I am right in the middle of my first SAQ camp of the year. It is a little cold here (but no snow and ice) still, the athletes are having a great time and learning a lot.
Some people ask me if I do assessments during these camps as there are a lot of people. My answer is 'Yes' I am always assessing them. Every new exercise I can look at them and see what issues they may have. We play games like tag which you can really see how they change direction without them even thinking about it. If they make a mistake once I can possibly ignore it as it may be a fluke, however if they keep repeating the issue then I know it is a habit they need to break and addressed accordingly.
I enjoy coaching the younger athletes in these situations as they are eager to learn and quick to put the learned activity into action.
There is one girl who needed to get her hips lower to be able to get her feet outside her centre of mass quicker and more efficiently. When she made the change it made it easier and quicker to change direction, which of course will make her a faster athlete on the field and give her more confidence.
Another young boy was making quick little steps when he was accelerating which he thought felt fast. By making him do bigger more aggressive strides his acceleration actually improved dramatically, just from a simple little cue and exercise from me.
There is another athlete that when she lands her knees collapse in which would give her problems later on if not corrected. This may take a little more time than a simple exercise or cueing as she does not feel what she is doing wrong. This athlete will have to do some strength and flexibility exercises after the camp has finished so that she can prevent any issues surrounding the knee and ankle in the future. We will also teach her the proper landing techniques so she can reduce any chance of injury.
These are just some examples of assessments that can be done in practice with large groups. Put your athletes in situations where you know that certain issues will arise. Know what you are looking for before you go in. Then make notes or correct accordingly. Being careful to not correct too soon, the action just maybe a fluke or an environmental factor such as poor conditions.
Have fun helping your athletes this spring.