Development and learning isn’t a Ladder. It’s a Climbing Frame.

Good coaching isn’t about fixing everything at once. It’s about knowing what to address, when to address it, and how to build from there.

Coaching is back and forth.

You work on one aspect of a player’s performance, see an improvement, and then something else might become apparent. A change in one area can expose a limitation in another. A player might make progress, encounter a new challenge and need to revisit something they appeared to have mastered.

This is normal. It’s part of the process.

The mistake is assuming that every improvement should lead to another immediate improvement, or that every newly identified problem means the previous coaching intervention hasn’t worked.

Often, development is simply revealing the next layer.

A practical example: sprinting mechanics

Imagine coaching a young athlete’s sprinting technique.

Initially, the priority might be their front-side mechanics — improving how they drive the knee forward, position the leg during recovery and coordinate their movement as they accelerate.

You keep the coaching focused. You provide a clear cue, choose an appropriate activity and give the player opportunities to practise.

Over time, their movement begins to change. But as their front-side mechanics improve, you notice another area that needs attention: perhaps their backside mechanics, or how the leg moves behind the body during the sprint cycle.

What now?

You could try to address everything at once: front-side mechanics, backside mechanics, arm action, posture, foot contact, rhythm and force production. The player is suddenly dealing with a long list of instructions, each competing for their attention.

Or you can recognise that the process has moved on.

You address the most important priority, allow the player to practise, observe the response and introduce the next layer when appropriate.

One coaching priority doesn’t have to solve everything. It needs to help the player move forward.

Of course, front-side and backside mechanics are connected, and sprinting technique should be viewed as a whole. The point isn’t to treat each component in isolation indefinitely. It’s to manage the learning process so the player isn’t overwhelmed by too many changes at once.

Scaffold development. Build in layers.

Think about building a house. You don’t start with the roof, decorate every room and then return to lay the foundations.

You build from the ground up, adding layers that support what comes next.

Coaching should follow a similar principle. Establish the foundations, identify the current priority, provide suitable challenges and build on the player’s response.

That doesn’t mean development always follows a rigid sequence. Players progress at different rates, and sometimes you need to revisit an earlier layer. The coach must be prepared to adapt rather than blindly follow a plan.

The aim is to provide enough guidance to support progress without overloading the player.

Development isn’t a ladder

A ladder suggests that progress should be straightforward: one step after another, always upwards.

A climbing frame is a better analogy. There are different routes, changes of direction, moments where you need to move sideways and times when you need to go back before finding another way forward.

Players develop in much the same way. Progress can be uneven, and improvement in one area may reveal another challenge.

That isn’t necessarily a setback. It can be a sign that the player is ready for the next layer of learning.

Coach the individual, not just the problem

The role of the coach isn’t to identify every possible fault and correct it in a single session. It’s to recognise what matters most right now.

• Identify the priority.

• Give the player a clear, manageable focus.

• Create opportunities to practise.

• Observe, reflect and adapt.

• Build the next layer when the player is ready.

Not every session will produce obvious progress.

Not every intervention will work first time.

Sometimes the best decision is to stay with the current priority; sometimes it’s to change the approach.

Good coaching requires patience, observation and the confidence not to overcomplicate the process.

Build from the ground up. Address one priority at a time. Add layers with purpose.

Development isn’t a ladder. It’s a climbing frame — and our job is to help every player find their way.