By definition, learning is the process of acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values or preferences. Evidence that learning has occurred may be seen in changes in behavior from simple to complex.

Consider the small child who has no depth perception and struggles to catch even the largest of balls, and then contrast this with the more mature player who can catch a ball single-handed while on the fly.

Think too about the beginner coach who struggles to even know how to start creating a playbook, to the more mature coach who knows the playbook inside out and can easily adapt elements in real-time to deceive or outwit the defense.

Learning happens all the time, whether we are consciously aware of it and want to learn or not.

As a coach, reflect on key moments in which you learned:

• Where did the best learning happen?
• What learning took place?
• What strategies or tools did you use to support the learning?
• How do you know you learned?
• At what point did you know it was effective?
• Was anyone else involved?
• How did other people support your learning?

It may well help you to consider one key learning moment and answer the various questions in more detail. This will help you appreciate the various phases of the learning cycle and use this thinking to harness other learning opportunities in the future.

Perhaps your most powerful learning happened within the coaching environment. Significant learning can occur within this context, because it is situated within the different spaces in which coaching is applied on the field, in the gym or weight room, film room and even locker room. Coaches learn through ongoing interaction with players, parents and other coaches. They can also learn from modeling, observation, listening and problem-solving in real-life situations. The learning you gain from the coaching environment is called experiential learning.

Pioneering work into experiential learning conducted by Kolb (1984) has been widely used across all domains, including sport and education, as a reference point to support coach learning and development.

Acquiring experiences does not guarantee coaching competence or success. In order to learn and develop expertise, you have to quite deliberately navigate your way around the learning cycle. Improvement and in turn expertise comes by developing ideas from those reflections and then quite deliberately testing those in the next practice opportunity. It is the integration of experience and knowledge in a meaningful way that promotes learning and improvement.

Perhaps the most critical phase of this cycle is reflection. Based on some thinking by The Football Association (F.A), reflective practice is the process by which you identify:

• What went well (WWW)
• What could be Even Better If (EBI)
• What you would do Next time (NT)
• What Success Looks Like (SLL)

Try using this process to help you learn from learning.

Sarah McQuade is an independent coach education consultant, owner and director of e.t.c coaching consultants and co-director with The Coach Learning Group. To learn more about accessing how-to coach skills workshops click the Coaching Skills button at www.etcoachingconsultants.com.