One of the greatest challenges facing the leader of a coaching programme, in any environment, is controlling the quality of provision across the organisation. Ensuring a continuity of message, and consistently effective delivery is the essence of the role of Director of Sport. In walking the playing fields, courts and halls to measure this assumes that quality coaching practice can be relatively readily identified. So, what should it look like?

A pitch that has a sea of equipment, and enough cones to land a light aircraft, may flatter to deceive. It may not address the question: what engages the...

Enthusiasm for team games is rampant amongst pre adolescents. In most independent schools, voluntary Year Seven games practices will attract approximately 75% of pupils. The challenge is to cope with large numbers, and yet still produce competitive teams. A significant minority of schools forbid some pupils from attending "squad" practices, through processes of selection (and rejection) of ruthless efficiency. The less able and experienced cannot be allowed to consume resources that undermine the chances of the most able enjoying victory in school matches.

Those same schools engage between 10 and 33% of Sixth Formers...

Few would dispute the desirability of children developing persistence in the face of difficulty. Many would feel that physical activities can contribute to this development, and would occasionally refer to this (or the more vague concept of developing "character") as a justification of the prominence of Games in school life. Yet watching many schools' attempts at "cross country" or middle distance Athletics would suggest that the unintended consequence is that many pupils are learning to give up in the face if difficulty. And even more are not learning how to persist: they are simply demonstrating an existing capacity....