Coach Development

• Supports athletes and develops other coaches

• Builds season outline + practice plans

• Leads planning meetings and provides feedback

• Models culture, communication, and standards

• Leads their team’s practice segments and sets the daily plan (with light mentor support)

• Plans full practices independently and communicates the plan to staff

• Lead:  1/2 practice & Support 1/2

• Leads assigned segments/stations 

• Coaches details 1-on-1 and supports group management

• Co-plans a portion of practice with support

• Communicates patterns to the lead coach

• Lead:  1/4 & Supports 3/4 

• Leads stations/small groups using the lead coach’s plan

• Focuses on energy, safety, and simple skill cues

• Supports organization, transitions, and athlete engagement

• Learns routines and coaching habits through mentorship

• Set the direction: bring the group together, explain the goal, and keep everyone aligned.

• Teach the skill: explain + demonstrate key cues and what “success” looks like.

• Manage the flow: decide when to start, pause, reset, or stop to improve learning and safety.

• See the big picture: recognize patterns and fix systemic issues (organization, tempo, clarity, engagement).

• Correct effectively: recognize what’s going well, then correct what matters most (prioritize the biggest impact).

• Address behaviour: respond to problematic behaviour that affects the group—calm, consistent, and respectful.

• Protect the environment: keep practice safe, positive, and focused so athletes can learn.

• Support the plan: run the assigned station/segment and keep athletes moving with high reps.

• Coach the details: make minor skill/technique corrections 1-on-1 (simple cue, quick re-try, move on).

• Manage small issues: address minor, isolated behaviour concerns that aren’t impacting the group.

• Communicate patterns: notice bigger issues (organization, engagement, skill confusion) and tell the Lead.

• Stay aligned: any major changes to drills, timing, or group direction are run through the Lead.

• Keep flow and safety: help with equipment, transitions, grouping, and making sure athletes are safe and included.

• Reinforce culture: recognize effort and improvement, encourage positive teammate behaviour, and model respectful communication.

What it looks like

• Talking during instruction

• Small off-task behaviour

• Playing/fidgeting with a volleyball

• Looking away during a demonstration

Coach response

• Use proximity (stand near the athlete)

• Make eye contact and give a quiet, private cue (“Eyes here.” or “Ball still.”)

• Separate briefly during instruction, then return them to the group right away

• Keep it short: redirect → re-engage → move on (don’t lecture)

• If needed, pause your explanation until attention resets

Escalate to Lead if: it repeats, spreads, or starts affecting the group’s focus/tempo.

What it looks like

• Multiple athletes talking during instruction (group chatter / several side conversations)

• Repeated “Minimal Impact” behaviours after reminders

• Being silly or disruptive (drawing attention, interrupting, derailing reps)

• Low effort / not trying best after prompts

Coach response

• Name it neutrally (public, brief): “Pause—too much side talk. Eyes up.”

• Stop the drill and pull the group in for a soft, 20–30 second reset

• Re-state the goal and expectation: “We need quiet during instruction so we can get reps.”

• Quick reset option (non-punitive): a fast “reset lap” (touch the wall and back) to refocus, then restart

• If it’s 1–2 athletes:

  • • • Short sit-out/reset (2–5 minutes), then rejoin with a clear expectation

      • Swap partners / change role (scorekeeper, ball shagger, station leader) to re-engage

• Keep it moving: correct → reset → back to reps (avoid long lectures)

Next Steps:

• If moderate behaviours repeat in the same practice: brief private conversation after the segment (“Here’s what I saw, here’s what we need next, can you do that?”).

• If moderate behaviours repeat across practices: Lead/mentor connect with parents for a short, solutions-focused check-in.

What it looks like

• Repeated moderate behaviours that don’t improve after multiple resets and follow-through

• Unsafe or potentially dangerous behaviour (to self or others)

• Behaviour that negatively impacts the wellbeing or sense of safety of athletes or coaches

• Personal attacks (insults, targeting, intimidation, harassment)

Coach response 

• Stop activity if needed to protect safety and reset the environment

• Separate and supervise the athlete calmly (brief, clear language—no arguing)

• Athlete may miss court/playing time for an extended reset 

• If the group environment can’t be restored safely, end practice early

Next steps

• Lead/Mentor contacts parents/guardians the same day

• Parent + coach + athlete conversation to understand what happened and set expectations

• Create a Return-to-Play Plan focused on safety and success (clear behaviours, supports, and consequences)

• Athlete returns with a plan and check-ins to help the next practice go well

• Where am I right now?

• What do I want to get better at?

• self-assessment & mentor conversation 

• set 1 -2 goals & the process to get there

• Quick, meaningful check-ins

• reflection after practices/tournaments

• feedback focuses on specific coaching behaviours

• adjust goals as needed

• How did it go?  

• What improved?

• What's the next step?

• set 1-2 goals for next season

• plan supports/resources