Community Coaching General Principals Course / Game Sense Critique

Part A
The Community Coaching General Principles Course has outlined the primary ways to be a
good coach, prepare to coach, how to work with others and to coach in action, now applying
those into a coaching context and putting together a coaching scenario.

The sport I’m coaching is netball. I’m experienced and know about coaching and playing
netball. The nature of the learners I’ll be coaching is year six and seven girl’s netball team in
their 2nd season, with about half confident and experienced and half beginner to medium
experienced. They all are very interested in netball, and all have a competitive side. The
abilities of the students are, the year sixes are less confident in playing as they must play
with year sevens. Four students are still in the process of learning the correct way of landing
on two feet to stop stepping in a game, whereas the other students are advancing onto
using the accurate shooting and defending techniques. Three students have difficulty seeing
the ball from a distance because they wear glasses and don’t like to play with them on in
case they break.

While working with others the coaching behaviours I will use with the year sixes are having a
combined approach to the drills, I set out for them and ensuring I’m working with the level
they are on. Having a combined approach means I’m able to manipulate rules, environment
and equipment to help isolate skill and focus on implementing it in a game (Sport AUS,
2019). I’ll set up a station for the students working on controlling stepping; it will include
running out from centre third to a cone in the goal third and working on stopping and
landing, then after confident with doing that I’ll introduce a ball. I’ll modify rules and change
equipment and the environment to suit each player's needs. Then I’ll move onto a game
centred approach putting the skills each player has into a game situation so they can benefit
the most out of learning skills and knowing where to use them (Sport AUS, 2019). Setting up
stations and dividing the court into sections will also benefit the students who have difficulty
seeing the ball as it is a smaller scale court. Another way I will help those four students will
be encouraging communication between players to help them sense where their
teammates are.
As a coach, I’ll have to adapt my communication style to the situation (Sport AUS, 2019). I’ll
use a direct approach to make sure I’m understood, and the activities run smoothly, giving
plenty of positive feedback when someone has improved and done something there no so
comfortable doing well. Being able to answer questions and questioning students to assure
they have understood what I have said. Giving concise instructions and following them with
a demonstration when needed. Being approachable is the coaching style I aim for as it will
benefit my communication style. When working with the year sevens, I must give explicit
instruction as they will be doing a more productive learning style as they are more
advanced. By doing this, it will benefit their social and individual development, which is an
essential aspect of teaching.

Planning and organisation will ensure the session runs smoothly; I’ll plan the drills ahead of
the lesson to ensure students aren’t standing around and are always moving (Sport AUS,
2019). I will plan to assist the beginner's needs, so set out an activity for more experienced
players to do while helping. Have all the equipment ready and a lesson plan drawn out
before the lesson. So as discussed before I’ll have stations planned out and set up for the
different levels of students. Planning my lesson, I will also consider my students' goals and
what they want to achieve. At the beginning of the first session, I’ll let each player decide
their goals or for each week and try to combine skills in that will help them achieve that. So,
the goals of the more advanced players are adequately learning the proper shooting and
defending techniques, so I base the drills around that, same with the players working on
stepping and moving mistake-free with the ball I’ll base the drills on that. Also giving the
whole team a long term, such as working better as a team, this will ensure bonding and help
with the year sixes being more confident with playing with the year sevens.

Reference List- Part A

Sport AUS -Janison CLS. (2019). Retrieved 8 August 2019,

Introducing Game Sense.

The Game Sense approach is a style of coaching that is viewed as a ‘new’ and more
innovative approach to coaching in sport-related education (Light, 2012). It helps develop
skills in a more real sense, to encourage more decision making while also involving more
fun, it’s a student/player-centred pedagogy (Light, 2012). Being able to understand Game
Sense as a coach or teacher will help improve and expand their teaching abilities and will
help people to look at coaching from a different perspective. Game Sense also promotes
individual development and social development, which are two aims of teaching and
philosophies (Arrold, 2019). This critique will go into depth on how Game Sense differs from
Traditional Models of coaching, the key elements of the game sense approach and the
benefits of using the Game Sense approach in coaching. Doing this to create a better
understanding of why a Game Sense approach is more beneficial to student’s development.

The Game Sense approach and how it differs from Traditional Models of Coaching.

The Game Sense approach differs from the traditional way of teaching by using a more
productive style, which is student-centred, rather than a reproductive style, which is
teacher-centred. Game sense is applying the skills and techniques of a sport straight into
modified games, whereas the traditional model is using a step by step method. Game Sense
style includes sampling sport with modified smaller versions and monitoring play to check
for understanding (Stolz & Pill, 2012). The traditional style consists of a skill related warm-
up, then skill instruction and specific techniques followed by a game which implements skills
practised (Stolz & Pill, 2012).

Key elements of the Game Sense approach.

Key elements of the Game Sense approach to coaching are the modification of rules and
playing space and combining those with questioning throughout to teach about the game,
during the game (Pill, 2010). Also, its fundamentally based on promoting intellectual quality,
a quality learning environment and makes students know how significant their work is
(Light, Curry & Mooney, 2014). By reducing technical demands, students can focus on and
grasp the skill in a game context and progressively get better at the skill while doing it in a
real-life scenario (Light, Curry & Mooney, 2014).

Implementing Game Sense in a physical education setting, this can be done in several
different ways and different sports. An example could be splitting a playing area up into
smaller spaces and dividing the class evenly, also considering the student’s abilities. Then
running short and rule modified game-like scenarios for each small group to do. Using
netball as an example, you would have students who aren’t as experienced, focusing on
passing the ball and stopping when they have received the ball — the students who are
more experienced or confident with their ability concentrate on their shooting or defending
technique. By breaking the groups down, it gives each student a better chance of focusing
on and implementing their skills as there are fewer people in the groups. As a coach or
teacher stopping the games every five to ten minutes can also benefit the students as you
can discuss and allow for questions, also can change rules or modify the game to make it
more difficult, e.g. adding a ball or varying number of passes.

Benefits of the Game Sense approach.

The Game Sense approach to physical education has many benefits for both student and
teacher. First, it's more engaging for students rather than traditional based and encourages
them to work together and communicate how they will play and what will or won’t work.
Ultimately, they are learning for themselves by playing straight away and being encouraged
to work together and discuss to stimulate thinking (Light, 2012). It also gives students the
ability to change rules, time frame etc. to take control of their learning in a way that would
benefit them and allow them to play to their strength. It promotes creative thinking and has
a huge role in social development (Light, Curry & Mooney, 2014). It potentially can be
applied to any age group of any level and almost all sports (Launder & Piltz, 2006). There are
situations where it won’t work, but having the knowledge and understanding of what Game
Sense is will help to identify when it will work.
It also benefits the teacher, by allowing the students to engage in the sport it's easier to
stand back as a teacher and monitor the student’s abilities and strengths. Game sense also
works because the teachers are the ones shaping the play, focusing the play and enhancing
play, not just throwing them the ball and letting them go (Martens, 2004). So as the teacher,
you would start by outlining rules of the game and letting the students know what can be
changed to create the learning environment wanted. Then also outlining safety precautions,
to keep it as safe as possible, you can alter the size of the area and the amount players to
ensure everyone will get to participate.

Concluding Game Sense.

In conclusion, Game Sense has been broken down into four parts to help develop a more
sophisticated understanding. These parts were, what precisely a Game Sense approach is,
how the method differs from a more traditional style of coaching, the key elements of the
Game Sense approach and the benefits of using a Game Sense approach. After establishing
that there is a difference between the two ways to approach teaching in physical education,
it became clear that teaching movement skills while moving in a game was more beneficial.
This then helped determine other benefits of the Game Sense approach, by expanding on
the key elements, it gave a deeper understanding of how to put this approach in motion.
Knowing the significance of using the Game Sense approach has while coaching, it should be
encouraged more in teaching situations.

Reference List- Part B

Arrold, N. (Speaker). (2019, August 8). Teaching Styles and Philosophies [Podcast lecture]. In
Physical Education (EDN116). Murdoch, WA: Murdoch University. Retrieved from
https://echo360.org.au/lesson/G_9a5ebedd-ceeb-49f8
9f0dc7b9b0ec6cfd_5390faca-e47a-47a3-9ea5-164bc8ae19c8_2019-08
08T11:30:00.000_2019-08-08T12:25:00.000/classroom#sortDirection=desc

Launder, A. & Piltz, W. (2006). Beyond ‘Understanding’ to Skilful Play in Games, through Play
Practice. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 39 (1), 47-57
Light, R., Curry, C. & Mooney, A. (2014). Game Sense as a model for delivering quality
teaching in physical education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical
Education, 5(1), 67-81

Light, R. (2012). Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment (1st
ed.). London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203114643

Martens, R. (2004). ‘Coaching the games approach way.’ In Successful Coaching (3 rd ed.).
(pp.167-181 &189). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
https://content.talisaspire.com/murdoch/bundles/579ac3684469ee796e8b4577

Pill, S. (2010). ‘Why use a game-centred approach in physical education?’ In Play with
purpose (2nd ed.). (pp.5-12). Hindmarsh, South Australia: ACHPER.

Stolz, S. & Pill, S. (2012). Making sense of game sense. Active and Health Magazine, 19(1), 5
8.