Playing Styles Workshop – Darlington Hummersknott Academy
The month also saw the delivery of a Playing Styles Workshop in Darlington.
The day began in the classroom, exploring the different playing styles seen within modern table tennis and examining how coaches can adapt their coaching to support individual player development.
A key theme throughout was avoiding the temptation to coach every player in the same way. Instead, we explored how coaches can identify natural tendencies and strengths in players and support the development of styles that suit their physical, technical and psychological characteristics.
The practical element of the workshop brought these discussions to life. We were fortunate to work with a range of players who allowed coaches to observe and analyse different styles in action. One particularly interesting example was a young player who had recently adopted long pimples on the backhand side, providing a valuable real-world case study for discussion.
We also reviewed footage from recent National Championships to identify trends and characteristics within the modern game. Feedback from coaches attending the workshop was extremely positive, with many commenting on the practical relevance of the content.
England Futures Programme
Towards the end of the month, I attended the England Futures Programme in Birmingham.
The programme aims to provide coaches and practitioners with greater insight into the unique demands of major multi-sport events such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.
The event featured presentations from several Olympians who shared their experiences of preparing for and competing in multi-sport environments. A particularly interesting theme was the challenge athletes face in maintaining focus amidst the distractions that naturally come with major Games environments.
Discussions explored preparation strategies, concentration techniques, coping mechanisms and the importance of maintaining routines when surrounded by world-class athletes, media attention and numerous simultaneous events. The event was superbly organised and hosted at an excellent venue, providing valuable learning opportunities that extend well beyond table tennis.
Physical Literacy
The month concluded with a further online learning opportunities focused on physical literacy.
The Physical Literacy workshop built upon concepts previously introduced within our Foundations of Movement session. This progression is exactly how coach education should work, with each learning opportunity connecting to previous knowledge and helping coaches build a broader understanding over time.
The workshop explored:
- The importance of physical literacy in player development.
- How movement demands within table tennis continue to evolve.
- Research highlighting changes in the modern game over recent years.
- Practical ways coaches can support movement development within their own sessions.
Coaches asked thoughtful questions and shared experiences from their own environments, creating a highly interactive learning experience.
Looking Ahead
One of the most encouraging developments over recent months has been seeing how our workshops and learning opportunities are beginning to connect together. Coaches are attending multiple sessions, applying learning within their own environments and returning with new questions and experiences to share.
This joined-up approach is helping us build a stronger coach development pathway where every workshop, resource and conversation contributes towards a common goal of improving coaches which helps in improving the experiences and development opportunities available to players.
The Coach Development Team has an exciting programme planned for the months ahead, and we look forward to continuing to support coaches, clubs and players across the country.
Thank you to everyone who attended workshops, welcomed us into your clubs, shared ideas and contributed to another successful month of coach development.
Online Coach Development – Fundamentals of Movement
Our programme of online coach development workshops continued with a highly successful session on the fundamentals of movement delivered by Aad Kwakkelstein.
Attendance numbers continue to grow across our online programme, and this session was no exception. Coaches engaged enthusiastically throughout, contributing excellent questions and discussions around the fundamentals of movement.
The increasing engagement across these sessions demonstrates the appetite coaches have for learning and developing their understanding of the modern game.
