| As a former physical education teacher I had the | | | | through feel and guidance. |
| opportunity to hone my teaching skills and | | | | 4. Ask questions that give you as much input as |
| develop many teaching styles. In the 80's I | | | | possible as to how they physically feel during the |
| became intrigued with fitness and watched | | | | skill as well as make them figure out what you |
| virtually every fitness related program and read all | | | | want. For example; "Can you feel your glutes fire |
| the magazines and journals available to me. The | | | | when your heel is in contact with the floor"? This |
| one stark difference that I would notice between | | | | will give you the answer you want, but also guide |
| my profession as a teacher and my new passion, | | | | them into making sure the heel in contact with |
| fitness, was that there didn't seem to be a solid | | | | the floor with out actually saying, "get you heel on |
| base of teaching methodology in the fitness arena. | | | | the floor". |
| Most trainers were giving their clients the same | | | | 5. Reward the correct movement pattern with |
| workout routine they did that morning, plus they | | | | strong Phrases or words. "Fantastic, you got it" or |
| were using more of a motivational without | | | | "You nailed it" or "Great job". Psychologically this is |
| instruction teaching style. In other words there | | | | more powerful and rewarding and attaches a |
| was a lot of yelling but not much teaching. | | | | good feeling to the correct movement. |
| As time went on I became more serious about | | | | 6. Don't reward sloppy or poor movements. You |
| the fitness industry and I began teaching athletes | | | | don't want to chastise either. You simply use |
| to improve their athletic abilities. Because my past | | | | terms like; "your not quite there yet" or "you can |
| exposure was from other coaches and what I | | | | do better than that". Give them the feeling that |
| has seen on TV and read about, I basically | | | | they have to concentrate and deliver a better |
| adopted those methods for my teaching style. | | | | performance than the one they just did. |
| But it didn't take long for me to realize that there | | | | Guided discovery is used in such a way that |
| had to be a better way of tapping into the | | | | instruction is limited to the point of making sure |
| athletes learning abilities to get more natural | | | | the athlete understands what the skill is and what |
| results. What I mean by natural results is that I | | | | it should look like, but the athlete must use his or |
| wanted the body to move as it was intended and | | | | her feel to perform it correctly. |
| not so robotic and rehearsed. | | | | Important points: |
| Relying on my teaching background I began to | | | | - The coach must recognize immediately if the |
| use a method of teaching called guided discovery. | | | | skill is not correct even if it feels correct to the |
| I remembered back in college taking a class called | | | | athlete. This is where the coach must have |
| movement education. It was based on | | | | adequate working knowledge of what the skill |
| experimenting and figuring out how to accomplish | | | | should look and feel like. |
| a task. So what I began to do is use this form of | | | | - The coach can give cues that will guide the |
| teaching to get my athletes to move correctly | | | | athletes into performing the skill correctly but not |
| and more natural. The other important aspect of | | | | actually give them a step by step approach that |
| guided discovery that always benefited me as an | | | | may enter more confusion due to too many |
| athlete is when I did something correctly due to | | | | instructions. Sometimes less is more. |
| feel, it was an instantaneous kinesthetic | | | | Another important aspect of guided discovery |
| understanding of my body and how it should | | | | that hasn't been touched on yet is the act by the |
| move. It didn't matter how many times a coach | | | | coach of physically forcing the athlete to |
| or teacher told me how to do it, I had to feel it | | | | self-correct a poor movement. Gray Cook, highly |
| to learn it and reproduce it. | | | | notable physical therapist and strength coach, |
| So I began to incorporate this style of teaching | | | | uses reactive neuromuscular training (RNT) to |
| and learning into the athletes. Over time I became | | | | guide his clients into a correct movement pattern. |
| more adept at recognizing what skills needed a | | | | This is done by pushing the client into their |
| more direct approach to teaching and which skills | | | | mistake and forcing the client to self correct. This |
| needed to be figured out through kinesthetic | | | | can be done by using the hands or by using an |
| awareness. Some skills required a little of both and | | | | elastic band. An example of RNT would be to |
| some athletes varied greatly on how they needed | | | | force a client that goes into valgus (medial |
| to be taught. The most important benefit I | | | | collapse of the knees) into further values by |
| wanted all my athletes to gain from the learning | | | | placing the elastic band around the outside of the |
| experience is empowerment. I wanted them to | | | | knees, to obviously force the knees inward. The |
| take charge of their bodies and mind and try to | | | | only cuing that needs to be given is to not let the |
| draw a connection that would be ingrained. I truly | | | | band collapse the knees or keep the knees over |
| felt if I could empower athletes to realize the | | | | the middle of the toes. |
| basic balance and body positions to perform | | | | As you can see guided discovery is about putting |
| movements they could make needed | | | | the obligation of correct movement on the |
| adjustments for virtually any athletic skill. | | | | individual. The responsibility of the coach is to |
| So how did I use guided discovery? What was | | | | guide when needed. I have always felt that too |
| the basic foundation of this teaching method on a | | | | many coaches try to find something to say |
| day to day basis of learning? First off, I had | | | | because they feel it is there job, when, in |
| developed a set of rules that fit my personality | | | | actuality, saying little can get quicker and more |
| as a teacher and made sense in the role of using | | | | resounding results. |
| guided discovery. Listed are 6 basic ruled I | | | | Now, I am certainly not advocating that guided |
| adopted over time: | | | | discovery is used as the only teaching method, |
| 1. Never put the athlete in an injurious setting. If | | | | but if used properly it can create a lasting learning |
| the athlete has a potential for hurting them self, it | | | | effect. It can establish a framework of |
| is your responsibility as a coach to reduce this | | | | understanding by the athlete to make self |
| potential. | | | | corrections when needed. |
| 2. Always set your athlete up for success. The | | | | I strongly encourage coaches to become fully |
| athlete must be placed in a position that they can | | | | educated on the skill or movement pattern they |
| achieve success. This doesn't mean they don't | | | | are teaching. For the foundation of education is |
| have to work for it, but never give them a task | | | | knowledge. A coach can not guide another if they |
| that will guarantee failure. | | | | have not gained a working knowledge of the task |
| 3. Give them as little cuing as possible to guide | | | | at hand. Enjoy the results you will unearth as a |
| them in the correct direction. The goal is for the | | | | result of guided discovery. |
| athlete to figure out how to properly move | | | | |