How This Coaches Eye Checklist Might Be the Kickstart Your Next Season Needs

Did you experience the moment at the end of the season where you finally got to relax… but then your coach brain kicked back in and starts asking, “So what’s next?”

Yeah. We’ve all been there. Whether you’re coaching emerging juniors, elite athletes, or anyone in between, the off-season is prime time to reassess, reflect, and—most importantly—refocus. And that’s where something like this Coaches Eye Tool, developed by the NSW Office of Sport, can come in handy.

It’s not a magic bullet, but it can help you get the conversation started for what you need to focus on this upcoming season.

What is the Coaches Eye Tool?

At first glance, it might look like a chunky checklist—ratings, comments, and lots of boxes. But don’t let that fool you. This tool isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about creating a structured snapshot of where your athlete is right now across a range of important dimensions:

• Physicality & physiology

• Sport-specific and perceptual skills

• Mindset, coachability, effort, and learning habits

• Personal management, communication, and culture contribution

It’s as holistic as you want it to be—and that’s the beauty.

So… Why Bother?

Let’s be honest, we’re all busy. Most of us are juggling multiple athletes, jobs, familly, and probably squeezing our own training in somewhere too. But here’s the upside of using a tool like this:

It Sharpens Your Coaching Lens

We all have gut instincts about our athletes. But articulating them with clarity? That’s a whole different thing. This tool helps break down “how they’re going” into specific, observable elements—things like tactical awareness, resilience under pressure, or even whether they’re contributing to a positive training culture.

It Helps You Plan

Imagine sitting down to write your season plan and knowing what to prioritise, not just technically, but holistically. If you notice, for example, that your athlete is competent physically but struggles with decision-making in competition, your plan might include more scenario-based training or video review sessions.

It Starts Conversations

This isn’t a tool to keep in your top drawer. When used well, it becomes a shared reflection piece. Sit down with your athlete (and even their family and support team if they’ve got one), and use the ratings to frame development discussions. What do they see as a priority? What surprised them? What do they want to work on together?

What This Checklist Is Not

Like anything, this tool has its limits. It’s not a performance test, nor a science-backed diagnostic. It relies on your observations and interpretations. That means it can be influenced by your unconscious bias, mood, or their most recent performances.

And that’s okay—as long as you know it.

The trick is not to treat it as the final word, but as the first word in a conversation about development.

A Few Practical Tips

• Don’t rush it – Pick a quiet moment and give it the time it deserves. This isn’t something to do on the back of a coffee cup before training.

• Use examples – When rating “green” or “red”, jot down why. Was there a specific competition, training block or challenge that demonstrated it?

• Repeat it – Consider re-doing the tool at key points during the season. It can be incredibly useful to track changes over time.

Case Study - High School Sprinter

The following example is from a 15 year old sprinter and shared with the athlete and their parent’s consent:

• ATHLETE NAME: Jesse

• ATHLETE DOB: 12/03/2010

• DATE OF ASSESSMENT: 01/06/2025

• MATURATIONAL STATUS: Mid-PHV; currently undergoing rapid growth phase—monitoring hamstring and hip tightness.

Dimension	Description	Rating	Coach Comments
Physicality	Functional movement, posture, alignment, coordination, strength, and power	Amber	Good base strength and sprint coordination; still developing postural control and ankle stiffness. Limited gym attendance this season.
Physiological	Aerobic/anaerobic capacity, intensity tolerance	Amber	Handles short bursts well, but conditioning for rounds is limited—fatigued noticeably by second rep in sessions. Missed key aerobic prep due to absences.
Technical	Consistency and competence in sprint technique	Green	Solid mechanics overall. Stride pattern and block clearance are strengths. Needs more reps to maintain fluency under pressure.
Perceptual/Cognitive	Spatial awareness, tactical decision-making	Amber	Reacts well in race scenarios but loses focus during drills. Limited exposure to competitive decision-making moments due to low race volume.
Punctuality & Attendance	Session attendance and timeliness	Red	Frequently missed key sprint sessions due to drama/music conflicts. Often late to midweek sessions.
General Attitude	Enthusiasm, approach to training	Green	Highly respectful, enthusiastic when present, shows leadership potential. Genuine interest in learning.
Effort	Intensity and commitment in sessions	Amber	High effort when engaged, but often distracted. Effort inconsistent across training phases.
Coachability	Responsiveness to instruction and feedback	Green	Takes feedback well and asks intelligent questions. Responds positively to cueing.
Performance Strategies	Use of routines, focus tools, self-talk	Amber	Developing awareness. Knows what works (music, routines) but rarely applies it consistently. Would benefit from guided routines.
Self-Reflection	Problem solving and ownership of performance	Amber	Honest in discussion, but rarely takes initiative to reflect without prompting. Starting to mature in this space.
Performance Under Pressure	Consistency and composure	Amber	Heats at Nationals showed nerves—tight and overstriding. Often performs better in lower-stakes environments.
Resilience	Coping with setbacks and feedback	Green	Handles setbacks well. Took Nationals outcome in stride and remained optimistic.
Leadership	Influence on peers, initiative	Green	Naturally supports younger sprinters and encourages teammates. Quiet leader.
Communication	Clarity, openness, and responsibility	Amber	Clear communicator when present. Needs to improve advanced notice of absences.
Performance Knowledge	Recovery, nutrition, injury prevention	Amber	Understands basics but doesn’t always apply them. Poor recovery choices during performance week.
Self-Management	Organisation and planning	Red	Struggled to balance co-curriculars with training. Left spikes at home more than once. Needs support building routines.
Work/Study Balance	Managing school and other commitments	Amber	Prioritised school activities over training this term. Admirable commitments, but training suffered as a result.
Sport-Life Balance	Integration of sport into daily life	Green	Shows healthy interest in a range of activities—no signs of burnout. Just needs to fine-tune balance.
Team Culture	Contribution to positive training environment	Green	Popular and positive team member. Sets a good tone when present.
Gratitude	Appreciation and perspective	Green	Always thanks coaches post-session. Shows maturity in this space.

This snapshot of Jesse paints a pretty familiar picture. Plenty of promise, a few solid strengths (like his technical skill, coachability, and natural leadership), but also some clear gaps that can’t be ignored.

If sprinting’s still on Jesse’s priority list, then our coaching focus might start with:

• Getting some honest clarity around commitment especially training consistency. We can't build on talent if the base isn't there.

• Helping Jesse take more ownership off the track with self-management routines, packing gear, planning around school and music.

• And putting some targeted work into conditioning and performance routines early on.

This tool won’t give you all the answers but it can help you to ask the right questions. And sometimes, that’s all we need to steer the next phase of development.