Free Coaching Reflection Template

# Free Coaching Reflection Template

You have just finished a session. Players are heading off. You have ten minutes before you need to be somewhere else. What do you capture, and how?

Most coaches know they should reflect. Far fewer actually do it, and the reason is almost always the same: they do not have a system. When you finish a session tired and pressed for time, the last thing you need is a blank page staring back at you. You need a structure that tells you exactly what to write, keeps you focused, and takes less time than packing away the cones.

That is what this template provides. Five questions. Each one chosen for a specific reason. Together, they capture everything you need to improve session by session, without turning reflection into a second job.

Key Takeaways

• A good reflection template has five or fewer questions and takes under five minutes
• Each question in this template targets a different dimension of coaching: outcomes, strengths, development, environment, and forward planning
• The quality of your answer matters more than the length
• Templates should be adapted based on context: training sessions, match days, and tournaments each have different emphases
• Consistent use of a simple template beats occasional use of a detailed one

The Template: Five Questions in Five Minutes

Here is the template. Copy it, print it, save it to your phone, or use it however works best for you.

Question 1: What was the session objective, and was it achieved?

Question 2: What worked well, and why?

Question 3: What would I do differently next time?

Question 4: How were the players (energy, engagement, behaviour)?

Question 5: What is my focus for the next session?

That is the entire template. Five questions. Each one earnable in a single sentence if time is short, or a short paragraph if you have more to say. Let me explain why each question is there and how to get the most from it.

Question 1: What Was the Session Objective, and Was It Achieved?

Why This Question Matters

Every session should have a clear objective. This question forces you to state what it was and honestly assess whether you hit it. Over time, this creates a record of your session planning effectiveness. You will start to notice whether your objectives are realistic, whether your activities align with your goals, and whether certain types of objectives consistently fall short.

What a Strong Answer Looks Like

"Objective was to improve quick passing in tight spaces. Partially achieved. The rondo activities were excellent for this, but the game at the end was too open and players reverted to longer passes. Next time I need to constrain the final game more."

What a Weak Answer Looks Like

"Passing. Yes, went well."

The difference is specificity. The strong answer identifies what worked, what did not, and why. The weak answer tells you nothing useful when you read it back in three months.

Common Pitfalls

• No objective at all. If you cannot state the objective, that is a reflection in itself. It means the session lacked focus, and that is worth noting.
• Multiple objectives. If your answer lists three or four objectives, you probably tried to do too much. Sessions with a single clear focus tend to be more effective.
• Confusing activity with objective. "We did a 4v4 game" is an activity, not an objective. The objective is what the activity was designed to develop.

Question 2: What Worked Well, and Why?

Why This Question Matters

It is human nature to focus on what went wrong. This question deliberately starts with what went right. Identifying your strengths is just as important as identifying your weaknesses, because strengths need to be reinforced and repeated, not just assumed.

The "and why" part is critical. Knowing that something worked is useful. Understanding why it worked is powerful. The "why" is what allows you to replicate success intentionally rather than accidentally.

What a Strong Answer Looks Like

"The warm-up transition into the first activity was seamless because I set up both areas before the session started. Players moved straight from dynamic stretches into the technical practice without any downtime. Energy stayed high as a result."

What a Weak Answer Looks Like

"Warm-up was good."

Tips for Better Answers

• Be specific about the moment, the activity, or the decision that worked
• Credit your preparation when it pays off, so you keep doing it
• Note if something worked better than expected, and try to understand why
• Consider whether what worked was something you planned or something you adapted in the moment

Question 3: What Would I Do Differently Next Time?

Why This Question Matters

This is the growth question. It is forward-looking rather than backward-looking, which makes it more useful than "what went wrong." Asking what you would change is constructive. Asking what went wrong is often just an invitation to be self-critical.

The framing also implies that there will be a next time, which keeps you thinking in terms of development rather than judgement.

What a Strong Answer Looks Like

"I would reduce the group sizes in the second activity from 6v6 to 4v4. The larger groups meant too many players were standing around waiting for the ball. Smaller groups would give everyone more touches and more decision-making opportunities."

What a Weak Answer Looks Like

"Nothing, it was fine."

If your answer is genuinely "nothing," push yourself harder. No session is perfect. There is always something, even if it is small. Maybe the explanation of the third drill could have been shorter. Maybe you could have positioned yourself better to see the whole group. Maybe the session was five minutes too long.

Variations That Help

• "If I had five more minutes, I would have added..."
• "The one thing I would cut is..."
• "The order of activities would work better if I swapped..."

Question 4: How Were the Players (Energy, Engagement, Behaviour)?

Why This Question Matters

This question shifts focus from your coaching to the players' experience. Coaching does not happen in isolation. The same session plan can produce completely different outcomes depending on the group's state.

Tracking player energy and engagement over time reveals patterns that are invisible in the moment. You might discover that sessions after a school holiday always start flat. Or that certain types of activities consistently generate high engagement. Or that one particular player's behaviour is a reliable barometer for the whole group's mood.

What a Strong Answer Looks Like

"Energy was low at the start. Several players arrived late and seemed distracted. Picked up significantly once we moved into the competitive element. By the final game, everyone was fully engaged. The quiet group at the start may have been because it was a Friday evening session after a school week."

What a Weak Answer Looks Like

"Fine."

Things to Notice

• Energy levels through the session: Did they start high and drop, start low and build, or stay consistent?
• Engagement vs compliance: Were players genuinely involved, or just going through the motions?
• Social dynamics: Were there any conflicts, cliques, or players on the periphery?
• Body language: Sometimes what players do not say tells you more than what they do

Question 5: What Is My Focus for the Next Session?

Why This Question Matters

This question creates a bridge between sessions. Without it, each session exists in isolation. With it, your coaching becomes a continuous thread where each session builds on the last.

When you sit down to plan your next session, the first thing you check is this answer from your last reflection. Instead of starting from scratch, you start with a clear intention. Over time, this creates a development pathway that is responsive to what is actually happening in your sessions rather than following a rigid plan that ignores reality.

What a Strong Answer Looks Like

"Focus on transition speed. Players were slow to switch from defence to attack in the final game today. Next session needs activities that reward quick transitions, maybe a turnover game where the team that wins the ball has five seconds to score."

What a Weak Answer Looks Like

"Keep going with the same stuff."

How to Write a Useful Answer

• Make it specific enough to inform your planning
• Link it to something you observed in today's session
• Keep it to one focus point, two at most
• Consider whether it relates to the players' development, your coaching development, or both

Adapting the Template

For Match Days

On match days, the questions shift slightly. Consider these adjustments:

1. What was the game plan, and did we execute it? (Replaces session objective)
2. What tactical decisions worked, and why? (More specific than "what worked well")
3. What would I change about my in-game management? (Focus on decisions during the match)
4. How did the players respond to pressure, setbacks, or momentum shifts? (More nuanced than general energy)
5. What does this match tell me about our next training focus? (Bridges match to training)

For Tournaments

Tournaments are intense, with multiple matches in a short period. Simplify the template:

1. One thing that went well today
2. One thing to adjust for the next match
3. How are the players physically and emotionally?

That is it. Three questions. Save the deeper reflection for after the tournament when you have time and perspective.

For Different Sports

This template works across sports because it focuses on coaching fundamentals rather than sport-specific content. Whether you coach athletics, netball, rugby, swimming, or any other sport, the five core questions apply. The specifics of your answers will differ, but the structure remains the same.

A swimming coach might note that the drill spacing worked well because lane allocation was efficient. A rugby coach might note that the breakdown practice needs smaller groups. A tennis coach might focus on how individual players responded to targeted feedback. The questions prompt the right thinking regardless of the sport.

For Assistant Coaches

If you are an assistant coach, add this question: "What did I observe that the lead coach might not have seen?" Your unique vantage point is valuable. Capturing those observations ensures they do not get lost.

Good Answers vs Weak Answers: A Side-by-Side Comparison

| Question | Weak Answer | Strong Answer |

|----------|-------------|---------------|

| Objective achieved? | "Yes" | "Partially. The pressing triggers were understood in the drill but not transferred to the game. Need a middle step next time." |

| What worked? | "Passing drill" | "The constraint of two-touch in the passing drill forced quicker scanning. Players started checking their shoulders before receiving." |

| What would I change? | "Not sure" | "I would demonstrate the second activity rather than just explaining it. Three players did it incorrectly for the first five minutes." |

| How were the players? | "Good" | "High energy but some frustration in the middle activity. The difficulty level was right, but I need to acknowledge the challenge more." |

| Next session focus? | "More of the same" | "Decision-making when outnumbered. Today's 3v2 showed they default to safe passes. Progress to 3v3 with an overload option." |

The difference is not talent or intelligence. It is specificity. Anyone can write strong answers if they push past the first vague thought that comes to mind.

Making the Template Work Long-Term

Keep It Visible

Put the template somewhere you will see it immediately after every session. The notes app on your phone, a laminated card in your coaching bag, or a dedicated app. If you have to search for it, you will not use it.

Set a Time Limit

Give yourself five minutes maximum. If you have not finished in five minutes, stop. Whatever you have captured is enough. Perfection is the enemy of consistency.

Review Weekly

Spend five minutes at the end of each week reading back through your entries. Look for one recurring theme. That theme is your biggest development opportunity.

Be Honest

A journal full of "everything was great" entries is useless. The template only works if you are genuinely honest with yourself. The entries where you admit something did not work are the most valuable ones you will ever write.

Taking It Further

This template is designed to be the simplest effective framework for coaching reflection. It works on paper, in a notes app, or in a dedicated journal. But if you want to take it further without adding complexity, [Coach Reflection](https://coachreflection.com) builds on these same principles.

It provides guided prompts adapted to your session type, tracks your responses over time, and uses AI to surface patterns you might miss on your own. If you have ever wanted to know whether your coaching is actually improving, or where your blind spots are, it does the analysis that would take hours to do manually.

But regardless of the tool you use, start with these five questions after your next session. Five minutes of structured reflection will teach you more about your coaching than five hours of unstructured thinking. The template is free. The habit is priceless.