Why Reflect?
The third part of the Plan. Do. Review. coaching model, reflections help us to:
- Evaluate whether session aims were met.
- Identify areas for improvement.
- Recognise successes and replicate them.
- Enhance player experience and learning.
- Enhance our relationships with players.
- Get more positive behavioural outcomes from players.
- Uphold safeguarding and inclusion standards.
Mid-Session Reflection
A mid-session reflection is the coach’s ability to observe, interpret, and adapt while the session is unfolding. This is where coaches use their intuition, experience, and real-time feedback to make decisions that keep the session purposeful, safe, and engaging. Coaches should continually scan the environment and ask the questions below:
Mid-Session Reflection Question Prompts
Are players engaged and safe?
- Are they physically active, emotionally comfortable, and socially included?
- Is the activity age-appropriate and risk-managed?
Are the session’s aims being met?
- Is the activity developing the intended skill (e.g., communication, dodging)?
- Are players demonstrating the behaviours or outcomes you planned for?
Do I need to adapt the activity?
- Is the challenge level appropriate?
- Are instructions clear and inclusive?
- Is the group dynamic affecting learning?
An example of this in action:
- Throwing Accuracy Drill
- Midway through a throwing accuracy drill, the coach notices players are frustrated. They pause, simplify the task, and reframe the goal to “hit the cone once” instead of “three times in a row.”
- Reflection in Action: The coach recognises that the original goal was too demanding for the group’s current skill level. By adjusting the target, they maintain motivation and allow for success.
- Knowledge in Action: The coach intuitively knows that frustration can lead to disengagement and adapts without needing formal analysis.
Strategies to Support Mid-Session Reflection
- Use visual scanning: Regularly observe body language, effort levels, and group dynamics.
- Ask quick questions: “How’s this feeling?” or “What’s working here?” can prompt real-time feedback.
- Have flexible progressions: Prepare easier and harder versions of each activity to adjust on the fly.
- Use peer demonstrations: If instructions aren’t landing, ask a confident player to model the skill.
- Pause and reset: It’s okay to stop an activity, regroup, and reframe — especially when safety or clarity is compromised.
Task:
Go through this branching scenario to see how someone might reflect during a session:
Post-Session Reflection
If you followed our guide and conducted a reflective discussion as part of your plenary, then your players have already had the chance to reflect on the coaching points of the session, how they performed and what they still need to work on further to become more proficient in a particular skill. Now it’s your turn to review the session. Let’s try this using Boud’s Triangular Representation of Reflection (1985).
This model focuses on the interplay between experience, reflection and outcomes. It encourages coaches to view reflection as a dynamic process that leads to actionable change, not just analysis. Click on each section to find out more and see an example in action:
