Coaches Training

This training guide will cover the following topics: The 5 Main Objectives of providing EzeeSport classes | What we do well | Our Programmes | Our Expectations of an EzeeSport Coach | A typical EzeeSport Class | After-school Classes | Tots Classes | Structure of a lesson | EzeeSport Method of Coaching | Behaviour Management | Safe Guarding | Company Policies

  1. To develop a positive attitude to sport and physical activity so that children will be active for life.

  2. To develop physical literacy:
    • the development of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills that permit a child to move confidently and with control, in a wide range of physical activity and sports situations.
    • this is giving children a foundation on which life long involvement in sport and physical activity can be achieved.
  1. To use sport to develop essential life skills.
    • The sports field is a great place to learn skills related life e.g. learning to win and lose graciously, persistence, being a team player, overcoming challenges,
  1. To provide a safe, friendly, fun based supportive environment accessible to children of varying abilities
    • We do this by playing fun games, varied skills in one lesson, maximum activity, story lines, team challenges
  1. To partner with parents and educators to develop these skills in children
  1. We are good at making each child feel valued and loved.

  2. We are good a pulling out the potential in each child and building up their confidence in sport and life skills.

  3. We are good a breaking sport skill down to make them easy to learn – our splinter skills.

  4. We are good a creating a fun environment which encourages all children to feel a sense of achievement.

  5. We are good at keeping children engaged and focussed through our varied activities no matter what level of ability they have.
Please take a look at our website for details on the different programmes we offer. These vary based on locations.

  • EzeeSport 
    This is our fundamental movement and sport skills programme with a multi-sport approach:

    • EzeeSport Tot Programme for children 2 to 4 years.This programme consists of a warm up, 4 to 6 sport skills ending with a fun game.

    • EzeeSport School Programme for after school clubs. This programme consists of a fun warm up, 3 to 6 sport skills ending with a fun game or mini-match. 

    • We focus on a specific sports group each term:
      • Summer – Striking and Fielding Game Skills
      • Autumn – Invasion Game Skills
      • Spring – Wall and Net Game Skills

    • EzeeCricket Programme. This programme consists of a fun warm up, 3 to 6 cricket specific skills followed by a fun game or mini-match.
EzeeBlox utilizes LEGO® bricks and Duplo® along with various other materials and the Early Machines Equipment to create a stimulating learning environment within a standard classroom setting. This program is perfect for after school clubs, weekly morning classes and holiday sessions.

Core Benefits of EzeeBlox:

  • Early Learning Integration: EzeeBlox incorporates the early stages of coding and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) principles into their lessons, fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.

  • Developmental Advantages: The program uses Duplo®, an age-appropriate manipulative, to encourage children to build across their midline, improve their range of vision, and strengthen hand-eye coordination.

  • Inclusive and Engaging: Designed for children of all abilities, EzeeBlox offers individual equipment boxes and incorporates stories, poems, and discussions to keep all participants engaged.

  • Flexible Structure: Each lesson runs between 30-45 minutes and can accommodate 10-16 children. For intramural programs, the capacity can be increased to 20 children.

Program Structure:

  • Themed Lessons with Learning Values: Each session focuses on a specific theme with a corresponding learning value.

  • Interactive Learning: Lessons begin with a story, poem, or discussion, followed by a clear explanation of the building task.

  • Creative Exploration: Children then have the freedom to build their creations using Duplo®, LEGO® bricks, and other materials.

  • Introduction to Early Machines: The program incorporates the Early Machines Equipment to introduce children to gears, axles, tyres, and other mechanical concepts.
  • Trustworthy and reliable: We need to be confident that once you have committed to coaching for EzeeSport you can be relied upon to show up on time for your classes or holiday camps.

  • Good work ethic: You will deliver high quality classes making sure you are following our method of coaching. This means you are well prepared for you class by going over the lesson plan before hand, making sure you have all your equipment and paper work, arriving well on time to receive the children.

  • Courteous and accommodating: You will always treat the people you are in contact with respectfully even if you don’t fully agree with them. If things don’t go according to plan, then be as accommodating as possible showing no disrespect or irritation. Your behaviour on and off the court needs to be exemplary – how do you relate to the children / parents and staff – are you polite and curious / friendly / accommodating

  • Proactive and able to take the initiative: You are able to adapt to change in circumstances, venue, or children in the class.

  • Well presented: First impressions count! Appearance – please make sure you are dressed neatly and if you don’t have the EzeeSport uniform yet, that you are dressed in sporting gear with trainers.

  • Mobile phones: Not to be on phones while coaching – parents and kids do take note of this. It’s also not allowed at schools. Remember you are representing EzeeSport!

  • Well Organised: Make sure the children are quite while we give instructions – they should know that this is expected of them.Make sure children understand what is expected in terms of the rules and how the lesson will be run.Place the children in workable pairs or teamsUse the whistle for class control. You are aware of EzeeSport’s policies and procedures as well at the school’s procedures.

  • Enthusiastic and positive: We coach positively and enthusiastically which helps the children develop confidence.We give positive feedback regularly and use the child’s name as often as we can.

  • Creative and Make your lessons fun: You make the classes as enjoyable and as fun as possible by engaging with the children, forming a connection and using our method of coaching – Attention Grabbers and Maximum Activity.

  • Patient and tolerant: Children constantly require praise, recognition, help and discipline- this requires getting to know your children

  • Coach with Energy: We move with the children ( not standing with hands in pockets)- if they have to run/jump etc then do it with them- be involved all the time move around to help them with their skill

  • Keep the children challenged: Individuals in the class function at different levels- challenge the individual child by advancing the skill- we do expect the children to reach a level of competence in the skills they are learning.

  • Keep the children safe: You follow our safe guarding guidelines and disciplinary guide.
Our after school clubs are designed for children of varying sporting abilities. The type of activities we do with the children are aimed at getting them active and having fun, so that they will find sport enjoyable and hopefully continue in a preferred sport after they finish our programme.

At the end of the school day, the children will get changed into their EzeeSport sports clothes and trainers. At some schools the teachers get the children changed before the coach fetches them. At other schools the children are sent to us and we assist them with getting changed in the designated area. Please make sure that the children’s school uniform and EzeeSport clothes are clearly marked.

While we are waiting for everyone to get changed, we give the children a few minutes to eat a small snack provided by their parents. This is optional, but the children do get hungry at the end of a school day.

Some schools may require a different procedure, so make sure you know what each school requires.
Once all the children are ready for the class, we take the class register and go over the EzeeSport Rules. This sets the boundaries for how we run the classes and serves as a reminded of what is expected of them.

  1. Warm Up: This is usually in the form of a fun game to get their bodies warmed up but also to build excitement for the rest of the class.

  2. Skills: We cover between 3 – 4 skills during an afterschool club depending on the number of children in the class. If the class is large the children are divided into age appropriate groups and will rotate to various skill stations.

    The skills we cover will be dependent on the term – as we have a specific focus each term:
    • Summer – Striking and Fielding Game Skills e.g. Baseball, Cricket
    • Autumn – Invasion Game Skills e.g. Football, Hockey, Netball, Basketball, Rugby
    • Spring – Wall and Net Game Skills e.g. Tennis, Squash, Volleyball

      Although our main focus for the term is on those specific group for sport skills, we will also revisit skills learnt in previous terms to add variety and to make sure they are keeping up with the skills already learnt.

  3. End Game or Mini- Match: We like to end the lesson on a high and know how much the children love our EzeeSport Games. This is their reward for staying focused during the skill section of the lesson.

  4. Team Talk and Stickers for charts : We allow for about 5 min at the end of the lesson to reward the children for the things they did well. Most of the children will get stickers for their reward charts. We try to award at least one child with a super star sticker each week for showing improvement in a skill and for respectful behaviour. If your child does not get a sticker this could because they have not behaved well or had a timeout.

    The children will be dismissed from the designated area at the school they attend afternoon. Please make sure that every child goes home with an adult or that they are handed over to the after-school care if they go there.
Our Tots Classes are designed for children of varying sporting abilities. The type of activities we do with the children are aimed at getting them active and having fun, so that they will find sport enjoyable and hopefully continue in a preferred sport after they finish our programme. We break the skills down to make them easy to learn and we add in fun story lines and games to keep the children’s attention.

EzeeSport is a teacher lead activity, so we will do our best to get you off the court and watching your child enjoy the session. This is dependent on age and the temperament of the child.

Once all the children are ready for the class, we ask them to choose a spot to stand on. This gives the them a safe place to come back to and gives the lesson structure.

We will always introduce ourselves to the children, so they get to know our name and if there are any new children in the class, we introduce them to the rest of the class too.

We then go over the EzeeSport rules so that the children know what is expected of them during the class. It also helps them to feel safe.Structure of the Lesson:

  1. Warm Up: This is usually in the form of a fun game to get their bodies warmed up but also to build excitement for the rest of the class and a connection with the coach.

  2. Skills: We cover between 5 - 6 skills during a tot’s class, sometimes more depending on the number of children in the class as well as the age range. The younger the children the more skills we will tend to do as their attention span is limited. These skills will be from various sports groups using a variety of equipment– throwing, catching, hitting, bouncing, movement, kicking.

  3. End Game: We like to end the lesson on a high and know how much the children love our EzeeSport Games. This is their reward for staying focused during the skill section of the lesson.

  4. Team Talk and Stickers for charts: We allow for about 5 min at the end of the lesson to reward the children for the things they did well. We do this by giving the children stickers for their reward charts and by pointing out things they did well. We try to award at least one child with a super star sticker each week for showing improvement in a skill and for respectful behaviour.

  5. The ball cry – We end the lesson with our EzeeSport song
We use these 5 tools with the planning and delivery of every single lesson and each individual skill:

  1. Following the lesson plans: Please go over your lesson plan before the class and adjust it according to the children in your class.

  2. Introducing the skills: Introduce the skill by explaining and demonstrating the skill and ending off with some coaching hints – using the splinter skills. How you demonstrate the skill is how the children will execute the skill.
  1. Maximum ball time:
    • Group Action All doing the same skill together For example - All pupils are practicing dropping and catching a tennis ball
    • Individual Action with Secondary involvement All children are involved in the activity but are at a different stages in the task For Example: Catching a high ball thrown by coach, must run and put the ball in a hoop when they’ve caught it.
    • Quick Turnover Ensuring that you as a coach, are allowing for quick feeding of the ball so that the pupils aren’t waiting too long for their turn.  
  1. Attention Grabbers: These Reduce boredom and engage the children through creativity and challenges
    • Story Line - an imaginary story to hold the children’s attention: e.g. We’re going to take our puppy dog for a walk to the park (dribbling big ball with bat)
    • Individual competition - child competes against himself. e.g: Throwing the bean bag as far as possible, marking the spot and trying to improve on throw.
    • Team Challenge: competition within a team environment. e.g. Two teams trying to hit a target, count the number of times children hit target and add up the scores for their team.
    • Game – an activity with a consequence or outcome. e.g.  King and Dustbin Game
 
  1. EzeeSport Splinter Skills: The Base Sport Skills which we coach are:
  • Catching
  • Hitting
  • Kicking
  • Throwing
  • Bouncing
  • Dribbling
 Each of these sports skills can be broken down into 6 EzeeSport Splinter Skills
 
  1. Stance
  2. Head position (eyes on ball or looking in the direction of sending the ball)
  3. Hand/Foot position
  4. Action
  5. Contact/release point
  6. Finish
  1. Equipment
  2. Clipboard
  3. Class list
  4. Pen
  5. Whistle
  6. Stickers
  7. Incident report sheets
  8. First Aid Kit
  1. What to do if you are running late for a class?
    Call the venue and let them know so that they can inform parents/staff. If it is not at a school, you may need to contact everyone on your class list to let them know you are running late or unable to make the class Please let Peter and I know so that we are aware of the situation.
  1. If you are unable to attend a lesson, please let HO know as soon as possible so that we can arrange cover. Please note that you are not paid for classes you do not coach.

  2. After your class fill out the feedback template and email this to ezeesport@gmail.com so that the parents get feedback soon after the class has taken place.

  3. Before the end of the week/month invoice EzeeSport for your coaching hours for the full month.

  4. If you run out of anything – need equipment, stickers, first aid replenished – please let me know asap.

  5. Photos – do not take photos of the kids at schools. If at other venues, ask the parents first.
Discipline is the age appropriate controls and boundaries that you put in the class. The children must understand that this is a learning environment, and although positive the children have to obey class rules and adhere to the boundaries put in place.

Discipline is not punishment. It is an opportunity to teach a child, and its aim should never be to hurt or humiliate. It’s about making the children feel safe in the class and about you remaining in control of the class
  • Set firm rules from the start ( 1. Have fun 2. Listen to your coach 3. Freeze when the whistle blows 4. Be a good sportsman. Remind the children that if they get a time out they won’t get a sticker and you will have to inform their parents.
  • Remain in control and provide the children with clear parameters of behaviour
  • You need to remain calm, be consistent at all times
  • Be aware of what is age appropriate
  • Be aware of the child as a unique individual
  • Always be fair
  • Don't threaten them with something you can't carry through.
A passive coach allows the child to be in control but occasionally explodes when pushed too far. Do not allow a disruptive child to take over the class and make it unpleasant for you and the other children.
  1. Behaving in an unsafe or threatening manner
  2. Hurting other children
  3. Consistently not listening to the coach when asked to do or not do something
  4. Running off
  5. Throwing equipment around
  6. Verbal abuse – inappropriate language or conversation with other children or the coach
Our experienced coaches understand when a child's behaviour requires firm guidance, however in some circumstances our disciplinary procedures will be brought into action to protect the safety and enjoyment of the other children on our classes.

In an instance of unacceptable disruptive behaviour, the child will be asked to sit out for a few minutes during which time the coach will address the behaviour and explain the consequences of repeated disruption.
If the child continues to behave in an unacceptable manner they will be asked to sit out for the rest of the session.

Parents will be notified either in person, via email or phone call, if a child has had to sit out during a session.

If the child persists with negative behaviour during future classes/clubs, we will call the parent to discuss the best course of action. If the child shows a willingness to change and improve their behaviour, then they can return to future classes.

As a final resort, we reserve the right to exclude a child if they continue with their persistent unacceptable behaviour. This may be for the next lesson to give the child a chance to redeem their behaviour or it could be for the rest of the term.

If a child has been excluded from all future class sessions, we will refund the class sessions that have not yet been attended.
Prevention is better than cure!

At EzeeSport, we have a policy of foreseeing potentially dangerous situations so that injuries can be kept to a limit. EzeeSport coaches should realise that they are the responsible adults for the children who are in their care while participating in an EzeeSport lesson.

Serious Injuries:

  • Have an emergency policy in place for your centre e.g.fetch a teacher to stay with the children while you deal with the injured child.
  • Find out what the procedure is at the school you are coaching at.
  • Find out what first aid equipment is available at the school or club you are coaching at – especially the availability of ice packs.
  • In the case of an emergency always phone 999 and then the parent or carer
Minor injuries:
  • Have a first aid kit with you at all times and keep an incident book/sheet with your folder or find out if the school has one.
  • If a minor injury occurs e.g. A child falls and grazes a knee, do the following:
    • Assess the injury
    • Comfort the child while organising the rest of the class
    • Handle the injury – e.g.cold compress or plaster
    • Don’t make too much of a fuss and use distraction to help the child get over the injury
    • They could even take a walk to the water fountain with a friend to have a drink of water
How to prevent injuries occurring:
  • Make sure your equipment is out of the way so that the children don’t trip over it
  • Do not pick children up
  • Do not allow children to run around on the court before and after your lesson
  • Ensure good spacing between children especially when working with bats and sticks
  • No eating or drinking on court – water bottles are placed off the court
  • Be aware of the weather on hot or cold days
  • Be aware of wet courts
  • Make sure there is no glass risk when coaching in doors
  • Position children away from any danger – e.g. When sharing tennis courts
Please read all the company policies and procedures list on the company website HERE