Coaching at Rostrum Public Speaking and in Sport

Rostrum Coaching and Sport 

Murray, Liam and Keegan share speaking tips

Let me tell you how being a Rostrum club coach has helped me in my role as a netball coach.


Rostrum promotes the use of the SED principal. Select, Explain and Demonstrate one particular skill the speaker has used well in their speech and Select, Explain and Demonstrate one and only one particular skill to improve the speech.

I have been a Rostrum Coach for many years practising the SED principal in my coaching at various clubs - my regular club or by invitation at other clubs.

I have also been involved for just as many years in coaching sporting teams including Football, Netball and Basketball teams.  I find the SED principal applies equally as well. If you give a speaker or a player too many things to work on they quickly become confused by trying to focus on too many things at once.

This is even worse when one coach gives advice on one aspect and another gives advice on something else.

An example: When shooting for a goal in Netball or Basketball there are 4 main things to consider:

1. Place the shooting hand behind the ball with the middle finger directly in line with the middle of the forehead. Use the other hand to steady the ball not direct the ball.
2. Bend the legs to give the lift to the ball, not the arms
3. If you are right-handed place the right foot slightly in front of your other foot to help align your body with the trajectory of the ball
4. At the finish of the shooting action the shooting hand should finish in line with the trajectory and follow the ball into the goal ring. 

If you instruct a player to do all four things at once during a training or a match (when they are trying to concentrate on many other things) you will find players rarely improve their shooting action whereas if you concentrate on one of these skills until the player perfects that skill to the point where it becomes instinctive, there is a much better chance of eventual overall improvement.

Another example would be learning your times table at school. A good teacher will practice each times table separately until they are learnt thoroughly.

Being a Rostrum coach has taught me useful life skills. It’s worth the effort. Why don’t you give it a go!

Murray Mason