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.
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.