SCAMPER will help you come up with ideas to overcome any coaching problem. Each letter in SCAMPER stands for a separate element with its own questions, prompting you to discover new solutions and ideas.


Download the PDF version of this exercise here.

  • WHAT DO I NEED AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

    Duration


    You can generate ideas in under 10 minutes 


    Work with as many SCAMPER elements as you want 


    But don’t use any one for more than 10 minutes at a time – if you run out of steam then switch!  


    What you need


    • Either yourself or a small group of colleagues
    • Post-it notes and pens 

  • WHAT DO I DO AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

    Choose a coaching challenge to focus on, then follow the steps below to come up with some innovative ideas:


    1. Select a SCAMPER element from the list below


    If you want to you can always go down the list with each element and switch between them.


    2. Apply the question


    Choose the element from the SCAMPER list and use the question(s) to generate ideas, then note them down on your post-it notes.


    Don’t worry if ideas are fanciful and unrealistic. Non-sensical ideas have a tendency to become sensible over time. 


    3. Keep going until you run out of ideas


    Usually ten minutes is enough time to come up with new ideas.


    Take a look at your ideas and choose some to explore in more detail. If you need to, repeat steps 2 and 3 to brainstorm more goals and ideas.

THE SCAMPER ELEMENTS

SUBSTITUTE

What can I substitute or change in my challenge? What part in the process can be replaced with better alternatives?

COMBINE

How can I combine two or more parts of my challenge? Consider the possibility of merging two ideas or stages of the process in one single output.

ADAPT

What can I adapt in my challenge? Think about which parts of the process you could adapt to solve your challenge. What do you need to change to reach better results?

MODIFY

What can I modify in my idea? Can I change the idea in some way? Can I change meaning, motion, sound or form? 

PUT TO
ANOTHER USE

How can I put the idea to other uses? Can I reach out to other coaches if I modify the idea? 

ELIMINATE

Identify the parts of the process that can be eliminated to improve. What would happen if we removed this part? Do we need this specific part?

REVERSE

How can I change, reorder, or reverse the challenge? What would happen if we reverse the process? 

  • EXAMPLES

    Let's look at a coaching example and use some of the SCAMPER elements to find new ideas:


    'Consider a swimmer who asked for strategies to reduce her tiredness. She has not reported a lack of sleep, her nutrition and diet are balanced, and she undergoes regular recovery processes.' 


    SUBSTITUTE - Try changing tasks in the swimmer’s regular training plan. Switch the time of day that the activity takes place or substitute a regular activity for something else, for example getting out of the building and give outdoor training a go.  


    COMBINE - Adjust the number of people involved by combining a training session with another swimmer. Enable both swimmers to discuss and compare their training plans.


    ADAPT - Alter the training plan for a temporary period. Adapt the plan to the tiredness of the swimmer to remove the fatigue. When the swimmer is no longer feeling tired, introduce the training activities until fatigue returns. This way, the factors causing tiredness can be identified.


    MODIFY - Change the size of the distance to be covered, or the target distance, for the swimmer. Develop a low energy plan which includes these shorter distances and trial for a period, monitor energy levels. 


    PUT TO ANOTHER USE – Re-examine existing data collected about the swimmer about performance. Explore the data to solely focus on reported incidence of fatigue to investigate possible factors contributing to the reported fatigue. 


    ELIMINATE - Revise the training regime to remove one or more targeted training tasks.  Explore whether this gradual elimination of specific tasks reduces the fatigue and leads to a more balanced training plan. 


    REVERSE - Try land-based activities. Imagine there is no water, activities for the swimmer may include dry-land-strength training (i.e. strength and/or power training) and psychological skills training to develop goal setting and manage stress responses. 

  • HOW DOES IT WORK IN SPORT SPARKS?

    SCAMPER was created by Robert Eberle, an education administrator and author. Alex Osborn developed the brainstorming method and came up with many of the questions used in the SCAMPER technique. 


    Some of the SCAMPER elements are used to inspire the idea sparks in the Sport Sparks app. Hit the Sign In button on our website to give the app a try.