Are You a ‘Static’ or ‘Dynamic’ Coach?

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How great coaches adapt in real time to keep players in their Zone of Genius

The “Set and Forget” Coach: Static Coaching

You’ve designed the perfect practice. You set the cones, explain the rules, blow the whistle, and start your stopwatch. For the next 10 minutes, you watch.

You see the drill isn't quite working—it's a bit too easy, or maybe it's just too messy.

You take a note: "Next session, I'll make the space smaller."

This is the "old way." We call it Static Coaching.

Static coaches design a session for a specific outcome, let it run its course, and only review performance after the session is finished.

It’s efficient, but limited. The opportunity for learning and improvement has already passed.

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Enter Dynamic Coaching: Real-Time Adaptation

But what if you made that change in the next rep, instead of waiting until the next session?

This is the essential difference of Dynamic Coaching.

A dynamic coach doesn't just observe; they act. They continually adjust the challenge within a session based on what they see and how athletes respond.

Instead of just being a timekeeper for the drill, you become an active conductor. You observe player behaviour relative to a performance standard in real-time.

Knowing When to Step In (and When to Stay Silent)

Ask yourself during every session:

Are players breezing through the activity?

Don't wait. Instantly add another defender, shrink the space, or add a new rule.

Are players frustrated and failing?

Don't let them. Immediately relax a constraint, widen the standards for success, or simplify the task.

This is the art of maintaining the athlete’s Zone of Genius — that sweet spot where the challenge is “just right.”

The best coaches know when to intervene and when to let the practice design do the teaching.

Learning how to do that comes with experience, and some knowledge on which levers you can pull to get the behaviour you desire.

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Why Dynamic Coaching Matters

Dynamic coaching creates learning environments where feedback, exploration, and adaptation happen continuously.

It’s not just about running better sessions — it’s about developing smarter, more resilient athletes who can solve problems under pressure.

This approach also aligns with the Challenge Point Framework, which shows that learning peaks when practice is neither too hard nor too easy. Coaches who can recognise and manipulate that balance drive sustained athlete growth.

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From Observation to Action

The shift from static to dynamic coaching is one of the most powerful transitions a coach can make — but it doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a deep understanding of what to look for:

• How do you set a desirable performance standard for your group?

• When should standards for success be narrow to refine execution?

• When should they be wider to encourage exploration?

• How can feedback guide learning without becoming interference?

  
  

These are the skills that separate experienced practitioners from great coaches.

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Learn to Coach Dynamically

Mastering this approach means learning the principles of observation, challenge, and adaptation — the foundation of modern coaching science.

Explore the Build Pathway to develop these skills through self-paced, science-based programs designed by world-renowned skill acquisition expert Dr Job Fransen. You’ll learn to observe, assess, and act dynamically — so every session becomes an opportunity to elevate performance and accelerate learning.