Sharing video clips
Video can be great, but sharing is a pain.
I was in a discussion about the role of video in the learning process. We agreed that sharing training schedules and most of all videos with your players is very powerful indeed. I run a tool SuperCoach Online that allows this and would like to share experiences:
SuperCoach Online and video
After we launched SuperCoach Online for a club and set-up a program for the Under 12 team as well, Paul and I decided to give players of the Under 12 team access to SuperCoach Online and started to look at logins. This is what we learned:
- Most players login, some players even log-in 10 times more than their coaches;
- Not so much the training schedules were viewed, but the media files;
- When players never login, this does not mean they are not interested in training/rugby;
- Retention is key, players looking at little video clips of the exercise surely helps them;
- Unexpectedly: accountability: this is when 11 yrs old Jet was holding her iPad and asked her coach after training: “I liked the one v one exercises a lot, why did you skip it today”? Coaches now have to prepare and really understand what and why they run these exercises! (or face up to Jet!);
Share recordings of the practise
I worked with vids and strongly believe it accelerates learning, but I also learned we need this feedback loop to be really short though. I would like to share a little experiment with you I did with running a SAQ program for Under16 hockey girls (Super league, pretty high standard here in the Netherlands) every week on Monday nights.
Step 1:
I gave them video feedback same night, almost all the girls downloaded the vid the same night. I did this for a couple of weeks in a row, everybody excited and chatting in the WhatsApp group.
Step 2:
Next I Wetransferred the video a day later, around 75% downloaded.
Step 3:
Then I gave them the video on the Saturday afternoon (after their match), hardly anybody bothered to look at it. The feedback loop was to long….
Interesting right? What are your experiences?
Wetransfer
I used Wetransfer for this little experiment, it allows me to share large video’s maintains the addressees and provides me with information on who and when the players downloaded the files. I have the professional Wetransfer subscription, not very expensive that gives me larger file sizes, longer retention of links and also the opportunity to sent me large files: rugbycoach.wetransfer.com
Dropbox then?
I did try Dropbox, but this was not a success. A lot of time players moved the files and I had to upload them again. I still use dropbox to share my files between Macbook and iMac though.
Dartfish
Great tool and I used it during the trial period. The video and analytics makes a good combination and I could simply publish to my channel to distribute. The players had to subscribe to the channel though…
I decided not to continue, at that time I was busy with work and commute and unfortunately lacked time to make good use of the Dartfish functions.
CoachNow
This tool promises to be all of the above, not gave it a try yet…. Would love to hear of a coach who has used it.
References:
- More about my stint with the SAQ programme for hockey girls;
- More about what I did with Dartfish;
- The tool that automates the set-up of trainingsplans AND distributes to coaches and players through the App: SuperCoach Online;