Assist Session 6: Owning Full Segments
Session 6 of 6 in the Assist Protocol (Kids). Read this before the class, then do the quiz and reflection after it.
Run multiple segments per class. Start making real coaching decisions: What game will you run? How will you pair kids? What will you say between rounds? When do you need to change the rules? By session 6, you should be running a full segment start to finish with minimal input from the lead coach.
Note
Your goal by the end of six assist sessions: you've run at least three full game segments on your own, you can communicate rules simply and quickly, you can pair kids appropriately, and you can handle behavioral moments without freezing up.
For the Lead Coach
The trainee runs full segments and handles the room.
- Give them a full segment to own. "You're running the ground game today. Pick the game, pair the kids, communicate the rules, coach the room, decide what to say between rounds." Let them plan it and execute it.
- Observe without intervening. Unless something is genuinely unsafe, let them run it. If a behavioral moment comes up during their segment, let them handle it first. Take notes and share them after.
- Debrief the partner pairings. By now, the trainee should be making deliberate pairing choices. Ask them to walk through their reasoning. Push back if they're defaulting to random or convenience pairings instead of matching on timidity and size.
- Ask the hard question. "What went wrong today and what would you do differently?" By session 5-6, they should be self-critical enough to identify their own mistakes.
Tip
The best thing you can do for a trainee in the assist phase is give them progressively more responsibility while keeping the safety net. By session 6, they should feel like they ran a real chunk of class. If they still feel like they were "just helping," you held on too long.
After the Session: Quiz and Reflection
Do this after you've assisted the class, not before.