A Chat about Screening

I thought I would share part of a conversation with my coaching mates Steve O’Brien and Paul Ford. We were exchanging thoughts on Physical Competence Assessment (PCA).

Steve had pondered “the question is – have you created a screening and have you developed your capacity to screen?”

As usual, insightful questions Steve. There should never be any rush to do formal screenings above and beyond the quality of minute-to-minute teaching observations as the student learns. As coaches, we should be 'screening' all the time as we observe the athletes response to the challenge presented to them as part of the learning journey. This 'screening' should lead to appropriate feedback at the right time and in the right manner.

Unfortunately, the bureaucracies always seem to want formal assessments for them to base their decisions on (goodness knows why they should be involved in any decision-making!). It seems that for any decisions they need to have plenty of boxes to tick and certainties to reckon with while the world of the teacher / coach is one of detail, nuances and inspiration. They then turn to 'science' to give them these often-irrelevant results.

“I am reminded of the differences between professional research into education, action research taken by busy and semi-trained teachers, and that research which actually impacts on classroom teaching. There is a perpetual space between these three fields.” The Quill Guy

'Science' has its own set of research rules that force the creation of screenings that are often far removed from the reality of any responses to learning. Understanding the specifics of the foundation movements of squat, lunge, pull, push, brace, rotate, hinge and landing, and where and how they and their hybrids appear in the movement patterns being sought, will focus one's observation skills and improve the feedback given. The response from the athlete will, just as importantly, determine what you, as the coach, choose next for them to do. If they are struggling you will consider turning the activity down to an easier level. Or you will turn the activity up to a slightly more difficult level. Having a toolbox full to the brim of all these movement options will obviously be required. Such a toolbox can only be achieved if this element of the 'physical' pillar is a major part of the coach's journey in terms of long-term courses, workshops and mentoring. The following model illustrates a means of creating this journey.