Design of Technical Coaching
Why are my students more technical? What is it that I see and coach differently within my own academy? Are my standards that different? Is my coaching that distinct?
The Privado™ for Everyone
At LeftFoot, I've always had private coaching at the heart of the design. I wanted to make sure we could focus individual attention to help design the best experience for the player. I thought hiring more coaches to serve more players was the answer.
It wasn't.
Our best coaches are My Former Students.
During the past two years, I've had the chance to develop several coaches from within the ranks of our players and we've also hired former professional players.
We noticed that when our students learned how to coach and then they'd help out in sessions to assist players, they got better, the player got better, and we got better coaches who everyone wanted to become.
Our students knew our techniques, could demonstrate and held other players accountable to the process of learning the LeftFoot Way. They knew technique was tantamount to their success.
Redesigned Simplicity
The Master Coach Model works to reduce complexity on the parent side, and increase the complexity on the coaching side. We've integrated our past technical progressions to help groom former students to assist in technical sessions that allow them to play, coach, and teach younger students while also working on their own technique.
Coaching Partners
Our Senior Academy is designed to allow Junior and Seniors in high school to begin their coaching practicums and gain experience in a small group setting. They get to demonstrate techniques, shadow players, perform against the best kids and still refine their own techniques. In a white shirt to demonstrate the "white belt" concept of learning to become a coach, they train under an assistant coach.
Assistant Coaches
Through the years our internship programs found success by designing projects that our Assistant Coaches would write, design, edit and produce themselves. They became the "authors" of several internal books and projects that document our techniques. These assistant coaches "know" the material and have shadowed or learned from our founder since they were students.
The Low Instep Drive
Dani Nelson, Hall of Fame 2015, started as a student at LeftFoot in 2010. Her internship project was to begin documentation of the Low Instep Drive.
"I knew LeftFoot would have a big impact on my life, soccer wise, but I never thought it would have such a huge influence on the type of person I would become. Looking back, I can honestly say my journey through LeftFoot made me into the person I am today. From training, to interning, to becoming a coach, each step helped me mature. Having the opportunity to intern and work at LeftFoot I was able to see how an office runs first hand. I had to learn scheduling, managing, responsibility, and many other tasks that I have carried with me in college. During my experience, I developed leadership skills and a great support system. I would not have had this opportunity if people didn’t believe in me and my future. I have Christian (or if you’d like to say LeftFoot) to thank for my success. LeftFoot helped me gain a new confidence not only on the field but off the field as well." - Dani Nelson, 2016
Documenting & Modeling
We kept noticing this familiar pattern. Our best coaches, trainers and future leaders were the players that were constantly surrounded by the founder.
As they document what they learned, they taught each other.
Master Coach in Every Session
As we challenged our design we wanted to create a model that allowed the Master Coach to be supported in all of the technical progressions by players who could demonstrate, assist and bring a unique passion to the moment.
We knew we didn't want to isolate younger coaches to learn on their own, but to create a dynamic and fun environment that benefits everyone.
Credits:
Kyle Bergevin, Christian Isquierdo & the LeftFoot Interns