Why this matters
Experience alone doesn't make you better — reviewed experience does. Coaches who reflect improve faster because they spot their own patterns.
The common problem
Coaches pack up, drive home and start the next plan from scratch. Ten sessions later they're making the same three mistakes and don't know it.
Try this instead
- Answer three questions in the car before you drive off: what went well, what would I change, what will I try next time?
- Keep it short. Three lines a week beats two pages once.
- Focus one reflection on you, not the players: your explanations, your positioning, your feedback.
- Look back monthly for repeats. The same note three weeks running is your next development goal.
- Ask a player or another coach for one thing you could do differently.
On the pitch
After a session where the middle practice collapsed, write: 'Too many players in one grid — split into two next time.' Next week you fix it in the planning, not on the pitch.
Questions to ask
- What went well today?
- What would I change?
- What did I learn about my coaching?
Your coaching challenge
Write a three-line reflection after your next session and read it before you plan the following one.
Reflect afterwards
What pattern do you notice across your last three reflections?