In the fast-paced world of coaching, helping players reflect on their performance is just as important as teaching them new skills. Reflection MatchPlay Cards by The Coaching Lab make this easy for you.
Packed with 45 meaningful questions to encourage self-reflection, teamwork, and deeper learning from training sessions. How can you integrate them effectively into your coaching sessions? Here are some creative and practical ways to use Reflection MatchPlay Cards to maximize player engagement and learning:
Increase team meeting engagement:
Use Reflection MatchPlay Cards to transform how you deliver team meetings. Create small groups to lead different conversations with Reflection MatchPlay Cards, sparking meaningful conversations and giving you the opportunity to listen in.
This develops critical thinking and personal accountability, helping players grow from every game. The more we can ask players to think about their decisions, the more learning their minds will be open to. “Who do you need to communicate with to be the best version of yourself?” “What is one thing you can learn from a teammate?”
"We have used MatchPlay Cards to help us determine the values of our team. We used the cards saying, if a spy from an opposition team were here, what would he be saying about us?" There are so many great questions.”Julian Tarres, Germany Field Hockey, U18 Girls Assistant Coach
You can use Reflection MatchPlay Cards to start a team meeting plus have players work together in their defence, midfield and attack. Simply add multiple question cards from the deck to get started.
Help players understand their decisions:
After training, Reflection MatchPlay Cards can guide team discussions. Pair up players and have them answer different questions before sharing this with the width group. This simple activity helps players enter the right mindset and take ownership of their learning.
“If you could replay one moment, what would you do differently?”
“What would an opposition player say about that performance?”
Reflection MatchPlay Cards can also be used to develop team culture and leadership skills. Have team captains use them in team meetings, or let players take turns leading discussions. Empowering players to analyze performances builds leadership and deeper game understanding.
"I think that the most important thing that Reflection MatchPlay Cards offer is the possibility for us as coaches to take a step back and say, I'm not important here. I'm just a facilitator" Julian Tarres, Germany Field Hockey, U18 Girls Assistant Coach
Build team togetherness:
Encourage players to pick a Reflection MatchPlay Card, like a lucky dip, from the bag after a match and journal their responses either individually or together. This builds a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement.
“Who was the toughest player to play against and why?”
Using Reflection MatchPlay Cards to ask questions to your players also changes how they see you as the coach and are more likely to give honest answers because they believe the card is asking the question and not you.
Reflection MatchPlay Cards are a game-changer in player development. Create a learning environment where players think critically, support one another, and take charge of their improvement. Whether before, during, or after a session.
Try them out in your next session and watch your players grow both on and off the field. Exclusively available at Longstreth Sporting Goods.
