GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #23 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - IS IT TIME TO GO TO 9V9 IN AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL JUNIORS AND YOUTH? YES!!! BUT, IT'LL BE HARD, PART 1

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of using REVOLUTIONARY RULE CHANGES (Pt. 1) to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…

Watch, share and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engagement’ YouTube OR Facebook Pages for more!!!

Note: This 'Blog' posts is a past one BUT must be revisited as I’m about to launch a video series around player welfare in contact.  Feel free to join me in my campaign to make people a little more aware…

My previous post on the cultural heritage of, and including, my reflections on 'lines' and 'lane-work' in Australian football coaching was shared, liked and commented on, by many great teachers within the AFL community on LinkedIn.  However, in a sharing and learning group I host called 'Grassroots Coaching and Consulting', whilst it also attracted strong support, it also received the only dissent from the Head of AFL, in one of the corporsation's most prized outposts:

Dissenter: Lots of criticism in here, not much by way of tangible solutions.

Gunny: Well, I've provided plenty before this... (In any case) I'm not going to provide any real solutions because 'cultural' change systemic is needed which requires a flipped funding model and a revolution. It won't happen but...

Coach Gunny is tackling player welfare - the safety of the tackler and the person being tackled. Concussion prevention should be the coach, the club and the game's number 1 concern. Gunn Engagement is launching the first instalment in the series - Head Awareness

Now before I begin this series, we must consider context fellow learners:

1) I am not picking on Australian football. All of the major sports in Australia are operating through much cultural 'mythology' that goes against current research.

2) I am a teacher and thus an advocate for social justice.  As such, I ask lots of question around assumptions and behaviours as a critical learner.

Queensland AFL team. Accountability is just a word. This is 12 minutes in of firts session. Create the correct LEARNING environment and your athletes will be switched on, physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. LOVE Coach Gunny SUBSCRIBE for more!

3) The above (point '2'), is amplified by ten fold within me when compared to the passion of most teachers because of my unique life journey.  However, I, and many of my peers recognise that these experiences were the making of my abilities to connect with young people.  As such, I am very clear and open about my biases in beliefs that sport and PE can save lives, if, done well.  Thus, as an educator, I fight for it to be done better...

Provocation peers: Do you even know why you coach the way you do???  Kirk (1998), or, Moy and Renshaw (2009), suggest drills come from the military.  PE adopted this in places like Australia, the USA and UK which influenced sport. 

However, over many years I have had students at one university from Norway.  They have never been taught this way.  In fact, I have to teach teach them closed drills and explain it all so they understand the small sided games or other approaches we try to teach them as 'alternatives'.  Now, I'm just working out technology this year, but in future, I might just show them the above vision’s contrasting 'drills'.

Provocation peers: Why have the other country's methods, or indeed Australia's Game Sense (Den Duyn, 1997) not taken off in countries like Australia.  Well, Julian North and friends (2016) plus many other researchers (Chris Cushion or Wade Gilbert are favourites of mine) suggest that any intervention or change in coaching, firstly, not only requires greater support and resources, but secondly, also needs sports or nations to understand contexts. 

For example, Lawrie Woodman, who ran AFL coaching up until this year, sent me a document on 'grids' (not lines), that was used to educate PE teachers in Australian football at the University of Western Australia in 1977.  Email me coachgunny@craiggunn.org or Lawrie (can be found on Twitter or LinkedIn) for a copy, because it's an amazing tool for today's coaches in the sport!!! 

Coach Gunny is tackling player welfare - the safety of the tackler and the person being tackled. Concussion prevention should be the coach, the club and the ...

Now, as a teacher, but a biased rugby league man, I wonder why it wasn't taken up (before TGfU, or, Game Sense), and ponder, if it's because: Australian football is a Victorian game... because it was too hard to control chaos... or, coaches were and still are time poor... etc??? 

At least I ask the questions.  Unfortunately, Gunn and Pill (2017) discovered either way, that AFL coaches (even experienced ones) do not reflect deeply enough before planning.  Email me again if you'd like to see an example of my planning with the thoughts and questions that must happen beforehand.

Speaking of rugby league, please see the Brisbane Broncos ladies join my kids and cousins for a bit of Touch Footy.  Stuff like this, is certainly why I love women's sports so much!!!

Kingscliffe for a wonderful 70th birthday. Adults upstairs kids outside having fun then these legendary athletes arrive! Well done Brisbane Broncos Women!!! Great role modelling!

In closing today (I did try to keep it short), the reason I showed this footage is because it shows us how us 'older' folk learnt in the old days.  Great Australian football coach, Denis Pagan (2008) once pondered if the above type of environment was why Indigenous players are so good = making decisions, exploring etc... 

As for 9v9... This communication below, demonstrates how I feel.  I believe it's a massive step in the right direction (sent and kindly agreed with bya 'top brass' member of AFL corp).  It was a 'parting gift' before I head back to the 'rugger codes', but, I stress that it must happen and will too! 

"… My experience as a PE teacher who actually gets kids properly moving knows that 9v9 at juniors will quieten down the angst and brutality of players and adults. The kids will be too stuffed... The adults will just be trying to keep up with the action... (As well)… Your coaching woes and umpiring woes will be lessened because both will be far easier.  The kids will almost 'ref' themselves."

www.craiggunn.org

A Gunny anecdote is now needed to illustrate this.  It  features me and a Level II, U/14 coach and former great player (of some repute) who asked me how to improve his training...

Gunny: Well you need small sided games mate.  In fact the whole game of AFL from U/12 boys etc up, needs smaller fields and fewer players.

Coach: I get it Gunny... Everybody gets a prize hey? (as he walks off and doesn't turn back...)

Gunny: But... I'm talking about more touches of the ball!!!

To be continued...

You've been handed your child's team's coaching job....What now??!! I want to know the "HOW" as well as the "WHAT". Coach Gunny is here to get you started on your journey!

BUT: (look up Pill or Reynolds where this has been done in Australian footy)...

Don't forget to remain CURIOUS and share!

Yours in learning,

Gunny

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #21 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - STUART WILKINSON PART II THROUGH AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of using Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…

Watch, share and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engagement’ YouTube OR Facebook Pages for more!!!

Once again I make the claim that his is probably the best coaching podcast episode I have ever heard! Have a listen yourself. Dale Sidebottom interviews the amazingly brilliant but HUMBLE lifelong learner Stuart Wilkinson. HERE it is again!!! https://energetic.education/130-stuart-wilkinson-coaching-relationships-inspiration/

Thus, in my typical reflective way, I listened to this piece FIVE times. I thought it best to share some of my notes and quotes. Once again, to give it some legitimacy I thought I’d also use ‘Australian Professional Standards for Teachers’ as a lens. This is the second half of the episode after first 30 mintes. Please understand that this is rare! I usually use pen and paper… THUS please don’t hold against me any formatting or editing issues. What is REAL is my use of the focus areas from the standards. There are 39 focus areas from memory and Stuart would cover most in this conversation with Dale. I am pretty sure 2.6 Literacy and Numeracy is the only one not covered. Amazing coversation…

Reflection starts now and is in ‘itallics’ Standards are found here: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards The numbers are corresponding focus areas. There are seven standards. Selfishly I thought I’d throw in a little vision from my own channel. Please like and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engaement’ YouTube channel:

(Referring to a grassroots team where he brought in ex-players to help who went from 100 point loss to 40 point victory in one season) Didn't do it on my own - knew what they needed brought in the right people to take the players on a journey7.4  - had them from 15-17 and most of them became good fathers and good people to employ - they're still in touch with each other to this day 1.1 and 4.1

 Dale: Do you ever sit back and reflect on this awesomeness?  Stuart: It's been so messy… I tried to master everything… I must say Dale I'm 59 now, 35 years of coaching and doing a PHD… I'm learning again and feel I'm coaching better than ever!!! I just wish I could start again with what I know now!!! 6.4

Getting players to become better people and give back to the community not only allows them to get a 'win' BUT is what coaching is all about!!! 1.2 and 3.1

Any young coach on a 'talent' pathway needs to read Fergus Connoly's book https://fergusconnolly.com/books/ Game Changer as it's full of tools 7.4

(He listed other book s like the 'Captain's Class' but reminded us about filters) Talked about accessible books/learning for grassroots that were easily understood.  Researchers need a filter where STU and Dale may come in) 6.2 and 6.3 What they all have in common is integrity and values and consistency of applying into players' behaviours on the pitch. 1.1 and 1.2

 Dale: Tell us about the different cultures you had to prepare for?  Stuart went on a 10 minute (not quite)  tangent about different players and cultures.  He mentioned indigenous players.  THUS I will use some poetic licence here to mention some more of AITSIL standards and reappropriating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus areas more globally here. 1.3-1.5

Did an audit around emerging countries to make them more robust in rugby league for upcoming rugby league world cup.  Was based in Belgrade and assessed what was needed and who could train them. 3.6, 5.3 to 5.5; 7.2

 Used wallpaper with diagrams to translate HOW to play when coached Russians.  2.1 and 2.2

Learned so much from coaching Russians who were ice hockey - players don't get anxious before game by distancing themselves from coach - their habits and openness in communication was brilliant - English players who are young need support in self-efficacy but Russians had that down pat and open with each other - absolutely learning so much their attitudes were outstanding - Russians were right on the button every single time - fascinating 6.2 and 6.4 PLUS (poetic licence with middle one) 1.3-1.5 - he earlier mentioned needing to get to know indigenous players in English Super League mentioned Fijians but of course many other pacific islanders, players from PNG and Australian Indigenous players as well (like one of my favourites who I still see now and again at a local pub Jamie Sandy a peer and probably club mate of Stu's at West Panthers who played in Challenge Cup final) 2.4

Advice to 18 year old  Stu- should have stayed in Australia where Rugby League is more at home - any advice to anybody is to be hungry, volunteer, be willing to learn - won't take a dollar off grassroots sport - again the no.1 currency is coaching - like Twitter - allows you to networking with interesting learners with different ideas 6.1-6.4

 Explains how his university engenders networking events with industry for networking opportunities 2.2-2.3, 1.5

 His opinion on technology - have to accept they need it - went to technology convention and fascinating  2.6

More 60 years than 16 years on Twitter - research that technology hasn't really done much since light bulb - tech is faster and more efficient but no real new discoveries and brain is still same as last 40,000 years ago - BUT coaching is all about relationships, more tactile put people in front of each other - in the end mate talking to a piece of plastic1.1, 1.2 and 1.5

 Your lasting legacy?  Just getting deeper in relationships that also I helped coaches to become better communicators to make a difference in people's lives 3.1 -3.7

Find network Stuart Wilkinson Twitter and LinkedIn - happy to take any coach on!!! 7.4

What a conversation.  AGAIN the only focus area I think wasn't touched was literacy and numeracy.  I could be wrong.  Listened five times. 

When I finally meet this coach I will be a little bit nervous.  Nothing wrong with having heroes!!!

 Gunny leaving for London June 5 and leaving 15 June to follow Stu's advice and get face to face with coaches. 

Who wants to learn with me?  I have coached/learned in all contexts! 

Yours in learning,

 Gunny

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #20 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - YET ANOTHER SHARE OF THE GREAT PRAGMATIST WAYNE GOLDSMITH'S THOUGHTS ON 'COACHING' IN IRISH EXAMINER

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of cultural behaviour change to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…

Watch, share and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engagement’ YouTube OR Facebook Pages for more!!!

Fortnite is not the enemy! Bad coaching is… HOWEVER, what if I told you that in my country at least the heads of the big sports admit this regularly to my face around drop-out???

In any case, I am behind in the 'Blogging’ project and looking to catch up this weekend... Feel free to 'unfollow' or 'unfriend' me 'friends' BUT I think sports coaches can still change the WORLD! However once again, we face massive cultural barriers that I have listed over and over and over in many forums over many years. Luckily, people listen to Wayne Goldsmith. At the other end of the spectrum there’s Gunny and “He’s mad!”

THUS I say: I agree with Wayne’s thoughts and love the Irish Examiner.  Yet I have seen this shared so many times on socilals AND am left asking what are we gonna DO???

I am getting tired of TALKING and REFLECTING on this drop-out because of poor coaching thing…  https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/fortnite-is-not-sports-enemy-outdated-coaching-is-920377.html#.XMzwYOQoRgw.email

Can any great teachers please SHOW the alternatives to drills??? I am not talking 'CARDS’ stuff so great in English Rugby. That is WHAT. We need a lot more HOW…

In any case Wayne is a great human! This is enough. Could be the main point?   

I do DRILLS but... called "Gunny Madness" in my country. They are game like etc... The Australian Sports Commission has been promoting a thing called ‘Game Sense’ in coaching since 1995. YET nothing has really changed as I have written about or presented at ACHPER conferences and the like. THUS, what Wayne and many of us are agitating for is putting the foot forward to change culture!  

I don’t want to sound negative, and of course I have been accused of sports corporation bashing constantly. I am all and i mean ALL for this CHANGE... HOWEVER, the time for action is now!!!.

To me it seems that the Goldsmith piece has been SHARED by many in sports corporations just to increase Facebook, YouTube etc etc likes… Speaking of which this is how Gunny coaches so so so differently to Australian Football’s cultural tradition.

NOW, we must remember that research is DONE with ELITE and paid for by ELITE...  It will be soon. or right NOW, too late for Grassroots...  CULTURAL change is HARD!!!

I SHOW volunteers how to DO it all thanks to a ‘lightbulb moment’ at a sports collective Forum I conceived and helped run last year at Australian Catholic University. An old school mate whose rugby team I played in said, “How does it feel to be doing the Australian Sports Commission’s job Gunny?” The point is that they aren’t doing it and this cultural thing is very complex.

NOW I have vast coaching and PE teaching experience. I have also lectured/taught at university for 10 years but that’s all ‘blah...’ . You see, I would create whole university subjects that taught alternatives to drills, plus, making drills messy (or game like), through SEPEP, Game Sense, TGfU, TGM, CLA etc etc... Then I would go to schools and see 200 maybe students on ‘practicum’. ONE brave and brilliant teacher was the only one who demonstrated ‘alternatives’ to dominant cultural practices. Here’s to you Mr. Nick Toohey now a PE teacher on Brisbane’s northside. YOU were the only one kind sir…

YOU SEE, they all default to drills because that’s the cultural tradition (see reserach from, SueSee, Edwards, Hewitt, Pill etc). YET generally, their mentors were great humans!!! BUT the culture is set. HOWEVER, once again PE teachers can do drills and control chaos enough so that there is far more maximal movement. BUT still not enough...

There is a small growth in ‘awareness’ of alternatives. HOWEVER, there is much more after that required. In any case, “Gunn Engagement” YouTube channel is a place to start. I reiterate how the Australian Sports Commission once taught all of this. NOW though the sports who are responsible just certify rather than develop coaches.  

BUT even before all of this amazing stuff you ELITE coaches did last night in your sessions in this ‘new’ ecological or other approach, is more work to be done. I believe you may already be are a VERY entertaining and engaging coach. Yet, YOUR context is easy!!! I wil say it again: EASY! You could line them up and keep them happy because they are probably keen athletes anyway, PLUS, due to the professional support you may have the skills to manage a group of 30 with balls between two. THEY love you and you them. That is key! It’s easy for YOU at ELITE!

YET you ELITE can still get better. After filming yourself for coach development (no. 1 ‘no brainer’ for an experienced coach in talent area) Gunny’s number two tip is to go and watch a primary school PE teacher. You will learn plenty!!! I have told plenty like great peer Stuart Armstrong that that’s the missing piece. Controlling the chaos!

To make any real CHANGE we need our best coaches at Grassroots etc. It ain’t gonna happen... Some American PE teaching geniuses could show us all HOW: Pangrazi, Rink, Seidentop etc... I say, blow the dust off the texts and find the gold in the ‘operational’ part of pedagogy.

Happy to come and share with coaches but ! provide the “Gunn Engagement” YouTube channel which has videos where I am starting to SHOW all of this etc.

BUT back to the great teachers of our past like WOODEN??? LOVE! That ain’t a gimmick. His coaching was incredible as it was but LOVE was the foundation. NOW it’s hard to get volunteers to do this when kids are running wild!!! THUS they default to line ups!!! BUT I am talking here only (or writing) not SHOWING. Hope it makes sense…

Let me finish with an illustration. This week and next I am in Melbourne learning more about AFL. I talked on the phone to one of the heads at BIG AFL club. I was offered a coffee…

Gunny: Please take no offence. I worked in academia for 10 years. They TALK and I am done with that. We need ACTION. I am experienced but this means nothing until I feel your context side by side as fellow learners. I can’t TELL you about my work. I must SHOW you so you FEEL it.

That meeting has to be rescheduled. YET two amazing female PE teachers and senior AFL coaches had the same conversation with me. They GOT IT!!! Thus I’m looking forward to learning side by side with them on the grass oval. That’s SHOWING and FEELING not TELLING.

THUS in Australia at least, we are in a world of hurt. One of our biggest sports NRL changed some rules for youngsters to make things safer. My club’s numbers are down BUT not sure why. Will other sports follow? I am not sure… Actually probably not. THERFORE we are ‘aware’ that things might need to change, well some of us are anyway… Are the rest of us MOTIVATED? I think not… In any case, some of us are trying to fill in the gaps with the missing tools for the ‘toolbox’.

Yours in learning,

Gunny

GUNN TIPS FOR COACHES #19 - 365 DAY PROJECT 2019/20 - STUART WILKINSON THROUGH THE LENS OF AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS

G’Day ‘learners’.

Today’s blog will help sports coaches (and all caring adult stakeholders) to:

Consider the idea of using Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to better inform the practice and future of your own and peers’ efforts with learners…

Watch, share and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engagement’ YouTube OR Facebook Pages for more!!!

I have made this claim before… This is probably the best coaching podcast episode I have ever heard! Have a listen yourself. Dale Sidebottom interviews the amazingly brilliant but HUMBLE lifelong learner Stuart Wilkinson. This is not just because I am from a rugby league background like Stuart. Dale himself is from the home of Australian Football BUT this episode has been the most downloaded piece of his platform all year. HERE it is again!!! https://energetic.education/130-stuart-wilkinson-coaching-relationships-inspiration/

Thus, in my typical reflective way, I listened to this piece four times. I thought it best to share some of my notes and quotes. To give it some legitimacy I thought I’d also use ‘Australian Professional Standards for Teachers’ as a lens. I stopped here after 30 minutes of an hour long episode. Please understand that this is rare! I usually use pen and paper… THUS please don’t hold against me any formatting or editing issues. What is REAL is my use of the focus areas from the standards. There are 39 from memory and Stuart would cover most in this conversation with Dale. I’ll check anyway in Part II…

Reflection starts now and is in ‘itallics’ Standards cbe found here: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards The numbers are corresponding focus areas. There are seven standards. Selfishly I thought I’d throw in a little vision from my own channel. Please like and subscribe to ‘Gunn Engaement’ YouTube channel:

Your currency in coaching is your network! (7.4 focus area)

 1.1 Could have walked into academy position… Went to grassroots to 'mess up there' - learn more about coaching 'was determined' - U/12 - 1.2 learn how young people grow cognitively, emotionally, physically, technically, tactically - mess up there before it would not damage an organisation

Have SEEN some amazing coaches 'light up the grass' ENGAGING people with balls cones and wisdom 4.1 - talks here about the science versus coaching (not one or the other) - today all jobs seem to be science

 What does Engagement look like to you Stuart???  They're taking it somewhere you didn't plan for it to go Dale.  High Level Engagement =  They've picked up the problem and they've taken it on a journey 3.2  ENGAGEMENT, Relatedness, Learning  - Well planned and supported - kids can save you - get on with it - 'letting go' 1.2

"Say to young coaches and PE teachers all the time… If you can 'light up the grass' for your players, they'll come back." 3.1 and 3.2

Coaching art is huge - got to become and expert in relationships 4.1 , expert in feedback 5.2, expert on how people learn in different ways 1.5  - get those three things right and your on field activities will "come to life for your players"

 Innovate!  Research! 6.1 and 6.2 

 What is the key thing coaches must have?  DRILL down into relationships…   Bit of a cop out really when people say it's hard to coach a team… Bollocks!  Get to know them!!!  Look at how they'll react to comfortable and uncomfortable positions… (feedback) 5.1   Get to know what challenges stretch them!  1.5 (what floats their boat)  In the end it's HOW YOU FEEDBACK!!!  5.2 Not into gimmicks

There's huge pedagogical gaps at GRASSROOTS!  People are closing the 'gap' (like us) - skill breakout zone into 'goldfish' bowl… Etc Acronyms etc = End up being a pedagogical crutch rather than just struggling (feedback) 7.4   Instead of Internet cards the growth of a coach is really about learning, reading, researching, trying, tweaking, trying, going back and speaking, going through that heartache Dale that you go through, as you are developing a mastery! 6.1-6.4!!!

 Fun and learning is important to all through games.  Research is clear.  Trivial argument between TGfU and Ecological etc as a practicing coach I'm going to use all of them!!!  3.3 

 When in pathways Dale I demand games.  If you are going to do anything it's done in a game!  3.1-3.7  Grassroots don't have this support… - helps local club 7.4

 Instead of drills (better off just playing 'tig and pass' in game at training! 2.2 and 2.1 - better off observing, analysing and evaluate in a game and designing ugly game forms around this 1.1-1.3

 Speak to the parents let them know it ain't like footy on TV - happy to share research 7.3 this is what they have to go through

 The ex-players need looking after with modern day practices (referring to rugby club) 7.4 

To be continued… What a leader of lifelong learning is Stuart!!!

Yours in learning,

Gunny

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