What we can all learn from Bath Academy

2. Spiral Curriculum for Progressive Learning 

The Bath Academy’s curriculum revisits core principles at increasing levels of complexity as players progress through age groups.

Using support space as an example:

• At age 14: Focus on basic principles, such as full-width field coverage.
• By age 18: Incorporate advanced formations, like 1-3-1 systems.

This spiral curriculum enables players to deepen their understanding, while building on prior knowledge.

Lilley explains: "Supporting space at under-15 focuses on full width. By under-18, it evolves into having two sides of attack, or multiple layers of attack."

This approach ensures that foundational skills are never overlooked, while providing a clear technical and tactical growth pathway.

Players gain confidence as they revisit familiar concepts, now with additional layers of complexity.

Key takeaways

• Develop a curriculum that builds progressively on foundational skills and concepts, tailoring it to players’ developmental stages. Use consistent themes and revisit key principles regularly to reinforce understanding.
• For example, in week one of a cycle, you might be working on securing quicker ball at the ruck. You revise the skills already covered. You might add an additional technical point. You practise it in different scenarios.
• Four weeks later, you revisit the same skill. Perhaps this time you don’t need to add more technical information. Instead, you have a more varied diet of scenarios, matching the pressure they might receive in the game.
• In another four weeks, you return to the same idea. The pattern is that you retrieve skills, put them under pressure, and add in decision-rich environments that they might be facing in the game.
• Mix into this what are sometimes called ‘primers’. These can be low-pressure, low-stakes activities just to keep reminding the players of their core skills. Don’t be surprised to see some basic techniques fade over time if you are not spending time revisiting them.

Ripples in the Pond: Doing, Digesting, and Providing Feedback

The overall idea is that coaches should design learning experiences with these factors in mind, to create an effective learning environment. 

Learning isn’t straightforward – it flows like ripples, moving back and forth, as learners gradually improve through repeated practice and understanding.

Wanting/needing to learn

The learner must want to learn, or they should be guided to understand why needing to learn is important. For example, a player who prefers ball carrying must see how passing can improve their opportunities to ball carry more effectively.

Doing

Learners need to actively practice what they are trying to learn. For example, if a player wants to improve passing the ball with their weaker hand, they need to practice this skill regularly.

Digesting

Players should also understand why they are learning a skill and the benefits it provides to them. This sense-making then helps them to see how that particular skill will be useful in the future.

Feedback

Feedback is key and can come from the learner themselves, peers, or a coach. It helps refine the learning process and clarify areas for improvement.

Teaching others

Being able to teach the skill to someone else demonstrates mastery.