Training Session Planning

Term from Sports Coaching industry explained for recruiters

Training Session Planning is a fundamental skill in sports coaching where coaches organize and structure workout sessions for athletes or teams. It involves creating detailed schedules and activities that help athletes improve their performance, maintain safety, and reach specific goals. This is similar to how teachers plan lessons, but for sports and physical activities. Coaches use this to make sure each practice has a clear purpose and fits into the bigger picture of an athlete's or team's development. Other common terms for this include "practice planning," "workout programming," or "session design."

Examples in Resumes

Developed Training Session Plans for a Division I college basketball team

Created progressive Training Session Planning for youth athletes aged 8-14

Implemented personalized Training Session Plans leading to 30% performance improvement

Designed and executed Practice Plans for professional soccer team

Typical job title: "Sports Coaches"

Also try searching for:

Athletic Coach Sports Trainer Strength and Conditioning Coach Personal Trainer Fitness Coach Team Coach Performance Coach

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you develop a season-long training plan while maintaining flexibility for individual athlete needs?

Expected Answer: A senior coach should discuss periodization, athlete assessment methods, progress tracking, and how they adjust plans based on performance data and individual responses to training. They should mention experience with both team and individual planning.

Q: How do you manage and develop other coaches in implementing training sessions?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate leadership experience, mentoring abilities, and systems for ensuring consistency across multiple coaches. Should include examples of coach development programs and quality control measures.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you modify training sessions for different skill levels within the same team?

Expected Answer: Should explain methods for scaling exercises, creating inclusive environments, and managing groups of varying abilities while maintaining engagement and safety for all participants.

Q: What factors do you consider when planning a training session?

Expected Answer: Should discuss assessment of athlete capabilities, session objectives, available equipment, time management, weather considerations, and progression/regression options for exercises.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic components of a training session plan?

Expected Answer: Should identify warm-up, main activity, cool-down phases, and basic safety considerations. Should demonstrate understanding of time management and basic exercise progression.

Q: How do you ensure safety during training sessions?

Expected Answer: Should discuss basic risk assessment, proper warm-up procedures, appropriate progression of difficulty, and emergency response protocols.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic session structure and timing
  • Standard warm-up and cool-down routines
  • Simple drill organization
  • Basic safety protocols

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Advanced exercise progression design
  • Group management techniques
  • Performance assessment methods
  • Seasonal planning

Senior (5+ years)

  • Complex program design
  • Staff development and management
  • Long-term athlete development planning
  • Performance analysis integration

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Unable to explain basic safety protocols
  • No experience with different age groups or skill levels
  • Lack of understanding about proper exercise progression
  • Poor communication skills or inability to demonstrate exercises
  • No knowledge of injury prevention principles