Insights Call to Action
Leverage Technology & Data to Make Training More Accessible
Technology can make coach training easier to access and more effective. New, cutting edge tools, including AI, can be leveraged to help match coaches with the training they need based on their role, experience, and setting. When training is flexible, affordable, and available on easy-to-use digital platforms, we can help more coaches find and complete training, and apply what they learn to real-life coaching situations.
→What this looks like when we get it right: Coaches connect to the training they need when and where they need it through AI-driven pathways and mobile-first tech.
→Who can drive this change? Technology Solutions; Coach Education; Data & Research; Sports Governance
Why This Issue
As technology continues to evolve, coach training must evolve with it. New tools and platforms, including mobile apps, AI, and data tracking, can help make training more accessible, personalized, and easier to apply in real-life coaching. For instance, can we leverage technology to provide just-in-time micro-learning? Can it remind or empower coaches, when and where they need it, to teach skills that extend beyond the field?
Getting Started
- Emphasize mobile-first content to reach coaches directly with targeted training content, reminders, and real-time support.
- Leverage apps where coaches are (e.g, Instagram, TikTok, etc.), in order to increase access to short, micro-learning opportunities.
- Prioritize affordability and accessibility to ensure coaches are not excluded because of cost or limited access to technology.
- Use tools like search engine optimization and digital marketing/advertising to make quality training easier to find.
- Build on existing platforms, like Little League’s rulebook app, to deliver push notifications and quick tips that help coaches in real time.
- Leverage AI to make content more accessible by supporting content translation, simplifying training materials, and offering context-based suggestions that match a coach’s specific experience.
- Developing clear guidelines for AI in coach training can help ensure it’s used ethically and effectively.
- Customize training journeys, supported by tailoring the user experience based on relevant API integrations and learning analytics in an effort to help coaches stay on track and grow at their own pace.
- Collect usage data and feedback from coaches to better understand what works and for whom.
Technology and data are always changing. Our training systems should be ready to change with them. When we use these tools with purpose, we help more coaches find, complete, and apply what they learn – and give more kids the great experiences that will set them up for better outcomes throughout their lives.
Game Changing Content
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
|
Video guide from USA Hockey for designing practice plans in Mobile Coach App |
|
| ChatGPT Youth Sports Guide |
A chatbot for coaching youth sports with a focus on inclusivity and team-building |