Shadow Session 1 (Little Lions): Simplicity and Energy

Kids Coaching · Lesson 3 of 26All lessons

4 min read

Session 1 of 4 in the Shadow Protocol (Kids). Read this before the class, then do the quiz and reflection after it.

What to Watch For

Class structure. Track the segments and timing: warmup, first game (standing), second game (ground), recall round (if included), closeout. How long does each take?
Rules communication. How does the coach explain games? How many words does it take? Little Lions need the simplest possible explanations. Listen for how short the instructions are compared to what you'd expect.
Energy management. Kids classes live or die on energy. How does the coach keep things moving? How do they recover when energy drops or kids lose focus? How do they use their own enthusiasm and physicality to set the tone?
Round length. How long are the rounds? Kids burn out faster than adults. Watch for how the coach reads fatigue and disengagement.
The closeout. Does the coach use the sticker closeout? What specific praise do they give each kid?

After class, spend five minutes on these:

Talk about simplification. How did you decide how much to explain vs just getting them moving? How simple were your game rules compared to the same game in a fundamentals class? Trainees often underestimate how much you have to strip away for this age group.
Walk through the energy arc. Where was energy highest? Where did it dip? What did you do about it? Did you cut anything you planned because you were losing them?

Do this after you've shadowed the class, not before.

to keep track of what you have read

Kids Coaching · Lesson 3 of 26All lessons

4 min read

Session 1 of 4 in the Shadow Protocol (Kids). Read this before the class, then do the quiz and reflection after it.

Class structure. Track the segments and timing: warmup, first game (standing), second game (ground), recall round (if included), closeout. How long does each take?
Rules communication. How does the coach explain games? How many words does it take? Little Lions need the simplest possible explanations. Listen for how short the instructions are compared to what you'd expect.
Energy management. Kids classes live or die on energy. How does the coach keep things moving? How do they recover when energy drops or kids lose focus? How do they use their own enthusiasm and physicality to set the tone?
Round length. How long are the rounds? Kids burn out faster than adults. Watch for how the coach reads fatigue and disengagement.
The closeout. Does the coach use the sticker closeout? What specific praise do they give each kid?

After class, spend five minutes on these:

Talk about simplification. How did you decide how much to explain vs just getting them moving? How simple were your game rules compared to the same game in a fundamentals class? Trainees often underestimate how much you have to strip away for this age group.
Walk through the energy arc. Where was energy highest? Where did it dip? What did you do about it? Did you cut anything you planned because you were losing them?

Do this after you've shadowed the class, not before.

to keep track of what you have read