The graphic above is meant to be a discussion starter for you, and to get you, as our coaches/mentors and senior referees thinking about your personal approach to coaching and mentoring of referees. Knowing that we coach referees from a large cross section of ability and experience levels, our approach to coaching will need to be tailored to the needs of each referee.
Ultimately, we would hope that our referees are the ones that take control of their development and we, as coaches or mentors, have to develop not only our referees on-field performance, but also develop them as ‘Rugby thinkers’ and how they can analyse their own performances and become ‘solutions based’ problem solvers about their own games. In doing this, referees will come up with solutions that will best fit their personal profile – or what works best for them.
The following diagram, taken from the Rugby Australia Level 1 Referee Coach Participant Booklet gives a good outline of what we should be working towards: with New Referees, a lot of coach input with the coach providing advice and guidance. With our more experienced to elite referees, little input by the coach, but the coach guiding discussion and requiring the referee to take more responsibility of their own learning/development.
