Marching New Zealand

Marching is for everyone

Marching is for everyone, there is a grade for under 12 all the way through to seniors, even those with disabilities are welcome to join in on it!

 

Coaching Children

Coaching Children, also known as the Under 12 Grade, having fun is important at all levels of sport, but especially for children. Children participate in marching for a number of reasons including but not limited to the following

  • Having fun
  • Being involved in lots of action
  • Competition and challenges matching their stage of development
  • Opportunities to reaffirm their friendships
  • Achieving successful outcomes

There are ways to modify activities to routines to suit their age, size and ability, with an emphasis on developing fundamental skills, such as:

  • Simplify the rules
  • Reduce the size of the marching area
  • Have fewer marchers in a team
  • Use shorter and simpler routines

 

Coaching Young Adults

When coaching young adults, also known as the under 16 grade, it is important to remember things such as these:

  • Many will experience rapid growth which can affect co-ordination
  • They may feel self-conscious
  • Issues such as school exams, more responsibility at home, paid employment, the respect of their peer group and changes in their family structure can affect performance
  • Their interest in sporting options can change
  • Choices regarding leisure time increase as they become more independent

There are some things you can keep in mind when coaching young adults, the following are some things you could work on

  • Developing marching specific skills and tactics
  • Avoiding over training and overloading
  • Establishing realistic but agreed expectations
  • Marchers' short-term and long-term needs

 

Coaching Adults

There are two main types of adult marcher, the 'social' marcher, and the 'competitive marcher' The needs of adults are hugely varied and wide ranging, depending on the sport and the nature of the group they need:

  • To be treated as mature adults
  • Lots of activity and the opportunity to compete at an appropriate level
  • To take account of other priorities including work, education and family
  • Leadership opportunities (E.G. self responsibility and ownership)

When coaching social marchers consider the following

  • Having a flexible approach, consider the outside influences and constraints
  • Ensure activities match their level of fitness and health

 When coaching competitive marchers

  • Run structured and focused sessions to refine technical and tactical skills
  • Specialize events roles and positions
  • Challenge marchers physically and mentally
  • Involve marchers in planning and decision making
  • Use sport science principles analysis and technology.

 

Coaching Marching with Disabilities

There is a wide range of impairments including physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities each with a varying level of impact, no two people are the same.

  • Disabled marchers deserve to have the same opportunities as others, as they have the same reasons for participating in marching as non-disabled marchers
  • The marches will know what they can do
  • They will know how tasks can be modified to suit their ability and skill level

There are also things you should keep in mind when coaching

  • Their similarities to other marchers, not their differences
  • Focus on their ability not their disability
  • Encourage them to perform to the best of their ability, as you should with all your marchers
  • Include them in regular marching whenever you can
  • Ask them questions that help you adapt your coaching to support them.

Ready? Go onto how marchers learn