Episode 27 - Centre Approach Coaching with Chris Lawson

From The First Chair Podcast

In this episode, Frank & Thierry welcome former University of Waterloo Men's Volleyball Head Coach Chris Lawson to discuss becoming a seasoned coach, practice planning, centre approach coaching and much more. (0:27) - Check out our Twitter account @ftfcpodcast to obtain all resources from previous episodes. Don't hesitate to rate, review and subscribe on any podcast platform (Podbean, Stitcher, iTunes, PlayerFM) to help us tailor our product better to your needs. (1:23) - How is the volleyball coaching life treating Chris after retirement from the Waterloo Head Coach position? (2:14) - Chris' bio (3:55) - How do football skills transfer to volleyball? (8:26) - Why did coach Lawson initially start to coach volleyball? (9:07) - What particular characteristics of the game did Chris enjoy early on? (10:30) - Why Bill Belichick is an excellent football coach to observe even for volleyball coaches? (11:57) - What does coach Lawson's Pathway Coordinator role with London Volleyball Club entail? (15:40) - Who are Chris' mentors? (18:15) - Why it takes a lot of time to become a seasoned coach? (21:10) - Why coaches need to continually focus on the why? (23:10) - Why is the design down approach a great tool to use for practice planning? (24:55) - Why should coaches share their ideas with colleagues and self-reflect more often? (29:33) - How did coach Lawson adapt his coaching skills to the University level and turn the program around? (34:29) - What is Chris' proudest moment as Head Coach of the Warriors' program? (36:04) - How did coach Lawson transition from Head Coach to Mentor Coach? (38:12) - How can quality coaching and team culture be sustained better through coach assignment? (41:05) - Why is the centre coaching approach (or the master coach or the pod method) a great way to maximize the reach of their best coaches and encourage information sharing amonst their coaches for a club? (43:22) - How will the game evolve in the coming years according to Chris? (47:59) - How can development coaches obtain the useful and actual technical and tactical knowledge given the age group they are coaching? (51:08) - What are the top three tips Chris shares with coaches attending his coach workshops? (55:33) - What are some do's and don't's coach Lawson looks for when observing a coach running a practice? (61:10) - What does Chris recommend for improving practice planning? (69:54) - Why is the centre approach especially good for the club environment? (75:52) - How can coaches with different styles or approaches collaborate together better? (79:56) - What is the Lead Coach's responsibilities?