Tom Shields: Progressive, holistic and player-centred

“We then move into a gameplay phase where the numbers will increase and it looks as close to the real game as possible, while having constraints sprinkled in.

"Whatever topic is being delivered needs to be central to the rules in the session or the challenges asked of the players. Again, with principles and counter-principles, we don’t want to only work on one side of the ball.

“Then we move into true gameplay, where the coaching is reduced, the constraints are lifted and the players are challenged to apply whatever content and information they’ve received in the earlier parts of the session.

“What else do I want to see? Competition, collaboration, intensity, intelligence, fun.

"Fun isn’t jumping around, playing goofy. Fun in the talent development pathway is learning, feeling like I’ve got better today, like I’ve been pushed, and, ultimately the time I’m investing in being here has been worth it.

"Collaboration links to self-determination theory and intrinsic motivation of players. So while we’re playing games, I want our staff to give our players the opportunity to work together and problem solve together.

"If we want innovative, independent critical thinkers and problem solvers, we have to expose them to opportunities to do that in training. However they choose to do it is on them, but I want to see groups of people working together and intentionally doing so. 

“Competition is inherent in everything. Otherwise, what are we training for? Actions and consequences matter. So, keeping score can drive challenge and intensity levels.

"The intelligence piece means we’re exposing them to environments where they are asked to think and make decisions.

“Our job is to prepare them, as efficiently and as effectively as possible, for the challenges they face and to do so within the style we hope they can play the game with. 

"For me, every practice has to be a demonstration of that."

SCW: With all the resources around these days, you can go into decision paralysis when planning sometimes. Is it important we give new coaches some guidance on what might be useful?

TS: "100%. I believe planning is one of the most critical components of effective coaching, and would advocate for everybody to be very intentional and deliberate with it, but not to a point of paralysis by analysis.

“With the greatest of respect to less experienced coaches, I think a lot of what they are trying to do in practice sessions is demonstrate how much they know, when in fact their quality and credibility could be demonstrated by how well the topic comes out and how much opportunity the players have to demonstrate the area of the game they are working on.

"Competition is inherent in everything. Otherwise, what are we training for...?"

“I talk about anticipating errors a lot. I should know how the constraints, challenges, or design structure of a practice is going to likely lead to players having struggles they have to overcome.

"Therefore, if I scaffold my coaching points, they should connect with what that anticipated struggle looks like.

“It doesn’t have to be that I solve every problem in one go, but I know that if playing forward is one of the primary objectives and we’re in a game situation, it might be that the first coaching point after a couple of minutes is simply to get the players scanning.

"Scanning is not just looking around. What are you looking for? Opponent, teammate, ball, space. Okay, think about that, off we go again.

"Then it’s about the direction of the first touch to prepare you to play the next pass. Then it’s about the type of pass that you’re playing and the ability to break lines. Then it’s about support ahead of the ball from teammates.

"I scaffold in little layers - it’s not four things in one go, and off you go, it’s ’we’ve got a period of time that’s allocated, here’s the objective, and here’s how we’re going to simply work towards it’. Then it’s about holding onto that information and building on it.

"I would challenge everybody to be thinking about how representative the practice that I’ve designed is, relative to the challenge that the players face in a game."