Organizing trainings when players have different levels
Training and Drills
Diego González Asked 11 years ago
Hi everybody,
I am going to be the coach in a club where there are around 20-25 players training at the same time. The problem is that there are big differences between them. some of them are kids, some of them are in their fifties, while some have just started and others have been playing during the last 10 years. In general, the level is medium-low though.
As a coach I am thinking different possibilities to organize them:
a) - Train all together, more or less in pairs of the same level and changing pairs from time to time. I would describe each exercise for everybody in one table, with a demostration, and later they would have to do it. The disadvantage is that not everybody is interested in training "hard", some of them normally come late... In the other hand I think it would create a good atmosphere of cooperation.
b) - Making groups of training. This would help to fit better in the personal interests of every single player, as the young ones prefer to train very hard and more time with the veterans are interested more in having fun and playing matches. It would divide more the team, I think.
Anyway, it is not a professional club, they would train around six hours, in three days per week, and many of them wont assist there everyday.
Until today, the training has consisted in a routine of exercises, that everybody does without supervision of the coach and after that they can ask if they want to work more or do whatever they want. As i say, it is quite difficult to make the training fit in what every single person want...
Could you give some tips for organizing it? Thanks a lot,
Diego
Alois Rosario Answered 11 years ago
Hi Diego,
This is a really difficult situation. I don't think it is the different levels that is the real problems but the different levels of focus.
Ideally if you can get groups of like minded players together it is easier to work with. So find out the ones that want to do the training with focus and organise a separate time for them. This way they won't be distracted by the others and you will be able to devote your time directly to them.
They may also be able to come down for the other time with the players that want to play games and they can get good competition against the various styles.
Is there enough different times that the club can be open to make this work?
Thoughts on this question
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Mariano Rodriguez Posted 11 years ago
Diego, im not a coach but in my club , on my shift, we are 16 people with different levels. Each one train with someone of the same level, we all do the same excercises. People who have little technique are put apart in a different table and do multiball. The one that comes late, my teacher try to put him with anoher one or he does multiball too, sorry, you are late you cant expect a normal training.
In last 30 minutes we play matches and the one that wins go one table to the right, and the one that loses go one table to the left so everyone has the chance to play with better players and practice with worse players.
i hope it helps.
Diego González Posted 11 years ago
thanks for the answers, they helped;
the trainings should be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 8; the way I see it, I would love to work as a team alltogether, training the same things, everybody in his level of course, but puting effort on it and having this feeling of "united table tennis community". But honestly, this is going to be quite hard. I must accept that there are people that have enough with 30 minutes training and after have pain in the back, while others want to train as hard as possible (...) so Alois idea seems to fit better with this perspective.
Thanks very much