Coaches play an important role in sport and are highly regarded figures in parts of the world. In countries with a strong sporting culture, they can share the same status as high school or university teachers. Therefore, it’s worth exploring their role in sports and how their contribution can be critical to athlete development and performance.
Characteristics of a good coach
A good coach is someone who is a strong communicator, teacher and motivator. Other characteristics include being confident, relaxed, open minded and adaptable, especially when communicating with athletes of different backgrounds and abilities, and in tense moments during a competitive match. A coach should be a good role model and treat officials with respect and professionalism. Verbally abusing them or behaving badly towards them is not acceptable and sends a bad message to the players. One of the most important characteristics is that the coach has a personal interest and genuinely cares about the athlete’s welfare. A coach who places an athlete under unreasonable risks in order to chase a win or a gold medal is not acceptable. On the same note, the coach also has a duty of care and has to intervene if he senses the athlete is at unreasonable risk.
Coaching different demographics
Different demographics will have different reasons and motivations for participating in sport so coaches should adapt accordingly. When coaching children there should be a focus on keeping them engaged and making training fun and varied. A good idea is to incorporate games into training which can bring about some healthy competition. There are also ways to keep children motivated such as recognising their achievements, delegating some responsibilities to them and giving them a sense of ownership. While the focus of elite athletes will certainly be on results and continual improvement, it is important to note that older participants at the amateur level may have varied reasons for playing a sport. These could be fitness, social reasons or trying to make a positive lifestyle change. There should also be a stronger focus on injury prevention for older athletes which can be managed by longer warm-up and cool-downs and lowering the intensity of activities.
Coaching style
In simple terms, we can summarise coaching styles into two extremes, an autocratic style and a democratic style. Although almost every coach will fall somewhere in between the two, we will just look at the two for comparison purposes. An autocratic coaching style is when a coach gives direct instructions without any input from athletes. They are in full control and run the show so to speak. These coaches are usually the ones who make athletes do push ups as punishment and if one team member makes a mistake then the whole team gets punished. It is very easy to dismiss this style as outdated and ineffective but certain situations may require this approach. Direct instructions may be more effective when teaching a new skill to a beginner or in a tense, critical moment in a match when the coach needs to get every team member on the same page. In contrast, a democratic style is when the coach seeks input and feedback from the athletes and also delegates some of the responsibility to the athletes. This style is commonly seen in individual sports and with experienced athletes. These athletes do not necessarily need to be “coached” but really benefit from working together with a coach who is able to advise or mentor them. Another major benefit of this style is that it helps create an effective coach and athlete relationship.
Coach and athlete relationship
An effective coach and athlete relationship with mutual respect, trust and effective communication is so important. This relationship has a much bigger influence on the performance and success of the athlete than many people assume. This can even be seen in professional sports, players who played poorly in one team but then got traded to another team and developed into a great player. In most of these examples the player’s relationship with the coach would have been a contributing factor more or less. Another element in this relationship is that athletes sacrifice a lot in the pursuit of their sport, the emotions can be all too consuming at times and they need to lean on coaches as mentors for support. This is a reason why coaches often stress a balance between life and sport in their athletes. Even at the amateur level, effective coach and athlete relationships facilitate better communication and mutual agreement which leads to greater effort and joy in the sport.
Pygmalion effect
An interesting concept that exists within coaching is known as the Pygmalion effect. This is where a coach develops a pre-conceived expectation of an athlete’s potential which influences his treatment of the athlete. In turn, this treatment affects the development of the athlete and leads to the athlete conforming into the coach’s initial expectations over time. The outcome, whether it be positive or negative for the athlete, falsely validates the coach’s initial expectations and can become an inaccurate self-reinforcing prophecy.
Coach and parent relationship
Unfortunately, the biggest spats seen in junior sport are from parents disagreeing with coaches about how their child is treated. It is important to remember that some of these coaches are volunteers and are offering their time for nothing in return. Parents should aim to develop a good working relationship with the coach and the coach would most certainly appreciate this. This also allows parents to understand the coach’s point of view and how he runs trainings and competitions. From the coach’s perspective, he certainly wants to avoid any disagreements as it certainly does not help. This working relationship can be developed by parents who get involved and help out, offering to do the scoring or timekeeping are great examples. At the end of the day the coach really does care, he wants the child to succeed just as much as the parent or child themselves.
How to find the right club with the right coach
This can be difficult for people who have no knowledge or prior experience in the sport and want to find the right club for themselves or their child. There is long held perception that a more expensive club equates to a better club but this is not exactly true. Clubs which have a good reputation tend to be bigger, and bigger clubs can be better in that they can accommodate different skill levels better by separating into different groups rather than combining all the members into one group. Researching about the club by going onto their website and social media is a good start. Have a look at who their head coach is and look them up. A good club will have experienced and accredited coaches as well as close connections with their respective state and national governing bodies. Word of mouth is always useful, if you know people who have experience in the sport then try and ask them, their advice can be very useful. Check if the club offers a trial session, they are usually free but some may require payment but if they do then take advantage of it. There is no obligation to join nor should you feel pressured from the club into doing so. During this trial, meet the coaches, look for a positive, encouraging and supportive culture, and quality training facilities. The club should be a place where you or your child feels comfortable in and will be excited to go back to time and time again.
Reference:
https://www.athleteassessments.com/coach-athlete-relationship-performance-factor
https://www.sportaus.gov.au/coaches_and_officials/coaches