleans,
snatches, jerks) all have fairly specific teaching progressions with the simpler
skills being chained and shaped into the more complex skills.

Analysing Exercise Skills
• Coach must have sound understanding of mechanics of exercise.
• Coach must be able to correct faults (behaviour modification processes e.g. use
the 3 part verbal reinforcement techniques).
• Coach must put themselves in a position which provides most appropriate

feedback regarding mechanics of exercise (side, front, behind ? depending
upon exercise and athlete faults).
• Video technologies are making this easier however the message must still be
conveyed to athlete.

Motivation in Coaching
• Motivation refers to exhibiting certain behaviours and being persistent in these

behaviours. (e.g. always willing to train hard, punctual, etc.).
• Motivation is influenced by:
– Goal setting; and

– Reinforcement

Goal Setting
• Goals can be short, medium and long-term
• Goals must be:
– Challenging yet realistic.

– Objective not subjective (e.g. run 40m in 5.2s not just ‘get faster’ over 40m).
– Publicity affirmed (your reputation among team mates is on the line).
– Multiple goals (various fitness goals – strength, speed, endurance and
flexibility may all have 2-3 test goals).
– Re-evaluated – keep them challenging yet realistic.

Reinforcement
• A reinforcer is ‘any event that increases the rate of occurrence of a particular

behaviour’.
• May be:
– Achievement reinforcers (mastering a new skill, winning the training efforts,

‘honour boards’ for test results, etc.)
– Sensation reinforcers (feeling of good technique, feeling of scoring
goals/tries, etc.).
– Verbal reinforcers (already discussed – 3-step process).
– All 3 types of reinforcers may work to motivate athletes in training – coach
can choose which works best.

Organisation and Supervision
• Effective coaching is more than writing a program.
• For a program to be effective it must be properly implemented which depends

largely upon:
– Organisation skills
– Supervision skills

Organisation of Training
• The ASCA recommends that the coach / athlete ratio is 1 : 15 or less where
possible for most effective coaching.
• However the ASCA realises that this is not always possible, especially in non-
professional sports/teams – therefore training must be well organised.
• Effective and precise programming and the use of sub-groups of 2-4 athletes of
similar capabilities can help in the organisation of training.
• Precise programming (exact work : rest periods / starts, etc.) goes a long way
towards the effective organisation of a training session.

Examples for Anaerobic Training Session with 16 Athletes
• Session entails running repeat 10s efforts @ 90% of best distance in 10s with a
30S recovery (1:3).
• Athletes are grouped into 4 x 4, based upon capabilities, with cones set at
varying distances of e.g. 55m (slowest) 56, 61m and 65m (fastest).
• Every 10s a group sets off from the start line.

Other Methods of Organising Training with Large Number

of Athletes
• Split training with Skill Coach – e.g. in soccer skill coach takes 8 players for 4 v
4 small grid, S and C coach takes 8 for speed or conditioning training for 15
mins. then swap.
• Stagger Start Times of Training – e.g. one group starts in weight room at
4.00pm next group at 4.30pm.
• Stagger the Exercise Order in the weight room – e.g. half group start with lower
body and the other half start with upper body – next session switch the start
order.

Effective Organisation is based upon Good Planning
• At elite levels S&C Coaches plan very precisely.
• Planning includes time, people, equipment and how all these factors interact
in a dynamic atmosphere.
• If the coach knows exactly what the athlete should be doing at any moment and
that is communicated to the athlete, then training should be well organised and
run smoothly.
• If training does not run smoothly then the training session has not been well
planned OR it is a discipline problem with the athletes.

Supervision Skills
• Ability to supervise well is largely influenced by how well organised and planned
training is.
• If training is well organised and planned, then the coach can concentrate upon
exercise skill teaching/coaching processes, reinforcement processes, motivation
strategies, etc.
• If training is not well planned (time, equipment, personnel and their dynamic
interaction) the S&C Coach may spend most of the training session attempting
to organise athletes.

What type of athlete do you have?
• Technician – they seek out extra coaching or tasks to improve
• Professional – they do what they are told, but may not seek out extra coaching
or tasks to improve
• Semi-professional – do what they like well, but do not do what they don’t like
well
• Poor attitude – don’t want to do anything much and try to interfere with the
performance process

Athlete engagement & “buy-in”
• With advanced “technician” and “professional” athletes, they may need to have
engagement in many aspects of the performance process
• Better athlete learning may occur if the coach presents scenarios with “Open”
questions rather than Closed statements
• Eg; “how do we best break down this teams defense?”

Versus
“this is how we will best break down this teams defense!”

Athlete engagement & “buy-in”
• With younger, in-experienced athletes, the coach athlete talk ratio may be 80:20
• With advanced and experienced athletes, the ratio may be 20:80
• Growth mindset language is important to technician and professional athletes

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ASCA Level 2 S&C Coach Accreditation Module 3

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

This Module deals with Coaching Skills applicable to a

• Coaching skills of the Strength and Conditioning Coach

• Analysing exercise skills

• Organisation and supervision

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

The Role of the S&C Coach

• What is the role of the S&C coach?

• Sports performance enhancement through an improvement of the physical

• Consider the appropriateness of training – given the chronological and

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Coaching Skills of the S&C Coach

• The basic coaching skills include:

• Teaching / coaching skills

• Supervising / organisation skills

• Possess a sound knowledge of the principles of training, ability to write

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Teaching of Exercises & 3 Stages of

• Motor-learning studies have identified three stages of learning:

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Teaching a New Exercise to a Novice Athlete

• The Australian Sports commission recommend a 5-step approach when

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

The 5-Step Appropriate to Teaching Novice (Cognitive

2. Demonstrate the exercise (no verbal data)

3. Identify 2-3 key aspects of technique associated with successful performance

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

When Teaching the Beginner/Novice Athlete

• The S&C Coach:

• Should not give lengthy verbal descriptions of the minute details of

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Exercise Choice and Novices

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

3-Step Reinforcement Procedure

• Exercise skill is a behaviour and behaviour can be modified.

• To reinforce good technique irrespective of the stage of learning of the athlete,

3. Corrective reinforcer if needed (“keep your chest up more”, “need to lift

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Timing of Providing the 3-Step Reinforcement changes

• Associative – provide after reps (where applicable).

• Autonomous – provide during reps (where applicable).

• All – more detailed feedback after the set.

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

This is Based Upon the Findings that:

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Ongoing Coaching of an Exercise to a Novice

• Athlete performs the set.

• NB Novice athletes cannot readily process information given by the coach

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

• Sometimes athletes like to learn in different ways (or combinations of ways).

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Coaching the Associative (2nd Stage):

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Coaching the Autonomous (3rd Stage) Athlete in Exercises

• May also use arousal techniques (psych-up).

• Coach can provide corrective reinforcer during rep if necessary.

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

Teaching New Exercises to More Advanced Athletes

• Therefore teaching new exercises to these athletes is often a matter of

Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

How to Teach More Advanced Exercises

• A complex exercise is merely a collection of less complicated parts which have