The art of coaching involves the ability to convey information to those who seek the desired expertise. Therefore, a good coach not only can provide information, but also does so in a concise and understandable manner, so that the student can readily grasp the concept.Thus explains the CPSA’s (England”s Clay Pigeon Shooting Association) delineation of a coach as compared to an instructor. An instructor just reverberates what he knows, where as a coach is much more involved in the situation. A coach analyzes, thinks and communicates on their feet, constantly evaluating the situation and adjusting the flow of information to the student.

During the past few years, John Shima and I have become quite busy as our schedule load has increased. Because we are applying our profession more often, we have become more concise and efficient in our presentation. This efficiency in our coaching has made our efforts less timely, and more enjoyable for us, not to mention the increase in time productivity for our clients.

However, as one becomes more repetitious in their activity and even more proficient, they can become complacent and not as aware of all aspects of the presentation. This became apparent to me in a recent session with a client during a week of clinics held in Canada a few years ago.

My student on this particular day was quite a good shot, and we had a very productive day. However, he was from Montreal, and his first language was French. He spoke and understood English rather well, but I tailored what I said, and spoke slower than normal so that no information was lost. I veered away from slang and idioms that might also be misunderstood or missed completely. I also thought about what information I wanted to convey and composed my thoughts into the simplest terms before I spoke.

I focused on my presentation because of a minor language barrier. What I did was what I, and every coach should do in every situation, evaluate the student and present information in a manner that is easily understood and easily implemented by the student.

My student had a great day. I had a better day, because I was at the top of my “game.” I learned as much about coaching that day as my student learned about the game of skeet.

Most instructors or coaches spend a great deal of time on a skeet field, or a field of play for whatever sport they may be involved in. By immersing ourselves in an activity, which is why some coaches knowledge can be vast, we can also blind ourselves into thinking that everybody lives the same life, and understands the intricacies and nuances of our sport’s language. Obviously this would not be the case, especially when a beginner who had never before experienced that sport, initially begins his or her participation.

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