Questions to ask your squad at the mid-point of the season

  • December 04, 2013
  • Jon Royce

Any analysis conducted at the mid-point of the season should always relate to the aims and objectives set at the start of the season. This is important because it provides a start point for discussions. There is a tendency to lose focus on the original goal (aim) and the sub goals (objectives). "Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing" but tends to lead to a meeting or series of meetings that relate not to the original goals and sub goals, but to everything that’s not right. It is easy to then get lost in minutiae and the discussion to become a list of failings.

The aim may have been to achieve a certain league placing at mid-season. The sub goal may have been to target a certain number of points. Both of these goals are useful but are not in direct control of the coach or any given player. They are simply a useful benchmark for the coach.

The next level of analysis is to examine progress in Performance Indicators. If you want to see the power of a statistical approach, watch the film Moneyball. In possession this is factors such as: goals scored, number of shots, number of Penalty Corners, number of circle penetrations etc. Whilst the defence may focus on tackles, interceptions, point of turnover etc. These are very useful statistics because they then point the coach to areas of concern. One word of warning, they do not in themselves solve problems; there is also a very real danger that the root cause of an issue is missed and the blame fixed on a particular player in possession when it is players off the ball who are responsible for the issue.

At club and junior level it is unlikely that statistics can form a major part of analysis as the manpower simply does not exist and so there will be an unavoidable degree of subjectivity. There follows a checklist of areas that may be considered, this list is not exhaustive but it is fairly extensive. My suggestion is to narrow the focus for discussion prior to an individual, team or management meeting.

The objective of the meeting should be:

  • To make a brief statement regarding the aim for the season
  • To ensure all members of the squad contribute to a discussion that leads to:
    • To restate (re-define) the team strategy
    • To analyse and re-set objectives
    • To set performance goals that individuals can relate to and achieve, if they are measurable, so much the better
    • To ensure the mid-season break is used constructively, fitness is maintained and a preparation schedule for the second half of the season is put in place

Checklist

It would also be very beneficial to draw up a checklist of questions. These questions can cover various subjects and will give you a good all round knowledge of what you need to know. Suggested subjects can include:

Preparation

(Click to open/close the full list of preperation tips)

Pre match routine

(Click to open/close the full list of pre-match routine tips)

Performance

Areas to consider when analysing performance during the first half of the season:
(Click to open/close the full list of performance tips)
  • FIH Grade 1 Coach (30+ years hockey experience)
  • England Men's Head Coach (1997)
  • England U21 Men's Coach (1995-97)
  • GB Women's Head Coach, Sydney Olympics (2000)
  • Head of Hockey at Sherborne School
    • Jon Royce - Coaching Credentials