Perhaps one of the reasons why a sports coach does not plan every training session is time, maybe even negligence. In fact, planning takes time, especially when it is done for long-term periods.

A statement by Abraham Lincoln, the former US president, is: “If I had 6 hours to cut a tree, I would spend the first hour sharpening the ax.”

Planning can be the best working method, and more effective – to guarantee success. For sports coaches planning is essential. By planning a coach answers questions like: “How long do I have? What exercises should I implement? When should I implement them …? How to improve the weaknesses of the team or athletes ?, Who will be my partner or rival? etc.

There are different types of planning: for example. Short term, medium term or long term. All three have set goals and objectives. However, in a different perspective, planning can be conceptualized as fixed planning (not changing over time) and temporary planning (which varies according to the situation).

Longtime planning includes training strategies, final objectives, training programs, calendars, regulations, logistics, and so on. Temporary planning includes certain activities that are only applied once and periodically change such as a daily program or meeting with partners. The coach should be careful about implementing a long-term program as it should also take into account the group’s dynamics and changing needs of the team in order to improve.

Successful planning is oriented around objectives. For any weekly/monthly/annual program that a trainer designs, the objectives should not be left out. The objectives are the element that differentiates between a successful plan or not because they allow the trainer to measure success. Care must be taken that the objectives are measurable and realistic. For example, for a basketball team, an accurate goal may be: “At the end of the week, kids can dribble the ball even during the run.” An incorrect goal is “At the end of the week our team will be the best”. This second cannot serve as an objective because it is not measurable. Best in comparison to what? Often trainers fall into such generalizing traps.

Another way of planning is emergency planning, which means having a backup plan. For example, today was raining even though the weather was predicted clear and the team could not be trained in outdoor environments. How can the coach adjust the situation at the moment that happens? A quick answer would be to cancel or postpone training, but it would not always be effective. Have you previously thought about the potential risks that any activity that may be carried out during the training or racing program may be? Identifying the risks is one of the other elements that a coach needs in order to behave as a manager. This ensures the continuity of the program. With the same logic, the coach also plans the emergency aid box, the material base, etc.

These skills and advice, along with a coach’s experience, deep knowledge of sports discipline, and experience with the group that he trains, produces an effective workout with improving outcomes.

Source: Lussier, R. and Kimball, D. (n.d.). Applied Sport Managemet Skills 2E: Successful sport managers make planning a priority. [online] human-kinetics.