Ten seconds isn’t much. A breath, a cue, a question. Yet in coaching, a 10-second clip can open a door to an entire world of reflection and improvement. It’s the hinge on which a meaningful conversation can swing, from assumption to evidence, from “I think” to “I can see”.

We’ve been using a simple phrase to guide our work: it starts with the practice. Not with a checklist. Not with a course. With what actually happened, on the pitch, in that moment, in those ten seconds.

Why ten seconds matters

Coaching is full of micro-moments that shape learning: a quick prompt that unlocks thinking; a directive instruction that shuts it down; a joke that bonds one player but bruises another. In the rush of a session, those moments blur. Later, we remember “the gist” and miss the detail that gives feedback its bite.

A short, replayable clip changes that. It anchors reflection in something both coach and mentor can see and hear. It’s specific enough to avoid debate about memory, and short enough to fit inside a busy day. Ten seconds lowers the barrier to starting, because the best reflection is the reflection that happens.

It starts with the practice

When development begins with real practice, not a hypothetical scenario, context does the heavy lifting. A coach reviewing a clip doesn’t just see a behaviour; they see their behaviour, with their players, in their environment. Intent meets reality. Assumptions meet audio and video.

This is where SAM (Session Analysis Model) helps without taking over. SAM turns ordinary session recordings into a light, objective snapshot, questioning vs instruction, speaking time, and relationship cues, and points you to likely moments of interest. The value isn’t in more numbers; it’s in reaching the clip that matters sooner. From there, human judgement leads.

Why speed matters

The value of a 10-second clip fades if it arrives after the coach has mentally moved on. Because SAM turns a typical 35-minute session around in roughly half that time, the insight lands same day, often before the kit’s put away. Memory is fresher, intent is still accessible, and the coach hasn’t rewritten the story in their head. That immediacy is what nudges reflection from on-action to in-action next time and, increasingly, to pre-flection as coaches begin to anticipate their own patterns.

Three ways a 10-second clip turns into growth

1) Language you can hear: A coach sees three ten-second snippets where a familiar phrase (“good”, “better”, “come on”) arrives precisely when players most needed a question. The clip invites a tweak for next time: a prompt instead of praise; an open question instead of a fix. Small change, big signal.

2) Intent vs reality: Before the session, the coach planned to finish with guided discovery. The ten-second clip near the end shows a rapid-fire run of directives under fatigue. No blame, just a mirror. Next session, the plan includes two prepared questions for the final block. The follow-up clip shows the difference.

3) Relationships in view: A “banter” moment is flagged as a possible negative relationship cue. Re-watching the ten seconds raises a useful question: How might this land for this player on a hard day? The coach checks in, makes a small adjustment, and the relationship strengthens.

In each case, ten seconds is the spark. The conversation, curious, specific, and forward-looking, is the fire.

Curiosity is the engine

A good clip doesn’t end the debate; it starts it. Ten seconds of evidence leads to curiosity:

• Ask a coach developer: “How else could I frame this?”
• Call a critical friend: “What did you notice that I missed?”
• Reach for the literature: “What does research say about questioning under fatigue, or about tone and motivation?”

Because the clip is short and precise, it travels well into peer review, into portfolios, into research conversations, without turning reflection into a paperwork exercise.

Non-judgemental by design

It’s easy for tools to become scoreboards. We’ve learnt to resist that. Classification is necessary (to find the right moments), but judgement is optional. The design principle is simple: prompt, don’t prosecute. “This might be worth a look because…” lands very differently from “This was wrong.” Coaches engage faster when the clip arrives as an invitation, not a verdict.

A starter workflow (you can try this week)

1. Set one intention before training (e.g., “finish with questions, not instructions”).
2. Capture the session as you are, phone, GoPro, facility camera.
3. Find one or two clips, ten seconds each, that relate to the intention.
4. Reflect aloud, a quick voice note or two lines: What did I intend? What actually happened?
5. Change one thing in the next session.
6. Repeat and watch the trend to see if the new habit sticks.

Ten seconds. One change. Repeated. That’s how habits form.

Why leaders should care

Ten seconds scales. Across a cohort, it creates equity as early-career coaches aren’t invisible; they get timely, specific feedback. Across a programme, it builds a shared language (“this is what we mean by an open question”). Across seasons, it reveals patterns you can use, without demanding that mentors turn into administrators.

Most importantly, starting with the practice keeps development human. A coach isn’t reduced to a score. They’re engaged by a moment that belongs to them, and supported to make the next one better.

Starter for 10 isn’t a gimmick. It’s a discipline: begin with the practice, find a moment of gold, and let curiosity do the rest. Ten seconds today, a better session tomorrow, and, over time, a coach who reflects in action, not just on it.

Would you like to find out more? Please get in touch directly as I'd love to chat.

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