Aidan Mathew Gower

24/04/2023

My Linkedin profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-gower-81b510263/

24/04/2023

Here is my outlined plan for developing my employability as well as what I aim to achieve in level 6.

I plan to complete my level 1 coaching badge, along with getting myself first aid trained from May-September. These should improve my employability as these are the specific to the career path which I plan to go into.

During my level 6 year, I plan to complete as many courses and gain as many qualifications as possible, whilst completing my dissertation to a 2:1

24/04/2023

Here's a Gibbs Reflective Model in relation to a particular incident that occurred during one of my coaching.

Description: In a recent football session, one of my participants, made a mistake that led to the opposing team scoring a goal. I reacted by yelling at them and criticising their performance in front of the entire team.

Feelings: As I was yelling at them, I felt frustrated and disappointed that he had made such a costly mistake. I was also angry with myself for not being able to control my emotions.

Evaluation: Looking back, I realise that my reaction was not helpful nor was it constructive. By yelling at them and criticising them in front of the team, I may have demotivated them and undermined their confidence.

Analysis: I now understand that as a coach, it is my responsibility to create a positive and supportive environment for my participants. Yelling and criticising participants can create a culture of fear and anxiety, which can negatively impact their performance.

Conclusion: From this experience, I have learnt that I need to work on controlling my emotions and responding to mistakes in a much more positive and constructive way. I need to create a culture of support and encouragement, where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and growth.

Action plan: If a similar situation were to happen again, I would take a moment to calm myself down before responding. I would then approach the participant privately and offer him constructive feedback on how he could improve his performance. I would also take steps to create a more supportive coaching environment, where players feel comfortable making mistakes and learning from them.

24/04/2023

this is a coaching experience, and what I've learnt from a it.

I taught numerous football sessions with a partner this year. It has been an amazing experience of which I have loved every moment.
I have learnt how to effectively teach participants, through questions, demonstrations, 1 to 1 talks and explanations. Alongside this, I have also learnt how to be more confident and decisive in my lessons.
I have improved massively on my organisational skills as well as my time-management skills, which I was poor at before doing these sessions.

24/04/2023

This is what I learnt about myself and my skills following the completion of my sports education workshop.

I discovered that I have good researching skills, as my lesson was detailed in the amount of information. However, I could have used some models to aid my lesson.

I believe that one of my biggest weaknesses was my confidence. I struggled to engage the participants due to me looking at my notes as well as struggling to ask thought provoking questions.

However, I think that, my participants learnt a lot from my lesson. This can be seen during the quiz we did at the end in which the participants got almost every question correct, showing that the display of my information, the quality of the information as well as the delivery of information was at a good standard.

24/04/2023

Here's an overview of the coach education workshop I presented as well as 5 key points that I believe a coach should know.

For my workshop we covered injuries in football, with me focusing on injury recovery.

1) Make sure to research the topic you choose thoroughly, adding in references and models where possible to give your participants the deepest amount of knowledge you can.

2) Ensure that your participants are constantly engaged, through group discussions and questions.

3) Keep up a good level of confidence throughout your lessons, by not looking at notes or the screen too often and by engaging in discussions with the class.

4) Utilise a variety of different teaching methods; lecturing, demonstrations, group discussions, case studies, visual aids, activities, quizzes etc.

5) Set clear and concise learning objectives at the start of the lesson so that the participants can get an understanding of what the lesson will entail, come back to these at the end of the lesson so that you can evaluate learning.

06/02/2023

ADHD, what I have learnt and how I will accommodate for it as a coach:

ADHD is a hidden disability, affecting 3%-7% of the world with rates being higher in athletes than the general population (7%-8% of elite athletes).
The condition includes symptoms that can be categorised into 2 types of behaviours; inattentiveness (difficulty concentrating or focusing) and hyperactivity/impulsiveness.

I will accommodate for ADHD as a coach. This will be by making certain that I post written schedules for sessions that everyone can access, including what should be brought, what activities will be completed, the rules etc.
I will also ensure that instructions are simple, clear and concrete while using visual aids where possible.
I will also use a behaviour plan with a reward system and talk through any behaviour problems one-on-one.

06/02/2023

Amazing ted talk on hidden disabilities:

Daisy shares her experiences with people with hidden disabilities highlighting the importance and meaning of sunflower lanyards. Hidden Disabilities This tal...

06/02/2023

Fantastic journal article on hidden disabilities:

"How can you empower students with invisible disabilities to manage their challenges, accept and advocate for themselves, and reach their goals and dreams? This guidebook has inspiring and informative answers. Told with the authentic voices of adults with hidden disabilities, this encouraging, eye-o...

06/02/2023

All about autism course:
https://ystautismcourse.org/front/certificate/certificate.php

31/01/2023

Completed the Mental Health Awareness for Sport and physical activity course.

2 takeaway points that I'll use as a coach:
- how to effectively tackle and help eradicate stigma and discrimination
- how to build peoples resilience, self esteem and confidence

31/01/2023

My promotional piece for 'Lets Connect'