Coaching for Confidence or Competence: The Key to Lasting Skill
- Job Fransen
- Oct 27, 2025
- 2 min read
How to balance short-term performance with long-term learning
The “Perfect” Practice Problem
As coaches, we’ve all been there.
You design a drill, and after a few reps, the team executes it perfectly.
The passing is sharp, the movement is clean, and the session runs like clockwork.
It looks good. It feels good. You walk off the field with a sense of accomplishment.
But here’s the hard question:
Did your players actually get better — or did they just get good at the drill?
The Performance Trap
What you see in that “clean” session is performance — a temporary change in behaviour.
It’s easy to observe and rewarding to achieve. Smooth sessions build player confidence — and, let’s be honest, coach confidence too.
The problem? Training that focuses only on performance is easily forgotten.
It rarely transfers to the chaotic, high-pressure environment of competition.
When we prioritise short-term execution, we often neglect long-term growth.
Developing Coaching Skills: The “Messy” Path to Learning
Learning, by contrast, is a relatively permanent and robust change in behaviour.
It’s the kind of improvement that survives the pressure of game day.
But here’s the catch: real learning is messy.
It’s full of errors, frustration, and moments that don’t look “pretty.”
Sessions designed for learning — for building competence — often feel uncomfortable.
They don’t deliver instant results, but they do build skills that last.
“Clean” sessions build confidence. “Messy” sessions build competence.
Striking the Right Balance
The art and science of coaching is knowing how to balance the two.
A great skilled coach’s toolkit includes drills for both — but also the awareness of when and why to use them.
Ask yourself:
When in the season should I push for “messy” learning sessions?
When should I focus on confidence-building drills?
How can I tweak this activity to emphasise exploration instead of execution?
Mastering that balance is the foundation of effective practice design.
Coaching for Lasting Change
If you’re ready to design sessions that don’t just look good but create permanent, transferable coaching skills, explore Module 1 of the Build Pathway.
You’ll learn how to:
Differentiate between performance and learning
Plan practice for confidence and competence
Use challenge and feedback to drive long-term development
Stop chasing perfect sessions — start building practices that deliver lasting improvement.
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