The Ultimate Coach Handbook

By Bo J Hanson
4x Olympian and Coaching Consultant

THE ULTIMATE COACH
What Great Coaches Get Right

THE TOP 7 STRATEGIES
the Best Coaches have mastered

PLUS Bonus Chapters:
- Emotional Intelligence in Sport
- Sport Psychology for Coaches
- For Athletes: How to Improve
Faster
-
Athlete Assessments THE ULTIMATE COACH: What Great Coaches Get Right 2013

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Contents

The Ultimate Coach: What Great Coaches Get Right is the top 7 strategies the best coaches have
mastered! It is what makes them different and a cut above the rest. Enjoy and benefit from
knowing this too.

1. Great Coaches know they are the most significant determining factor in athletic performance .. 4
2. Great Coaches understand their athletes ...................................................................................... 7
3. Great Coaches ensure their athletes care ...................................................................................... 9
4. Great Coaches know how to give their athletes effective feedback ............................................ 12
5. Great Coaches know how to ensure their athletes compete as well as they train ...................... 14
6. Great Coaches have developed the decision making skills of their athletes ............................... 19
7. Great Coaches take an athlete-centered approach to their coaching ....................................... 22

Appendix 1: Overview of the AthleteDISC and CoachDISC model ....................................................... 26

BONUS: Emotional Intelligence and application to sport .................................................................... 37
BONUS: Sport Psychology for coaches ................................................................................................. 42
BONUS: Athletes How to improve faster .......................................................................................... 45

About the author: Bo J Hanson ............................................................................................................ 46
About Athlete Assessments .................................................................................................................. 47
Athlete Assessments contact details .................................................................................................... 51


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1996 Atlanta Olympics Mens Quad Scull, Medal Presentation (Author, Bo Hanson far left)


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1. Great Coaches know they are the most significant
determining factor in athletic performance

The 2008 Beijing Olympic study found the most significant contributor to a medal winning
performance or a personal best performance was a strong, high quality, coach-athlete
relationship.

Over the past two decades, sport has become much more scientific. Our understanding of
biomechanics, technique and technology has seen previous performance barriers broken time and
time again.

While our advanced physiological and technical knowledge has produced huge advances and
previously unattainable physical performances, there is a significant knowledge gap developing in
another area that is the most critical to creating results.

Great Coaches know they are the most significant determining factor in athletic performance.

One of the most recent and compelling studies of athletic performance was conducted and written
by Penny Wurthner on the 2008 Canadian Olympic Team. The study found the most significant
contributor to a medal winning performance or a personal best performance was a strong, high
quality, coach-athlete relationship. This was ahead of four other factors including, effective training
environment, management of the competition environment, athlete self-awareness and strong
support network.

Traditional Coaching and its Limitations
Traditional coaching is the type of coaching focusing largely on the physical and technical aspect of
sport. When the focus is on technical and physical aspects, the relationship between the athlete and
the coach is neglected and not considered an important component to sporting success. Coaches
using this approach face significant consequences:

A study published in the Sociology of Sport
Journal (1993) interviewed high-level teenage
athletes who had suffered from burnout. The
finding showed Poor communication was the
leading factor of burnout creating a perceived
low level of personal control over the situation in
which they trained. Poor communication left
them feeling stressed and unable to cope.

The 2007-2008 Barriers NCAA study found that
42% of the 9,000 student athletes surveyed
would not consider a future in college athletics
because of the poor relationship with their
college sports coach or their coach just prior to
college.

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According to the American Football Coaches Association player survey, 90% of players stated,
The coaching staff was very important in determining which college to attend (AFCA Study
2003).

Most sporting programs suffer a large number of athletes who drop out altogether because of
poor coach-athlete relationships. Poor relationships are the result of coaches and athletes not
using an open style of communication, which assists in developing mutual understanding and
high level rapport.

Despite the above evidence (and there is plenty more like this from all corners of the sporting
world).
few resources are devoted to helping coaches become better communicators so
to support improved coach-athlete understanding.

In the past, coaches havent been provided with the opportunity to
further develop their communication skills nor find tangible ways to
improve the relationships with their athletes.

No matter how much you know as a coach, the info is only half
of the story. Communicating effectively getting your message
across is the key to getting the most out of your athletes. To
be an effective coach, you need to know your athletes well
which can be difficult and it can take time. You need to find out
the best way to communicate with your athletes whats most
likely to work and what will get the results we all want.

Coach Gary Lynagh, Olympian and 3-time World Champion

The Best of the Best

Exceptional coaching relies on having the information to enable you to
tailor your coaching style for each athlete and the benefit of the team
- Bo Hanson, four-time Olympian and founder of Athlete Assessments

All coaches have a preferred way of coaching that either may or may not suit their athletes. If the
coachs style does not suit the athlete, the relationship does not develop and the athlete is not
coached in the way they most require. This leads to lesser performances from both coach and
athlete and eventually dissatisfaction. In time, either the athlete or the coach leaves the program or
sport altogether as frustration increases.

The Best Coaches

In the 2008 Evolution of the Athlete Conference survey, coaches were asked What characterizes a
phenomenal coach? The results showed how important the athlete coach relationship is.


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1. 61% said phenomenal coaches focus not only on the technical and physical aspect of the
athlete, but see the athlete as a whole person with a life outside of the sporting environment.
2. 55% of coaches also stated the importance of being able to teach and having strong
communication skills.
3. 33% suggested coaches must always be looking for ways to improve themselves, their
understanding and be innovative in their approach to creating better outcomes for their
athletes.

How to become a phenomenal coach

Becoming self-aware is the surest way for coaches to develop a comprehensive understanding of
both their coaching style and the needs of each of their athletes. Coaches become self-aware
through learning about their own coaching preferences, communication style, strengths and
limitations.

Self-awareness in any pursuit is the cornerstone of success. With this knowledge coaches are
enabled to adapt their behaviors to become vastly more effective, with excellent communication
and relationships with their athletes. From here, both coach and athlete start seeing improved
performance, consistently. The door to realizing their true potential is wide open.

My coach prepares me to be great. You can have all of the talent in the world, but underachieve
because you dont have that person to nurture your talent. You will never find a great athlete who
coaches himself to greatness.
-Michael Frater, member of the gold medal Jamaican 4x100m relay team,
talks about his coach Stephen Francis

For coaches, it doesnt matter how brilliant you were yourself as an athlete, or how technically
excellent you are as a coach, unless you can transfer your knowledge to your athletes, it is wasted
(and also very frustrating for you!).

Quality Coach-Athlete Relationships requires Investment
A quality coach-athlete relationship does not happen instantly. Instead it needs to develop over
time. As such creating an effective relationship between you and your athletes, is about investing
the time and resources. This is in the same manner as you would invest time and resources into a
quality weights or physical conditioning program. The difference between the physical training and
your relationship with your athletes is the physical training can be hard work, with associated pain
and sweat. Building a better relationship, however, is about conversations, observing and learning
about each other within and outside of your sport.

Remember, it wasnt the best conditioning program or the best equipment that was found to be
the most significant contributor to top performance at the Beijing Olympics. It was the coach-
athlete relationship.

Discover more information about the AthleteDISC profile for athletes
(http://www.athleteassessments.com/athletes.html ) and CoachDISC profile for coaches.
(http://www.athleteassessments.com/coaches.html).
Or contact us to find out how we can help you further develop your coaching.

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2. Great Coaches understand their athletes

Understanding your athletes gives you a window into how to communicate, build an effective
environment for them, assist them to build on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
Most coaches already do this to some extent. The best coaches do this to the deepest level.

The movie, The Blind Side, has been enjoyed by massive audiences around the world and deservingly
so with its inspirational portrait of football star Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) and the
Oscar winning performance of Sandra Bullock, playing his adoptive mother Leigh Anne Tuohy. If you
havent yet seen this movie, see it as soon as you can. It is an outstanding movie all round and
especially for sports coaches, it is an important reminder to watch their own blind side too. Often
for coaches their blind side is missing the understanding of their individual athletes.

The challenge of understanding players isnt an isolated example with Michael Ohers college coach.
Instead, misunderstanding is often the norm for many coaches and research shows that this is the
number one challenge for coaches. Having a deep level understanding of your athletes is what
differentiates the great coaches. These coaches invest time and resources to ensure they have a
deep understanding of their athletes.

The Most Significant Scene in The Blind Side Movie
The movie is the true story of football star Michael Oher's life and with the help of his adoptive
family how he overcame great odds to graduate from college and play in the NFL. It is a story of
inspiration, resiliency, determination, natural talent, and the impact that caring can make.

One of the most striking scenes in the movie is when Sandra Bullocks
character (Michaels adoptive mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy) intervenes during
football practice. Michael is being coached about his role on the team and his
blocking technique. If youve seen the movie, Im sure youll know the scene.
It is where Michaels coach, with the very best of intentions, is yelling at him,
stepping inside his personal space, being highly directive and very aggressive.
The coachs message is not getting through and only causing confusion in
Michael. Without being disrespectful to the coach, it appears his strategy to
deal with Michael is to say the exact same thing again, only louder.

Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock) intervenes. She understands
football, she knows what Michaels role is on the team and most importantly,
she knows Michael. She walks past the coach to Michael on the field. She
explains to him how his role on the team is to protect the quarterback in the
same way he protects his family.

She creates the link. Michaels family on the field is his team. Essentially, she puts the message in a
language and context Michael can understand. Its the turning point in the movie and the final
exchange in this scene is between the coach and Leigh Anne Tuohy, when she says, Coach, you
need to get to know your players.


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Coaches Challenges and What Makes a Phenomenal Coach
The challenge of understanding players isnt an isolated example with Michaels coach, it is often the
norm.

Athlete Assessments conducted a survey of elite
sports coaches back in 2008 and it showed that the
top three challenges faced by coaches are:

1. 50% - Understanding individual athletes
personality and how to best motivate them

2. 46% - Personal life balance managing sport,
career, home and social etc.

3. 31% - Team/squad dynamics and managing
relationships within the team/squad

I believe the movie is an important reminder of what makes top coaches and what their biggest
challenges are. In the work we do, we help coaches and athletes to understand each other so they
can communicate more effectively. This understanding enables coaches to put their athletes into a
role which suits them best. The movie also highlights how the coach does not recognize how his
particular coaching style is not creating the results he wants. When coaches lack this self-
awareness, it is difficult for them to make changes to the way they pitch their message to suit the
unique individuals on their team. Often the message is not received the way it was intended and
results suffer.

In a perfect world (although a little unrealistic), an athlete would be able to say to their coach,
Excuse me Coach, I do not understand what you are asking. Could you rephrase it please and help
me understand? Athletes who know themselves well are able to assist their coach to coach them
more effectively and push them through performance barriers. It is through this mutual
understanding, better relationships are formed. This higher level understanding is the foundation to
creating a quality coach-athlete relationship.

Often I am asked to explain what Athlete Assessments is all about. Until I saw the movie The Blind
Side, I would embark on quite an explanation. Now, thanks to that incredible movie, I can simply
reference the previously mentioned scene. In a nutshell, this is how we assist coaches and athletes.
We help coaches get to know their athletes and inspire them to the highest possible performance
level and without Sandra Bullock walking in on their practice!

If you want to know more about how the AthleteDISC profile helps you to understand your athletes
and bring out their best sports performance: http://www.athleteassessments.com/athletes.html


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3. Great Coaches ensure their athletes care

Do your athletes care? Coaching great Lou Holtz describes this as the most important factor he
looks for in athletes. When athletes care, they are engaged in your program. As their coach, you
need this to bring out the best in them individually and as a team.

Athlete Engagement is a critical concept for all sports coaches to understand. Engagement is a
borrowed term from the business world. There, it is a measurement of the degree to which an
employees heart and mind is captured in their leader, role and company. It is so important in
business because engagement has a direct and significant link to profitability.

Research shows engaged individuals deliver an additional 30% in discretionary effort compared to
disengaged individuals. Given business and sport both strive for optimum performance and similar
team structures exist in both fields, we believe the concept of engagement is just as important for
the sporting world as it is to the business world. In sport, forget about 30% extra effort from your
engaged athletes and consider what difference just 1% would make to your athletes or teams
performance. I know the value of 1%. I have lost Gold Medals by less than 0.5%.

Anecdotally, every coach knows that committed, self-motivated and enthusiastic athletes generally
train smarter, harder and more consistently than those athletes who lack these qualities. The
performances and results from those athletes who have these qualities are consistently better.
Engaged athletes, the ones whose hearts and minds are committed to their sport, their coach and
their team, give their best in training and competition and absolutely achieve better results. Great
coaches appreciate how important engaging their athletes are and spend time and resources to
ensure it is achieved and on-going.

Do you agree that creating engaged athletes is a coachs primary responsibility? Coaches achieve
higher levels of engagement by creating an environment and culture where athletes are rewarded,
recognized and valued for being self-motivated, committed and enthusiastic. The behaviors we
want are athletes taking personal responsibility for their performances and seeking ways to improve
using their own initiative. As coaches, it is too emotionally draining and difficult to be constantly
pushing them, telling them the same instructions time and again, or having to manage their life
outside of sport.

In the business world, research shows engagement is linked to the climate that the team leader
creates. The team leader is responsible for up to 70% of this climate. This climate or atmosphere is
created through the leaders ability to be flexible with their leadership style and manage their
emotional state. Having flexibility includes treating their people as individuals (valuing their
differences) and engaging the type of leadership style that is required given the individuals involved
and the varying circumstances in each situation.

In sport, this is exactly the same. Coaches are to learn how to develop flexibility with their coaching
style if they are to appeal to each athletes individual needs. We call this, Athlete Centered
Coaching. When the coaching (or leadership) style is incorrect for the given individual and
situation, then disengagement eventually occurs. Can you remember a time when a coach you had,
did not treat you in a way that you required? For example, consider a highly experienced athlete
with their own ideas and techniques being simply directed by their coach what, when and where to

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do things (instead of their coach working with them and their ideas). How do you imagine this
would make the athlete feel? Have you ever seen an athlete leave a coach because they would not
listen to their suggestions and ideas? Plenty of athletes do leave and in my time as an elite athlete
who has won three Olympic Medals, I have changed coaches and seen others do the same.

In the business world, there are strong statistics showing engagement declines with length of
tenure. Once again, we have probably all felt this way at some stage about our employment and
anecdotally this makes so much sense. Employees start their jobs enthusiastically. Should they
receive the incorrect leadership style (which shows disrespect for their abilities and a total lack of
understanding of them as people) in addition to not receiving basic encouragement, feedback and
support to learn and grow, they very quickly become disillusioned and ultimately become
disengaged. Soon enough they either leave or worse still, stay and just do the minimum required.
Even worse, they can sabotage team efforts.

Translating this to sport, have you seen athletes who fit into this
description? Preventing an athlete from disengaging is about
treating athletes as individuals according to their specific needs.
This is not rocket science. It does however require the coach to
understand themselves and their preferred coaching style and how
this impacts their athletes. It also requires the coach to understand
their athletes to the same degree. A large part of the athlete
engagement equation rests with the coach as the formal leader of
the athletes and team.

Studies of the US job market in business, estimate it costs their
economy about US$300bn a year with 17 per cent of employees
being "actively" disengaged. These employees each cost their
employers an average of US$13,000 a year in lost productivity.

What is the equivalent in the sporting world and what is the equivalent for your athletes and team?
I know that in my rowing career, a disengaged crew member cost us in the following ways:

1. Turns up late or not at all therefore our preparation is incomplete
2. Is unprepared physically and mentally for the training session even when they do turn up
3. Does not get involved in team discussions
4. Does not make changes to their technique and the coachs time is absorbed to the detriment
of other team member needs
5. Takes the easy option at training even where it is obvious such as gym where weights are
measurable
6. Leaves straight after training finishes without socially chatting with the team
7. Does not get involved in team social activities which are designed to build team bonds
8. Impacts the mood and environment of training and competition to the point where other
team members do not enjoy the training atmosphere either

The list goes on...

Can you think of any others as they apply to your sport?


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In business, the end cost is always measured in financial terms. The bottom line in sport is a
disengaged team member costs much more than money. For example, I cannot buy an Olympic
Gold Medal. You cannot buy the premiership. Your athletes cannot buy better technique. In sport,
many of us get involved and compete because we love it. I rowed at four Olympics because it was
my passion. There was nothing I would rather have been doing. To be rowing with a disengaged
crew member, and it did happen, cost me results money could not buy.

Just before my second Olympics I found an amazing coach who had the ability to create an engaging
environment and team atmosphere. He was for me, and still is for others who he now coaches,
someone who you wanted to do your best work for. I wanted to win medals for me, for my team
and for my coach. My coach wanted us to win for us and each other only. He never pressured us to
win for him. I know of coaches who told their athletes to win for them. I saw the results of this.
Eventually their athletes left them (some to come and row with my coach!) and unfortunately some
left the sport altogether.

Think about Athlete Engagement and consider your role, your true role,
as a coach. Athletes engage or become disengaged for a reason its a
response to the way their training and competition environments are
structured and even more importantly, the way they are being
coached.

Ultimately, how well do you know yourself and your athletes? If there is
a chance you could improve this, even if only by a few percent, it is
worthwhile. How much money gets spent in sport in the attempt to
improve by a few percent? The good news is the opportunity to know
yourself and your athletes at a level previously not possible (or possible
within a reasonable time frame) is available.



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4. Great Coaches know how to give their athletes
effective feedback

Sometimes it is the simple things that make all the difference. Notice the replies top athletes give
when interviewed about significant breakthroughs they have made. Often it is based on a
comment or remark by the coach that was made in passing and when reflected upon was profound
to the athlete. Great coaches appreciate and realize everything they say to their athletes has an
impact.

All athletes at some stage perform at a level under their best. How coaches manage this impacts the
athlete's future performances. Studies into coaching effectiveness continually suggest everything
we say and do as a coach impacts our athlete's performance either positively or negatively. Often it
is not even what you say, but how you say it which impacts an athletes performance the most. Here
we provide simple feedback mechanisms to use with your athletes to ensure their performance
improves with your coaching feedback.

The Feedback Sandwich
The Feedback Sandwich is a simple model for giving constructive encouragement and feedback.

Here is it:

Imagine the sandwich is two pieces of bread with some meat in the middle for sustenance and
growth.

Begin your feedback with a positive opening statement.
For example, "Jenny, the match you played on the weekend against Sue was a real step forward in
becoming a tougher competitor, well done!"

Next comes the meat in the sandwich. Be specific with your coaching
advice and use examples the athlete can relate to. Then, ask for their
input too.
"In particular I thought you did a great job controlling your shots and
selecting when to hit a winner. Next time, I feel the two areas you could
improve further are mixing up your shot selection during a game and also
adding a more effective placement on your backhand shots. Often your
back hand went directly to Sue's forehand and this became predictable for
her. As a result, Sue won numerous points this way. What do you think
about these suggestions?"

After listening to the responses, next comes the final piece of the sandwich: The positive overall
concluding statement.
"All up though, Jenny, it was a great contest and you proved you have come a long way. I believe
you showed yourself to be a great competitor and we can look forward to even better results in the
future."

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This model of a feedback sandwich is very effective. The number one rule when using it is to always
be genuine with your feedback. Your true intention is to assist your athlete improve. As such, care
is to be taken on how you pitch your feedback in regard to your tone of voice and body language.
Ideally, we want our athletes to walk away from a feedback session with two main outcomes.

1. They are to feel good about themselves and their chances of becoming an even better
athlete. This is their self-esteem and self-confidence.

2. They are to have at least one or two ideas on what they need to improve in to create better
results.

Enjoy using the feedback sandwich. Try to mix up how you use it. By that, do not just perform it as a
technique. Occasionally, give your athlete only praise without the meat. Other times, ask the
athlete a question on what they think they did well and where they can improve.

For example:

"Jenny, think back to the match against Sue on the weekend. What do you think you did really
well?"

"Where do you think you can improve further? What are your thoughts as to how you can
improve?"

"Well, Jenny, I thought the way you played demonstrated how much you have improved. Well
done."

Using the questioning technique is useful for more experienced athletes. In fact the use of this
technique is an illustration of the use of the "sharing style" of coaching. Some athletes require this.
Others do not. Knowing when to use this style is the core of what AthleteDISC and CoachDISC is all
about. To understand more about how to apply this, contact our office or visit our website.


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5. Great Coaches know how to ensure their athletes
compete as well as they train

One of the hardest disappointments to cope with is when our athletes dont compete as well as
they have performed in practice. It is no coincidence that Great Coaches know how to ensure their
athletes perform their best when it matters the most. It is about coaching athletes to control their
nerves so they can compete at least as well as they train, if not better.

Recently it was national team selection time for one of our clients. It reminds me of how I felt during
my own selection for the various national and Olympic teams. Great Coaches have learnt the most
important lessons about the connection between training and competition.

One of the hardest disappointments is when athletes
have not competed as well in a race or on game day as
they have done so in training.

Why does this happen?

What is the major difference between training and
competition?

How do you ensure that your athletes perform to their
full potential during competition?

One of the key reasons competition presents additional challenges to athletes is due to the extra
meaning attached to it. It is what all the training is leading to and for many athletes, the reason
they do their sport. There is a result at the end of a race or game, a measure of them and in the
minds of the athletes it counts. Most stake their pride and status on their race results and if they
win the game or not. Training on the other hand, is for many, just seen as practice. There is
always another training session. It therefore does not count as much and there is little at stake. Or
is there?

To create better competition results, coaches are to assist their athletes improve their
performance in two key ways:

1. Ensure your athletes treat practice more seriously than just seeing it as another session. During
training, work with your athlete to set technical, physical and mental goals which can be
objectively measured at the completion of the session. Doing this ensures they are focused on
what is going to make them go fastest, be stronger, go higher or play the game better during
training and ultimately in competition. It also attaches measurability to the session, therefore
making it count.

2. Coach your athletes to manage their thinking and mindset for competition. They must first do
this in training consistently to be able to do this effectively on race or game day.


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At the end of this section, Ive also included my top 3 coaching tips for helping athletes manage their
nerves during competition. (This is to be of value to anyone about to compete in the immediate
future.)

Training is NOT just another Practice Session
To train effectively athletes are to have an attitude of professionalism. This is not about being elite
or overly serious (it can still be an enjoyable and fun session!) This professional attitude is more
about making the session count.

Being professional is about having goals to achieve each time you take to the field, pitch, court or
water. Each athlete is to have a technical, physical and mental goal they are working towards and
each goal must be measurable and specific.

Here are some specific examples.

Technical Goals: A technical goal in tennis may be to focus on the handgrip or foot placement when
taking a particular type of shot. In rowing, it may be to catch the water before the legs push the seat
back. Focus on an area which you as the coach in consultation with your athletes, believe is a
defining factor in what creates exceptional performance. Coaches can video tape sessions to
provide accurate feedback on progress towards these technical goals.

Mental Goals: An example of a mental goal in a track
and field hurdle session would be to visualize stepping
over each hurdle with the same fluidity as sprinting and
maintaining focus on their own track lane to the
finishing line. Although your athletes wont do this
100% of the session you simply create focus times to
execute this mental approach and do so for set periods
throughout the training. You may start out with six sets
during a session then build up to a larger proportion of
the training session. The basic premise is to train your
mind to narrow your concentration to chosen elements
of the techniques within your sport. By becoming
better at this, athletes improve their ability to focus on
what matters to their performance when it is time to
compete. Your athletes then become better at ignoring
distractions which do not add to their performance.

Physical Goal: Finally an example of a physical goal is to complete the practice session with heart
rates within a certain zone or lift a certain weight for the sets and repetitions. Once again, specific
and measurable goals and most coaches are well aware of setting physical goals. Often this is done
well. It is the other two goals which are neglected.

For the coach, you set goals with and for your athletes each session. They could be the same goals
for all of the squad but most likely you will tailor each goal to suit the individual needs of each
athlete. It all depends on the situation and what is required. (You might also like to refer to the
bonus material Athletes Improve Faster for more on this topic.)

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Treating each practice session like it is a limited opportunity to perfect your mental, physical and
technical skills ensures no sessions are wasted. Each session is vital in piecing together a
performance so on race or game day the team, athletes and coaches can be proud of the outcome
achieved. The reality is that a lost session cannot be retrieved.

The best athletes I know have a very high level of pride in each and every performance, whether it
is a practice session or competition. They never let themselves or their team members down.

From my own experience at University, I recall what it was like to turn up to an exam knowing I had
not done enough study. I had not made the most of the time opportunity I was granted. Never is
this a confident feeling. Competition is the same. The aim is to turn up to your races or games with
the confidence you have done everything you can to prepare effectively, that each opportunity
was maximized. This feeling of confidence translates into a sense of entitlement to perform well.
You deserve to perform well as you have displayed high levels of competence during training and
you know you can do it. The question now is, Will you? The bottom line is performing in
competition is now a matter of doing what you have done in training, no more no less.

Many athletes believe they have to do something different on competition day to what they do at
training. This belief does not help achieve their best performance when it matters the most. I
have found this perception is largely based on athletes not taking training as seriously as they could
have and therefore it follows that competition day demands a different approach. My
recommendation is to make practice as important as competition. Competition is then an
opportunity to perform as well as you have done in practice sessions.

Train your Thinking and Mindset for Competition
On race or game day, all of the hard physical preparation has been done. Now it is the time to
perform your best. The main challenge is to manage your thinking. I am not suggesting this is an
easy thing to do, but here is a start. To create a great performance there are certain inputs that
must combine.

Inputs on competition day largely relate to how you think, feel and behave prior to and during a
race or game.

Thinking is what you say to yourself. I stressed earlier, the need to have a mental goal at each and
every training session. When you train like this, then you know what you need to say to yourself
and it comes easily on competition day because youve been doing this the whole training season.

It is useful to consider a time in your past when you did perform at your very best and recall
exactly what you had said to yourself and how you had felt before and during that competition.

Spend some time identifying this to use again. You can also use your past disappointing
performances to your advantage by identifying the critical elements of what you had said to yourself
on those occasions. Were they different things to what helped to create a good performance? For
most athletes they are. When you work out what not to say, ensure you avoid repeating these
words and focus on the words you know will help you.


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What you say to yourself is a way of expressing your inner
beliefs. These beliefs either help or hinder your performance.
Focus on saying and thinking positive helpful things. Also,
what you say to yourself has an impact on how you feel. On
competition day, consider how you need to feel emotionally.
That is, specifically for you, do you need to be fired up, calm,
quiet, loud, soft, or composed? It is different for everyone.
Knowing how you need to feel in order to be your best is a
vital element in performing well at any time.

Finally, how are you going to behave on competition day?
Hopefully your behaviors reflect how you have conducted
yourself during all those practice sessions. Therefore
competition day is no different. I have seen some athletes
become something different on competition day and
subsequently perform poorly due to this loss of behavioral
control.

Ensure you and your team knows how they should behave at competitions. Be very clear on your
pre-race or pre-game routines and what you can and cannot do before, during and after the race or
game.

In the end, competing is all about how you train. So train like your season results depend on it.
Practice over and over again what you need to say to yourself, how you need to feel and how you
need to behave on competition day. This makes racing or your games feel familiar and something to
be confident about. Most genuinely confident athletes usually produce their best performances.

A Quick Fix for Competition Day (when you havent had the benefit of training
your nerves)

If youre saying to yourself that this is all well and good if you are at the beginning of the training
season but if youre now about to compete, what can you do? How can this benefit you if you
havent had the advantage of training your nerves during practice? Here are my top 3
recommendations for competing at your best.

1. Put the game or race into perspective. In your life to come you face far greater challenges and
moments than the one you are about to face in this competition. Competition is a growth
opportunity to prepare you to deal with lifes future challenges. This perspective always helped
me cope with anxiety. At the end of the day, this is a sporting competition so keep it in
perspective with the rest of your life.

2. Breathe and think composed thoughts. Composure is a wonderful word and a key performance
state for most people. Breathe deeply in through the nose and slowly release through the
mouth and as you release, feel your heart rate slow slightly. Tell yourself you are in control and
the master of your destiny. Do this several times and repeat whenever your nerves kick in.


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3. On the start line or as the game is about to begin, focus on the most important things. For
example, at a regatta, I would focus on the starters alignment, my boats position, where and
how I sat on my seat, my grip on the oar and the first stroke. If racing in a crew or playing in a
team sport, always say positive things to those around you. Provide encouragement without
blatantly talking it up or being loud and obnoxious. Do not bother distracting other teams,
instead focus on your team and what you can control. Competing well, is all about controlling
yourself and unleashing your power in a technically confined framework. Getting overly
pumped up and aggressive rarely helps fine motor skills.

These strategies worked for me. Create your own and reap the rewards of better and more
consistent performances.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us to find out how we can help
you.


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6. Great Coaches have developed the decision
making skills of their athletes

We have all enjoyed watching athletes who are able to make things happen in the heat of
competition. These athletes have one very important skill in common. They are excellent decision
makers - instead of letting things happen, they take control and make things happen. Great
Coaches make it a priority to help their athletes develop strong decision making skills.

In the work we do with coaches around the world from all different sports, one common issue
coaches ask us to assist them address, is how to have their athletes develop better game or
competition decision making skills. The simple answer to how to develop these critical skills is to
practice them. Practice them in training. Great Coaches know that decision making is a learnt skill,
and how to develop this skill is linked to the coachs coaching style.

Decision making is closely linked to problem solving and certain profiles of athletes love to solve
problems. As decision-making is more natural to certain athletes, they should focus more on
improving the quality of their decisions. Other athletes, that due to their AthleteDISC Profile are less
natural decision-makers, are often able to still make quality assessments, but then need to be more
decisive in acting upon the assessments made. (Refer to Appendix 1 for more information on the
AthleteDISC model.)

Making any decision is a process of six key steps. In sport, the decision process may occur within
milliseconds and if we were to slow down the process, we could identify:

1. Seeing there is a problem needing to be solved: Decision making begins when the athlete
recognizes there is a problem with the status quo. Therefore something must be changed if
there is to be any improvement in the results being achieved.

2. Analysis of the problem: When the athlete has identified the problem, they need to specifically
define what is causing it.

3. Know the outcome to achieve: This is where the athlete knows what it is they want to happen
and the results this creates.

4. Explore the options: Athletes identify what options they have available to them which create
the outcome they are looking for. In a game as opposed to training, there is often not sufficient
time to explore all options. What is important is the athlete does not simply revert to autopilot-
like behavior and make poor decisions because they have not cognitively processed the
information available to them. This is why practicing decision making in training is critical.

5. Choose the best option: At this time, the athlete pursues their most favored option. This is the
choice point in the decision making process. The essence of decision making is the elimination
of competing options.

6. Take action and accountability: At this point, the athlete puts thought into action and pursues
their choice of option. What is critical here is they pay attention to the result the chosen action

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creates. How many times have you seen an athlete make the wrong choice only to repeat this
at a later point in the game, resulting in the very same unfavorable outcome? By understanding
the reason a decision was made and taking responsibility, future decisions often improve.

Making rapid (instinctual) decisions are the result of excellent decision making skills rehearsed in
the training environment.

This leads us to our next issue in becoming a better decision maker: Practice.

Where does an athlete practice these skills? The obvious answer is in training within an
environment where athletes are actually encouraged to make decisions by weighing options and
being allowed to make mistakes. These mistakes and the decisions which result in effective
outcomes are consciously debriefed.

It is the coach who is responsible for creating an environment
where athletes are enabled to make decisions. The biggest
impact on whether athletes end up making effective decisions
and taking responsibility is how the athlete is coached.
Coaches are advised to incorporate a Sharing style (CoachDISC
Steady Style) of coaching where they use questioning
techniques to draw out their athletes thinking. To use
questioning technique means not relying on a traditional
style of coaching which is based around the Directive style
(CoachDISC Dominant) of coaching. Whilst I am not suggesting
a coach never uses a Directive style of coaching, the fact is if
coaches predominantly rely on this style and give their athletes
the answers to most of the problems they face, then the
athlete never learns to address issues themselves. They need
to learn and practice decision making on a daily basis.

(Refer to the next chapter and Appendix 1 for more
information on the CoachDISC, AthleteDISC and Sports
ManagerDISC model.)

If an athlete does not get the opportunity to learn and practice decision making in training, what
chance do they have of getting it right in a competition, when it matters the most?

Overall, coaches who use an Athlete Centered approach have a better chance of developing athletes
who have self-awareness and who have the abilities to make great choices in both training and then
competition.

Another interesting and determining factor in athlete decision making is their behavioral profile
type. Within the context of the AthleteDISC, certain behavioral profiles take more decisive action
than other types. For example, Dominant and Influence styles have a natural inclination to make
rapid decisions. Both these types base their decisions on different criteria.

In simple terms, Dominant styles rely on logically summing up the criteria available to them, then
quickly choosing the best alternative. Often only a small portion of tangible information is
considered.

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Influence styles make their decisions fast (and often change their mind as quickly again) based on
intuitive feel for what is happening around them. They do not pay specific attention to facts and raw
data. Both Dominant styles and Influence styles can learn from each other by sharing each others
tendencies to more fully explore options.

The other styles of the AthleteDISC model are the Steady and Conscientious styles.

Steady styles take more time to reach decision. They actually prefer the status quo and often prefer
not to make a decision and can in fact, stick with a strategy which is not working. When they do
make a decision, it can often happen too late. Their decision is based on feelings and the impact on
the relationships with those around them.

Conscientious styles make highly detailed and logical decisions. All data must be considered prior to
them making their choice. This high level consideration takes time, often to the frustration of faster
style decision makers. In a competition, there is never enough time to weigh up all options and
often the opportunity is passed by the time they are ready to take action.

Ultimately improvement in the decision making domain, rests with increasing self-awareness. A
critical role of coaches therefore, is to improve athletes self-awareness and we obviously
recommend AthleteDISC profiling for a massive first step in this direction. When self-awareness is
combined with the coach using an Athlete Centered coaching style, focusing on the Sharing style
with effective questioning, then there is a genuine likelihood of athletes learning to become
excellent decision makers in both training and competition.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us to find out how we can help
you.



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7. Great Coaches take an athlete-centered approach
to their coaching

Each and every day, great coaches consider what is best and most effective for their athletes in the
way they coach. They know that any sporting result is achieved only by the athlete and team.
Their role is to ensure their athlete is consistently their best when it counts the most. When you
ask successful athletes what is so great about their coach, they usually answer that he or she
knows exactly what they need, when they needed it and how to get the best out of them.

Athlete Centered Coaching means putting the needs and development of your athletes at the center
of your focus. It is a coaching philosophy underpinned by a set of values and coaching behaviors,
where the primary goal of the coach is to help their athletes take responsibility of their sporting
behaviors that create their sporting results.

Why would a coach want to be this type of coach? Simply put, this coaching philosophy creates
more consistent and higher performing athletes that win more often. The key reason this outcome
is achieved is due to athletes learning to take more responsibility and ownership over their
performances in their sport. When athletes take greater responsibility and have ownership of
their results, they begin to understand what behaviors contribute to high performance and which
behaviors contribute to poor performance. Through this development of self-awareness, athletes
learn to self-correct their technique and tactical play. They learn to make better decisions on the
field or in a race when it matters the most.

The underpinning values of Athlete Centered Coaching are:

Safety: The athletes physical and emotional safety is the number one priority. It is the
underlying focus for all athletic systems, structures and programs implemented by the coach
and organizational administration.

Life Skill Development: Sport is fundamentally a vehicle to develop lifelong skills in athletes so
they can be effective and meaningful contributors to society.

Athlete Uniqueness: Every athlete is unique and this uniqueness of personality is respected by
the coach and therefore each athlete is coached in a way which is appropriate for them.

Self-awareness: The critical skill coaches are to develop in each athlete is self-awareness. Self-
awareness is firstly made up of athletes understanding their own personality and behaviors.
Through self-awareness, athletes learn about their strengths, limitations, motivations and
needs. With their coachs guidance, athletes can begin to self-correct their technique, develop
their own tactical approach and ultimately take complete responsibility for their training and
game day performance. This all happens through a consultative approach with their coach.

Holistic Perspective: Athletes are people first and athletes second. A coachs role therefore is
to assist in developing their athletes within a holistic framework, so the athlete can develop
outside of their sport as much as inside.

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Consider the rights of others before your own feelings,
and the feelings of others before your own rights
John Wooden

There are six steps to being an Athlete Centered Coach. They are:

1. Coaching Philosophy: Decide on your coaching philosophy. This means understand what
your values and beliefs about your coaching role are.

2. Coach Self-awareness: This is about the coach understanding their own personality and
associated behavioral style and the subsequent coaching style preferences this translates to.
We recommend the CoachDISC to gain this critical understanding.

3. Your Coaching Styles: This step relies on you as the coach, understanding how to apply each
of the four main coaching styles. These four styles are Directing, Inspiring, Sharing and Co-
ordinating. The best (top 1%) coaches can do all four styles and know when to use them.
We can help you become one of the top 1% of coaches in this respect.

4. Understand your Athletes: This is about knowing your athletes personality and behavioral
profile. This information enables you to coach your athletes in a way which appeals to them
and creates best results. Use the AthleteDISC to gain this vital knowledge and you no longer
have to guess how to communicate to your athletes or struggle to understand what
motivates them.

5. Build the Coach-Athlete Relationship: This step focuses on building meaningful
relationships with your athletes. Sport Psychology research has found the quality of the
coach-athlete relationship is one of the most important factors in athletes motivation to
compete in their sport. Our preferred term for highly motivated athletes is called, Athlete
Engagement.


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6. Athlete Self-awareness: This is about your athletes understanding themselves by being
exposed to their AthleteDISC profile then committing to make changes to enhance their
results. Your athletes meet you half way in building a relationship as they learn more about
themselves and you as their coach also.

Step 3 is a very important component of the process of Athlete Centered Coaching. Always, this
coaching approach relies on knowing how to adapt different coaching styles of Directive, Sharing,
Inspiring and Co-ordinating.

Briefly, these styles are described as follows:

Directing Style: The coach does most of the telling and provides exact guidance to execute
technical changes or suggestions to the athlete. Directing means step by step instruction. It
does not include a lot of encouragement or supportive style behavior. (Aligned with
Dominant in CoachDISC.)

Inspiring Style: This style of coach uses a lot of motivation, enthusiasm and energy to obtain
athlete commitment. They do not focus on technical information and direction and rather
focus on developing athlete self-confidence and esteem. (Aligned with Influence in
CoachDISC.)

Sharing Style: This style of coach spends more time asking questions and getting the athlete
to participate in decisions. A sharing style focuses on both the technical and relationship
development with each athlete. (Aligned with Steady in CoachDISC.)

Co-ordinating Style: This style of coach focuses on creating an engaging environment and
structure for their athletes to excel in. They do not give much technical information or
encouragement. They allow their athletes to make up their own minds and leave them to
their own devices whilst staying within the set structures and systems which the coach
created. (Aligned with Conscientious in CoachDISC.)

(Refer to the next chapter and Appendix 1 for more information on the CoachDISC and AthleteDISC
model.)

Of the four Coaching Styles, the most relied upon in Athlete Centered Coaching is that of Sharing.
The Sharing style is about using questions instead of directions (Directive style) to help your athlete
make technical and other changes. A questioning approach engages the whole of the athletes mind
and body in the learning process. When anyone is asked a question, they begin to cognitively
process information and create their own links to what will and will not work in regard to their
sporting technique. When athletes think for themselves they learn quicker. It is that simple.

Of course, if when you ask your athlete a question and they do not know the answer, you should
rephrase your question. If there is still no answer, the fact they have thought about it has created
the result you want and you can now be more directive and offer an answer which they are more
likely to accept as they know that they do not know.

Athlete Centered Coaching, in our opinion is not about only using a questioning technique via the
Sharing style of coaching. It is about being excellent at using all four coaching styles and knowing
when to use each style at the most appropriate time, with the right athlete in the right situation.

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Knowing when to use the different styles is the core of what AthleteDISC and CoachDISC is all about.
To understand more about how to apply this, contact our office or visit our website.

Consider how well you understand your own preferred, and
most relied upon coaching style. Do you know what it is? Do
you understand what adaptations you need to make to switch
between the different styles?

Each and every day, great coaches consider what is best and
most effective for their athletes in the way they coach. They
know that any sporting result is achieved only by the athlete and
team and their role is to ensure that this is consistently the best
when it counts the most. When you ask successful athletes what
is so great about their coach, they usually answer that he or she
knows exactly what they need, when and how to get it out of
them.


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Appendix 1: Overview of the AthleteDISC and
CoachDISC model

The AthleteDISC, CoachDISC and Sports ManagerDISC are behavioral profiles. That is, they
measure observable (external) behavior. Recognizing that personality is consistent, but behavior is
flexible, is a central factor to the development and application of these profiles.

Its important to note there is no best behavior style. Each style has its own strengths and its
own opportunities for improvement and growth. The key is in recognizing and understanding
each individuals style.

The AthleteDISC, CoachDISC and Sports ManagerDISC profiling system creates in-depth personalized
reports identifying an individuals core behavior style. Each profile produces a 44-page personalized
report giving insight into the individuals unique motivators, strengths, limitations, preferred
communication style, best training environments and much more, as well as strategies to maximize
sporting performance.

The CoachDISC profile supports coaches in their personal and professional development.
Coaches can use their profile to further develop self-awareness of their coaching behaviors,
preferences and style. Using this information they can be more effective with their
communication, build stronger relationships with coaching staff and players, and have a deeper
understanding of their own motivations, strengths and areas for development.

The AthleteDISC Profile, while similar to and aligned with the CoachDISC, is specifically for
athletes. It details how to better communicate with and motivation strategies for the individual
athlete, their limiting and strengthening behaviors, the type of environment the athlete will
perform best in and vital coaching strategies to maximize athlete performance.

The Sports ManagerDISC Profile completes the set for an equivalent profile for sports
administrators, team managers and all other sports professionals.

(Refer to the end of this Appendix for more information about the benefits of using the CoachDISC
and AthleteDISC profiles.)

The AthleteDISC, CoachDISC and Sports ManagerDISC model measures four areas of behavior: D is
for Dominant, I is for Influence, S is for Steady and C is for Conscientious. Broadly speaking, the
behaviors are described like this:

Dominant (D): are faster paced (movement, talking, deciding) more direct (to the point),
task/goal orientated (want to win) and personally more guarded (do not disclose personal
information readily)
Influence (I): are faster paced (movement, talking, deciding), more direct (to the point), people
orientated (seek out and enjoy the company of others) and personally more open (disclose
personal information readily)
Steady (S): are slower paced (slower to move, talk and respond), more indirect (take time to get
to the point and gives detailed information), relationship orientated (want to get to know you)
and personally more open (will disclose personal information)

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Conscientious (C): are slower paced (slower to move, talk and respond), more indirect (take
time to get to the point and gives detailed information), task/goal orientated (want to do things
the right way first time) and personally more guarded (do not disclose personal information
readily)

This diagram shows the AthleteDISC, CoachDISC and Sports ManagerDISC model, and its associated
core behaviors (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious).

Like all people, athletes and coaches may behave differently in different situations and
environments. For example, a common core factor impacting behavior is the level of pressure an
athlete or coach is feeling. By studying how individuals behave differently, we begin to understand
the types of behavior creating poor or great performances. Besides understanding your own DISC
style, you can also learn how to identify another persons DISC behavioral style. Once the behavior
profile is understood, it is possible to modify and adapt behaviors to improve performance.


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How to Identify Another Persons Behavioral Style
How do you quickly and accurately identify each of the four behavioral styles in order to practice
adaptability? You do this by firstly focusing on the areas of behavior directness and openness.
So, to quickly identify the styles of other people ask these two questions:

1. Are they more direct and fast-paced or indirect and slower-paced?

2. Are they more guarded and task-oriented or open and people-oriented?

Direct and fast-paced or indirect and slower-paced

Direct/Faster-Paced People (D and I Styles right of the vertical line)

Behaviors
Frequently uses gestures and voice
intonation to emphasize points
Less patient; more competitive
Often makes emphatic, generalized statements
Sustained eye contact
Frequent contributor in the team
Obvious and strong body language or gestures
Expresses opinions readily and openly
More likely to introduce self to others


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Indirect/Slower-Paced People (S and C Styles left of the vertical line)

Behaviors
Infrequent use of gestures and voice intonation to
emphasize points
More patient and cooperative
Often makes qualified, well-structured statements
Subtle body language or gestures
Infrequent but profound contributor in the team
More likely to wait for others to introduce
themselves
Reserves expression of opinions

Guarded and task-oriented or open and people-oriented


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Open/People-Oriented People (I and S Styles below the horizontal line)

Behaviors
Shows feelings and enthusiasm freely
More relaxed and warm
Emphasizes main ideas
Goes with the flow
Conversation can wander in team meetings
Opinion-oriented
Animated facial expressions
Easy to get to know
Friendly body language or gestures
Initiates/accepts physical contact

Guarded/Task-Oriented People (D and C Styles above the horizontal line)

Behaviors
Keeps feelings private
Limited range of facial expressions
More formal and proper
Avoids/minimizes physical contact
Goes with the suggested program
Speaks in specifics; cites facts and examples
Formal body language or gestures
Conversation stays on subject

The Whole Picture

When you combine both scales, you create each of the four different behavioral styles. Individuals
who exhibit guarded and direct behaviors are Dominance Styles; direct and open behaviors are
Influence Styles; open and indirect behaviors are Steadiness Styles; and indirect and guarded
behaviors are Conscientious Styles.

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The Four Basic Behavioral Styles Overview
Below is a chart to help you understand some of the characteristics of each of the four basic styles,
so you can interact with each style more effectively. Although behavioral style is only a partial
description of personality, it is quite useful in describing how a person behaves, and is perceived in
the sporting environment.

HIGH
DOMINANCE
STYLE
HIGH
INFLUENCE STYLE
HIGH
STEADINESS
STYLE
HIGH
CONSCIENTIOUS
STYLE
PACE Fast/Decisive Fast/Spontaneous Slower/Relaxed Slower/Systematic
PRIORITY Goal People Relationship Task
SEEKS Results
Control
Participation
Praise and
encouragement
Acceptance
Security
Accuracy
Precision
STRENGTHS Challenges
Leadership
Setting and
driving high
standards
Persuading
Motivating
Entertaining
High energy
Listening
Teamwork
Follow-through
Supporting others
Planning, creating
systems & structures
Following the rules
Logistics
GROWTH
AREAS
Impatient
Insensitive to
others
Poor Listener
Inattentive to
detail
Short attention
span
Low follow-through
Oversensitive
Slow to begin
Lacks global
perspective
Perfectionists
Critical
Unresponsive
FEARS Not having control
Having to
completely trust
others
Loss of Social
recognition
Sudden changes
Instability
Personal criticism of
their performance or
technique
IRRITATIONS Inefficiency
Indecision
Routines
Complexity
Insensitivity
Impatience
Disorganization
Informality
UNDER STRESS
MAY BECOME
Dictatorial
Critical
Sarcastic
Superficial
Passive
Indecisive
Withdrawn
Stubborn
GAINS
SECURITY
THROUGH
Control
Leadership
Recognition
Others approval
Friendship
Cooperation
Preparation
Thoroughness
MEASURES
PERSONAL
WORTH BY
Impact or results
Track record and
progress
Acknowledgments
Applause
Compliments
Compatibility with
others
Depth of
contribution
Precision
Accuracy
Quality of results
BEST
SPORTING
ENVIRONMENT
Efficient
Busy, fast paced
Structured
Interacting
Busy, big picture
Personal
Friendly
Functional
Personal
Formal procedures
Detailed
Structured


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Client Case Study in their own words

Who: Basketball Head Coach Charity Elliott
(now at Loyola Marymount University)

Prior to joining LMU, Charity completed a highly successful five-year run
with the Division II Tritons, compiling a 127-34 (.789) overall record and
90-16 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association from 2007-08
through 2011-12. This past season Elliott led the Tritons to a 30-3 overall
record, including being unbeaten in their first 26 games.

When: 2012 Womens Basketball Season (then Head Coach at UCSD)

What was important about the work with Athlete Assessments?
I believe our work with Athlete Assessments took us from being a really good team to being a great
team...and not only were we successful on the court, but off the court, it was one of the most
enjoyable years of my career.

How did the Athlete Assessments work help you and the team?
The main thing that Athlete Assessments did for me and our team at UC San Diego was to help me
better define roles for our players. Our team was almost entirely made up of relational players with
very few take charge players. As I learned about them through their AthleteDISC profiles and the
follow up conversations with the athlete and with Athlete Assessments consultant, Bo, I was able to
shift some leadership from one kid to another. This was a huge light bulb that went off in my head
and I believe this enabled each of our players to fulfill their most natural roles.

What was of most value from the work you did with Athlete Assessments?
Better understanding our players and getting tremendous insight from Bo and his vast experience.
When our team was 25-0 he continued to give me ideas of how to continue motivating the group and
things to watch out for.

What do you recommend about the work with Athlete Assessments?
There may be only one or two things that this alerts you to about your team, but those one or two
things can make a huge difference. It gave me such a better understanding of what our team needed
and what was easy for them and what things were difficult for them to do, based upon their natural
abilities.

How did you find the level of service you received?
The service was incredible. Youve done an amazing job of coordinating schedules and following up
and Bo is always right on time. Plus, when Bo was in the area, he always managed to find time to
meet up for lunch or coffee.

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The Athlete Assessments DISC Profiles make all the difference:
Struggling with poor communication issues?
Held back by mediocre team chemistry or disruptive in-fighting?
Dealing with inconsistency or under-performance in the team?
Leadership training not getting results?
Have staff or athletes who simply don't fit in?

OR maybe you are so close to success but yet to find the one missing link
that holds you back from getting the results you want!

In sport, technical or physical ability is never the defining factor in top
performance. Always, it is managing the people side.

Find out where the top colleges, national and professional teams and leading
sports organizations go to get ahead and stay ahead.

If you want to:
Improve communication skills
Build strong & effective team chemistry
Deliver best practice leadership training
Make confident & informed recruitment decisions
Help your people be consistent top performers

This all relies on, and is most impactful, when a proven assessment tool is used to
develop self-awareness and understanding of others. Benefit from using a DISC
Profile specific to sport and your needs.

Find out more today. Go to www.athleteassessments.com

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Benefits of Athlete Assessments CoachDISC, AthleteDISC and Sports ManagerDISC
behavioral profiling

Athlete Assessments provides three sports specific behavioral profiling products.

AthleteDISC for athletes
and
CoachDISC for coaches
and
Sports ManagerDISC for team managers, sports administrators and sports professionals

Each profile produces a 44-page personalized report giving insight into the individuals unique
motivators, strengths, limitations, preferred communication style, best training environments and
much more, as well as strategies to maximize sporting performance.

The key benefits of these products are listed below, as they apply to coaches, athletes and
performance consultants (including sport psychologists, counselors etc.).

Key benefits for coaches

A. For completing your own profile (using CoachDISC)
Excellent tool for building self-awareness. Enables you to take a greater responsibility for your
behavior.
Understand your coaching style preferences and how to tailor your style to athletes and other
coaching staff, to get the best from them.
Learn about your limiting and strengthening behaviors, and what sort of environment you
perform best in.
Understand the impact you have with your athletes and fellow coaching staff and within the
team environment. Become better equipped to manage conflict and improve relationships.
Benefit from having a tangible methodology to develop and improve your communication with
others.
Using the optional 360 degree function, you ask others (coaches, athletes, managers, peers
etc.) to provide their observations about you. You learn how others see and relate to you.

B. Having your athletes complete their own profile (using AthleteDISC)

Gain an understanding of each athletes limiting and strengthening behaviors and the
characteristics of the type of environment they perform best in.
Find out the most effective ways to communicate with each athlete.
Receive practical strategies to effectively coach each athlete according to their specific needs,
and learn how to tailor your coaching style to bring out the best in athletes.
Identify the athletes behaviors producing their best (and not-so-good) performances. This
enables all to assist the athlete to create greater consistency in performances.

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Athletes complete a one-page summary within their report that works as a very useful practical
coaching reference for you.
You can encourage the athletes (when appropriate) to use the 360 degree function to check
their self-perception with how others see them.
Use the additional capability to graph and review the team dynamics. This information is used
for managing and improving relationships within the team, including conflict. It is also used to
identify over- or under-representation of various behavioral styles within the team. See the
section on Team Dynamics.
Time efficient and effective. The knowledge gained is to a level previously not possible in the
same timeframe. You have critical information on paper (and permanently online). This frees up
your valuable time so you can be more strategic with your training session planning.

Key benefits for the athletes (using AthleteDISC):

An excellent tool for building self-awareness. Take a greater responsibility for your behavior.
Discover your limiting and strengthening behaviors and the characteristics of the type of
environment you perform best in.
Identify the behaviors producing your best (and not-so-good) performances. This enables you
to achieve greater consistency in performances.
Understand the impact you have within the team environment. Become better equipped to
manage and improve relationships.
Your coach can refer to your profile to learn how to tailor their coaching to suit you as an
individual.
others.
Use the optional 360 degree function to get feedback from others about how they perceive
your behavior - including important information about what you do well and areas they believe
you would benefit from improving. You can use this to better manage conflicts and improve
relationships.

Key benefits for managers (using the Sports ManagerDISC):

Excellent tool for building self-awareness. Enables you to take a greater responsibility for your
behavior in your work environment.
Understand your personal style preferences and how to tailor your style to others you work
with (management, coaches, clients, staff, athletes etc.), to get the best from them.
Learn about your limiting and strengthening behaviors, and what sort of working environment
you perform best in.
Understand the impact you have with those you work with and within the team environment.
Become better equipped to manage conflict and improve relationships.
others.
Using the optional 360 degree function, you ask others (managers, peers etc.) to provide their
observations about you. You learn how others see and relate to you.

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Key benefits for performance consultants

Provides practical strategies to effectively counsel each athlete or coach according to their
specific needs.
Time efficient and effective. You gain a deep understanding of each individual - to a level
previously not possible in the same timeframe.
Guides you on the most effective ways to communicate with each individual.
Provides knowledge of each individuals limiting and strengthening behaviors and the
characteristics of the type of environment they perform best in.
Having critical information on paper (and permanently online) frees up your valuable time.
Become more strategic with your session planning.
Valuable discussion tool and/or base to commence counseling and refer to throughout
program.
(Refer to the benefits for coaches and athletes as well).

Other benefits:

Time critical the survey takes approximately seven minutes to complete.
Provides accurate, reliable and proven results.
Applicable for coaches and athlete of ALL levels.
Designed to be sports specific in a language coaches and athletes can easily understand and
apply.
Leading edge assessment technology. Completely online, easy to use and automated system
complete with personalized logins, your own home page and helpful reminder emails if needed.
You can control the entire process, any time of the day and anywhere you have internet access.
Created by multi-medal winning Olympian with over a decade of experience with behavioral
and personality profiles.
100% Money Back Guarantee: If you are not completely satisfied, receive a full refund AND
keep the reports.
Coaches and counselors/consultants can administer the assessments and access the results
from one place (through a team account).
Each individual has their own private account/log in to access results.
Consultants and head coaches can have a master level account and then they can establish
sub accounts for different teams they may be working with. Easy to provide access to sub
accounts to whomever they deem appropriate (e.g. other coaches) without compromising the
confidentiality of other sub accounts.


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BONUS: Emotional Intelligence and application to
sport
We marvel at how world class athletes dial up the perfect performance consistently. Discover all
you need to know about emotional intelligence in sport. A complex topic explained simply.

Although emotional intelligence is still a relatively new term in sport, it certainly is not a new
concept. For years we have marveled at how the great athletes are able to switch themselves on
to create amazing performances with incredible consistency. We would describe them as being
composed, mentally tough, having the right psychology, a great sports mind, emotionally controlled
or simply determined or focused. Today we recognize these athletes as having high levels of
competency in the area of emotional intelligence.
The key to emotional intelligence is the ability to control your emotions and create peak
performance on demand. If only we could teach our athletes to do this consistently! But, what if we
could? This article examines what emotional intelligence is and while wanting to develop this
invaluable ability within your athletes is paramount, it isnt the first step. Most importantly, coaches
require high levels of emotional intelligence as the first priority.
Background to Emotional Intelligence
Research and work in emotional intelligence can be dated back to the early 1900s when it was
described as emotional expression (by Darwin) or social intelligence (by E. L. Thorndike in the 1920s).
Into the 1980s it became more known with Howard Gardner's book titled Frames of Mind: The
Theory of Multiple Intelligences which described it as intrapersonal intelligence (understanding
yourself) and interpersonal intelligence (understanding others).
While the term emotional intelligence was used by many others in the 1980s and 90s, it became
most recognized through the work of Daniel Goleman. His bestselling book Emotional Intelligence:
Why It Can Matter More Than IQ brought about the widely popularized use of the term and he is
now seen as the modern day guru on the topic.
In a nutshell, emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify, assess and manage the emotions of
you, of others, and of groups. Even just reading the definition you can start to understand the
significance of this to sport
Emotional Intelligence in Business
Following Daniel Golemans work, the business world has been measuring and developing the
emotional intelligence of its leaders, managers, sales people and key business performers for well
over a decade. There are countless seminars, business training, corporate conferences, leadership
courses and workshops that focus on emotional intelligence specifically. Business has recognized
that the most effective leaders, managers and star performers are those who have the highest levels
of emotional intelligence AND it is profitable!


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Having high levels of emotional intelligence, suggests high levels of self-awareness (knowledge of
strengths, limitations, skills, values and beliefs) and enables business leaders to build more
productive relationships with those around them. When someone understands themselves, they
are better equipped to understand others. This assists business leaders to influence others to take
action to achieve their organizational goals and business targets.
Just as emotional intelligence has helped business leaders to improve their performance, the same is
possible for coaches who want to improve their ability to maximize the performance of their
athletes.
Emotional Intelligence Defined
Essentially emotional intelligence is defined as:
1. The ability to recognize your own emotional state - that is how you are feeling.
2. Sense the emotions in others.
3. Knowing how to motivate yourself to create your best performance.
4. Build productive relationships with others.
Fundamental to understanding emotional intelligence is knowing that emotional intelligence is a
competency based framework. This means, each of us already has a level of skill in emotional
intelligence, it is just the degree of its development. It is the same as having different levels of skill
in shooting a basketball from the 3 point line. Some have an excellent skill level, others have
beginner level and there are numerous degrees in between.
What is most important is knowing emotional intelligence is a skill and it can be developed. It is
not inherent in us; emotional intelligence can be taught, learnt and continually developed.
Within the emotional intelligence framework, as described by Daniel Goleman, there are four
quadrants.
Daniel Golemans 4 Quadrant Model of Emotional Intelligence

SELF AWARENESS
Emotional Self Awareness
Accurate Self Assessment
Self Confidence

SOCIAL AWARENESS
Empathy
Organizational Awareness
Service Orientation

SELF MANAGEMENT
Emotional Self Control
Transparency
Adaptability
Achievement Orientation
Initiative
Optimism

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Influencing Others
Developing Others
Inspirational Leadership
Conflict Management
Teamwork / Collaboration
Change Catalyst


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There are a total of 18 competencies. Global studies have shown that for leaders to be effective,
that they must have high level competency in six core areas. Coaches are leaders and play a very
critical role. It makes perfect sense to apply this leadership model to coaching effectiveness.
The six core areas for leadership and most critical aspects of emotional intelligence are:
Emotional Self Awareness (within the Self Awareness Quadrant)
Accurate Self Assessment (Self Awareness)
Self Confidence (Self Awareness)
Emotional Self Control (Self Management)
Empathy (Social Awareness)
Influencing Others (Relationship Management)
As you note from the diagram above, half of the six most critical aspects of emotional intelligence
are within the Self-Awareness quadrant. Also, what further emphasizes the importance of this
Self-Awareness quadrant is that the other three quadrants depend on having a strong level of Self
Awareness as a pre-requisite. It becomes very obvious for the necessity of self-awareness in sport,
whether you are a coach, athlete, referee, umpire or in sports management. And this is why we
believe so strongly in the use of self-awareness tools such as the Athlete Assessments CoachDISC
and AthleteDISC profiles.
Self Awareness is the Most Critical Aspect of Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness is the cornerstone of further development of emotional intelligence. It is a function
of the degree to which you understand yourself. Self-awareness encompasses knowledge of your
strengths, limitations and how your emotions and behaviors create your sporting results.
Developing self-awareness can help us to recognize the specific triggers creating certain emotional
and behavioral responses. When we develop self-awareness, we can begin to choose the types of
behaviors that create great and consistent performances.
Self-awareness is also a prerequisite for effective communication and interpersonal relations, as well
as for developing empathy for others.
To specifically help athletes and coaches build self-awareness, Athlete Assessments developed the
behavioral profiling products - AthleteDISC for athletes, and CoachDISC for coaches (and there is also
one specifically for sports administrators, team managers and other sports professionals, the Sports
ManagerDISC). Not only do the profiles measure your perception of yourself, it includes the optional
capability to invite others to provide you with feedback as they see you in your sport.
Recent studies into creating high performance in sport have also suggested self-awareness to be a
critical factor (see our article on the Canadian Olympic Study.)

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Self Management and Emotional Self Control in Sport
The Self-Management quadrant contains the vital aspect of Emotional Self Control. Development of
this competency is vital for both coaches and athletes. It is this competency which separates the
star performers from those who technically can do the job but are inconsistent due to factors such
as the moment carrying them away etc.
Emotional Self Control in sport is the ability to control emotional impulses which lead to poor
performance, to create emotions which lead to good performance and to be disciplined enough to
know when to do either. For example, when watching your athlete perform poorly, as sometimes
happens, although it makes you frustrated, are you able to recognize this frustration (emotional self-
awareness) and then are you able to adapt this emotion to a more productive one, before you begin
interacting with your athlete. If you spend some time to consider, are you able to produce the type
of emotional state which you know helps you to perform at your best. Do you know what state this
is? This is an example of both emotional self-awareness and emotional self-control.
Social Awareness and Empathy in Sport
Within the Social Awareness quadrant is the critical competency of Empathy. As far as coaching
effectiveness goes, having empathy gives you the ability to read your athletes, to gauge how they
are feeling and to respond most appropriately. Coaches who do not have this competency set
unreasonable demands on their athletes and miss the signs an athlete gives when they are
disengaging. When an athlete becomes disengaged, it is difficult to bring them back on board and
into your program they may be physically present, but are they emotionally and mentally.
Empathy is about noticing the small signs that always precede a given performance, great or poor.
In improving any performance, 75% of the improvement equation lies in self-awareness of the need
to improve, the methods to improve and the strategy to improve.
Relationship Management and Influencing Others
Building relationships with anyone is a function of understanding what makes that individual tick.
Those coaches who build close relationships with their athletes do so because they are able to
develop trust. Trust is often founded in genuine understanding and by learning to treat (coach) your
athletes according to their individual needs. When this happens, you show your athletes how much
you value them (they feel important). When anyone feels like they are important, they are more
likely to engage and be involved in their sport.
In addition, when your athletes trust you as their coach, you are able to influence them. Influence is
about not having to tell them what to do. It is more about being able to role model the behavior
you want to see in them. They follow you willingly and as such, feel a sense of ownership over their
actions.
Without influence, all you can do as a coach is direct your athletes and as they become more
experienced, they start to resent being directed. In the business world, managers who direct
their experienced employees are accused of micromanaging. It is highly disengaging and most
employees leave their managers because of this. The same happens in sport. People are people.

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Remember, the cornerstone of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. Any tool which assists to
develop self-awareness is valuable in enabling your best performances.
To find out more about developing your self-awareness through the use of Athlete Assessments
sports profiles please contact us today to find out how we can help you to become a better athlete,
coach or consultant.



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BONUS: Sport Psychology for coaches

Often coaches find sport psychology daunting and put it in the too hard basket. Others outsource
it to sport psychologists and miss important benefits of a holistic coaching approach. Find out
what aspects of sport psychology coaches can do themselves to improve their athletes
performance.

Understanding the importance of sport and exercise psychology is paramount to getting better
results on the field, in the pool or on the court. Often though, coaches find the topic daunting and
therefore put it in the too hard basket. Other coaches employ the services of a sport psychologist
to assist their athletes and miss important benefits of a holistic coaching approach. In this article,
we define what sport psychology is and what aspects are best incorporated into training and
competition day by the sports coach.

What is Sport Psychology?
Sport psychology is the understanding of how the mind influences an athletes performance in their
chosen sport. Within the principles of sport psychology are various concepts such as how do
athletes prefer to learn, what is their personality, how can they attain states of relaxation and
concentration (narrow and broad focus), how does an athlete learn to visualize a successful
performance, do they understand and overcome their limiting beliefs and how does an athlete
develop high levels of self-awareness.

Why is Sport Psychology Important?
The importance of sport psychology has been realized for decades, however many coaches and
athletes pay too little attention to how it can help them perform better. Many coaches and athletes
still overly focus on the physical aspect of sporting performance at the detriment of the non-
physical. There is a greater emphasis on proven physical training programs and biomechanical
analysis of the equipment and technique. These physical aspects of sport are critical and they
become even more valuable when combined with an effective mental training program. No athlete,
no matter how strong or physically gifted can be successful if for example, they let their nerves
overtake them and they crumble in the heat and pressure of competition.

Sport Psychology is not just the domain of a sport psychologist and there are many aspects that
coaches can become very effective themselves, to the benefit of their athletes and team. This can
also have the additional benefit that it is incorporated into a holistic training program and more
potent than one-time interventions. Having said that, some issues athletes have to deal with may
not be of a sporting nature and are in fact clinical psychology issues. An example would be if an
athlete has an eating disorder or other serious psychological challenge. If a coach realizes this, then
we strongly advise the coach to seek professional help for their athlete.

So what can a coach do that falls under the realm of sport psychology and that will make a
significant impact on their athletes performances?


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The most important aspects of Sport Psychology for Coaches
Firstly, focus on the relationship you have with your athletes. The coach-athlete relationship is
critical to sporting success and there is more and more research being done that shows that this
should be a key focus area in sport. For example in the 2009 study by the Canadian Olympic
Committee they found the most significant contributor to a medal winning performance or a
personal best performance at the Beijing Olympics, was a strong coach-athlete relationship.

A quality coach-athlete relationship does not happen instantly, instead it needs to develop over
time. As such creating an effective relationship between you and your athletes, is about investing
the time and resources. This is in the same manner as you would invest time and resources into a
quality weights or conditioning program. The difference between the physical training and your
relationship with your athletes, is that the physical training can be hard work and with the
associated pain and sweat. Building a better relationship is about conversations, observing and
learning about each other.

One of the most fundamental aspects of sport psychology that is within the coachs role is to
understand their athletes behavioral patterns and their individual personality. All coaches already
do this to some extent. The best coaches do this to a deep level. Understanding an athlete gives a
window into how to communicate, build an effective environment for them, assist them to build
on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.

It is often suggested, self-awareness is 75% of any solution to improving performance. A primary
role of any sports coach is also to help their athletes understand themselves better. When athletes
understand themselves they are in a better position to self-assess and monitor their own
performances.

Having a deeper understanding of each of your athletes is not a difficult thing to do as there are
non-confronting assessments which can give a coach (and an athlete) all the answers they need. For
example, our AthleteDISC and CoachDISC profiles are specifically for this purpose. (If you want to
know more about the AthleteDISC and CoachDISC profiles, go to the pages specifically for athletes,
for coaches and/or for performance consultants.)

Mental Visualization, Goal Setting, Feedback and Self-Talk
Mental visualization is a key sport psychology skill that coaches can help their athletes develop. This
may entail specific training sessions that practice mental visualization of the perfect execution of
technique or practicing the race or game plan. It can also be as simple as a few minutes of
visualization before practice commences. Before a training session, coaches can ask their athletes
to think about what it is they are about to do and then see themselves performing the training
effectively. Visualization often requires an athlete to firstly relax, mentally focus on the present
and then run through what is to be rehearsed in their mind. If a coach isnt yet confident in being
able to run visualization sessions with their athletes, then engage a sport psychologist to teach and
mentor the coach on how to do this well. There is also a great deal of information available on this
topic in books and on the internet. This is a great skill coaches can get great at and teach their
athletes.


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Another sport psychology area that is relatively simple but vitally important is goal setting. Coaches
can be very effective to make sure their athletes have set SMART goals. These are specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant and time framed. Every successful athlete needs to set goals and
then know to break these goals into smaller chunks. Coaches can keep their athletes on track by
constantly having smaller goals to focus on each session that contribute to the more significant
goals. Having these smaller goals also teaches narrow concentration skills and how to focus on the
process rather than the outcome of a performance. Again, there are numerous resources available
on this topic.

A coach can also use an effective feedback model combined with appropriate positive language. For
example, when a coach tells their athlete what they are doing incorrectly, they must also explain
how to fix the technical error. When the athlete attempts to fix the technique, the coach should
positively encourage the athlete for their effort and to support them to train outside of their
personal comfort zone. This helps boost the athletes self-belief in their ability to make changes and
they begin to feel more comfortable while operating outside of their comfort zone. We recommend
the feedback sandwich which is detailed in an earlier section of this document.

The final sport psychology concept to cover is that coaches can teach their athletes how to monitor
their own self-talk. Everyone talks to themselves. (It is that voice now that is asking whether you
talk to yourself!) What an athlete says to himself or herself impacts their performance. By asking
your athletes to begin to notice their internal conversations and if they are positive or not, can help
an athlete begin to change negative self-talk. An athletes internal conversation is often a
representation of their own self-beliefs. Once again, becoming aware of these internal
conversations is the first step towards changing them to be more positive and hence being able to
create better performances.

Sports coaches who have developed their own skills in the above areas, are the best qualified to
teach their athletes these critical sport psychology skills to improve their performances. This way
they are continuously reinforced during training and more effective on competition day.
Remember, the most critical contributor to athletic performance is the coach-athlete relationship.
Dedicate time to develop these relationships to improve your sporting results. This starts with
understanding yourself and your athletes.

If you want to know more about the AthleteDISC and CoachDISC profiles mentioned above, please
contact our office or go to our website for the pages specifically for athletes, for coaches and/or for
performance consultants.

For more information or if you have any questions, contact us to find out how we can help you.

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BONUS: Athletes How to improve faster

Making the most of your training session is simple. You simply must never be on autopilot when
training. A great mentor of mine once said, "If you want to learn quickly - slow down." In this
article, I show you how to get on top of your technical changes faster than ever before and make
your training even more effective.
This bonus article is specifically for athletes. Making the most of your training session is simple. You
simply must never be on autopilot when training. A great mentor of mine once said, "If you want to
learn quickly - slow down." What he was referring to is what I call, conscious training. In this article,
I show you how to do this so you can get on top of your technical changes faster than ever before.
Do you know the feeling I am referring to when I talk about being on autopilot? Perhaps you have
driven to training in your car and could not even remember the trip? Perhaps your coach has been
talking to you and you couldn't hear anything. Are you just going through the motions? These are
all symptoms of being on autopilot. Being on autopilot, for a whole training session means you have
not improved.
To ensure you are not on autopilot you simply need to focus on what is going on around you. Listen,
see, feel, taste and smell your environment. Get in touch with your surrounds and tune in to them.
This is the first part of consciously training.
Once you have done this, engage your brain! Think about what you are doing. The technique you
are executing, what this feels like, what results is this creating for you. Are you going better doing
this particular technique? What if you tried something different? Do something different and see
what happens. Talk to your coach about what you are doing. Engage with those around you.
Try to create an exercise to break down your technique into its individual components. When I was
rowing, we would change our grip purely to activate different muscle groups or to isolate
movements and exaggerate them. Making these continual changes ensures we were always
thinking. We would row and with each stroke do something different with our oar or we would stop
at different parts of the stroke purely to break our routine movements up and to check our timing
within the boat. The bottom line is all of these activities and exercises ensured we did not lose
concentration.
Most people struggle to concentrate fully for more than 7 minutes. Work with this and plan some
mini breaks in your training. It may be a short break each ten minutes or, as we would do, have a
switch off time every so often. Then switch back on and consciously complete the training session
with high awareness of what you are doing.
I can guarantee that if you do train consciously, then you improve faster than your competitors.
Most athletes operate on a relaxed mode of autopilot, switching on and off in an unconscious
manner. Most athletes do not improve as fast as their coach likes them to. Be an athlete who
controls yourself. Train with a purpose. Train with consciousness.
This article is from the Athlete e-course, available to you free on the right hand margin of any page
on our website (www.athleteassessments.com). Sign up to benefit from the rest of the series.

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About the author: Bo J Hanson

Four Times Olympian
Three Times Olympic Medalist
Co-founder and Developer of Athlete Assessments
Corporate Training Consultant and Presenter

In 1992, Bo Hanson at 18 years old became the youngest ever rowing Olympian for Australia. Since
his first Olympics, he has won bronze medals in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

Utilizing his learning experiences from the Olympics as well as formal university and training and
development qualifications, Bo has founded and developed two businesses, Team 8 and Athlete
Assessments. Both businesses are designed to enable people to achieve their best performances
whatever their field of endeavor.

Athlete Assessments was the first global business specializing in online sports specific behavioral
profiling tool for athletes, sports teams and coaches. Clients include some of the top USA Colleges,
national and professional teams to local TAFEs and amateur sports clubs. It has now grown to
include specialist services including sports program reviews, coach development workshops, team
consultations and one-on-one sessions for coaches and athletes.

In the corporate world, through Team 8, Bo has been training and presenting to Australias largest
companies for over a decade. These companies include the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, Macquarie
Bank, American Express, Bain Consulting, Insurance Australia Group, Telstra and many others. His
expertise is leadership development and teamwork. Bo draws unique parallels between the world of
elite sport and high performance business.

Bo is highly educated and accredited in the use and administration of the Myers Briggs Personality
Type Indicator, DISC Profiling and Emotional Intelligence (Emotional Competence Inventory 360).
These tools are incorporated into the customized programs that Bo delivers.

In key note presentations, Bo regularly speaks about being an athlete-centered coach, leadership
and teamwork and how to be the best you can be, when you need to be and whenever you need to
produce a great performance for the times when it matters most. These are lessons Bo learnt during
his Olympic career and they absolutely apply to our business and personal lives just as much as in
sport.


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About Athlete Assessments

Athlete Assessments is the leading sports consultancy supporting coaches, athletes, teams and
organizations who want to improve their performance by gaining understanding and leveraging their
sporting personality and the behaviors creating their results. Our role in sport is to support all levels
of sport to improve their performance and realize their true potential.

For coaches, Athlete Assessments recognizes the incredible contribution every coach can make to
the lives of the athletes they look after. Not only are coaches mentors and role models who shape
athletes commitment to and enthusiasm for a sport, coaches impact athletes' lives outside of sport
as well.

For coaches who are serious about improving performance, the CoachDISC and AthleteDISC
Behavioral Profiles are the key tools to fully understand themselves and their athletes. These
profiles identify limiting and strengthening behaviors, assist in developing stronger bonds, and
educate on strategies for motivation, performance under pressure and effective communication.
Using this powerful system, coaches can be confident about what is going on with team or squad
dynamics, and can address areas of conflict and performance before they cost you in competition.

Athlete Assessments wants to help athletes enjoy their sport as much as possible. So much
enjoyment in sport comes from making small improvements to your performance. If this means
you win more races or games, then that is a bonus. Sport is an opportunity to be your best. We just
want to be part of helping you achieve that.

Athlete Assessments also delivers a range of professional development workshops, addressing the
specialized requirement of sports administrators and have an equivalent Behavioral Profile for
support staff and sports administrators, the Sports ManagerDISC.

Loyalty and winning performances don't happen by accident. Through our Sports Program Reviews
and Coach Performance Reviews (Coach 360), Athlete Assessments arms organizations with the
tools to develop greater coach and athlete engagement and ultimately, to deliver the best
performances.

For teams who are serious about rapidly improving performance, we
offer additional services including Team Performance Consultations,
'Athlete Centered' Coach Development Workshops, One-on-one
Coach and Athlete Consultations and Keynote Presentations.

Our goal is to provide excellence in service and resources to support
the development of sport. Few things are more inspiring than to see
athletes improving themselves and achieving their best. Please join
us in this exciting journey.


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Athlete Assessments services include

Sports Program Reviews. Athlete Assessments has created an Athlete Engagement Model to
review entire sporting program structures. Each athlete and coach in the team is surveyed
according to the Model. This information is used to evaluate critical drivers of athlete and team
performance. During this process opportunities for program improvement are identified and
strengths reinforced. The results of Clubs, Schools and Sporting Organizations using this service
is achieving best practice program structures that keep their athletes and coaches loyal and
performing at their best.

Coach Performance Reviews. Approach the end of season reviews with
confidence that you have a quality process to navigate this critical time.
Athlete Assessments has the leading coach performance review service
which incorporates the ease of technology coupled with the right
personal interactions. Dont rely on only the win-loss record to measure
the success of your coaches and help them continually develop for on-
going success.
Sports specific workshops. Tailored for your sports team, club, school or sporting body, these
workshops focus on how you can use profiling to improve your team dynamics, coaching skills or
performance on the field, on the water, on the track, or wherever your sport takes you.

Coach specific training programs and workshops. Great coaching is never arrived at and relies
on on-going professional development. Athlete Assessments delivers numerous coach-specific
training programs on topics including (to name a few):
o Pre-season Preparation: Drivers of Athlete Performance
o Creating a Performance Culture in your Squad, Team or Club
o Emotional Intelligence in Sport
o Developing your Athletes ability to Perform when it Counts

Professional development for sports administrators and professionals. Athlete Assessments has
the unique background, in both sport and the business world, to provide excellence in
professional development for sports managers and administrators. We can tailor something
specific to your needs and/or have ready-to-go programs on specific (and most popular) topics.

Specialist one-on-one coaching consultations for athletes,
coaches and sports professionals. We have a team of
consultants with exceptional experience. You can also benefit
from the experience and skills of Bo Hanson, the founder of
Athlete Assessments. Bo is a four-time, multi-medal winning
Olympian, and has spent over a decade providing specialist
consultation advice to coaches and athletes of all levels.


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Team consultations. Bo Hanson or one of our consultants works with your team to identify and
address performance constraints. Then as a team, proven team development strategies are used
to improve overall performance. Our specialty is in pre-season preparation!

Online Behavioral Profiles. Athlete Assessments' behavioral profiles are all about understanding
the drivers of coaches, athletes and sports professionals. The AthleteDISC, CoachDISC and Sports
ManagerDISC profiles use proven profiling techniques and are based on decades of behavioral
research and many years of top level sporting experience. After completing your questionnaire,
which takes just 10-12 minutes, you receive an in depth 44-page personalized report. Your
report analyses your personal style, strengths and limitations and gives you tools and strategies
you can start using straight away.

Conference Presentations, DVDs, Books and other resources.


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Client References and Testimonials
"I would like to thank-you for taking on the 2009 Queensland Firebirds Season Review. Your hard work and
professionalism in producing the review for us was much appreciated. This review has been instrumental in
implementing changes and improvements to the Firebirds program for 2010 and beyond to ensure that the
team reaches success in the ANZ Championships in the years to come."
Cameron OHara, Chief Executive Officer, Netball Queensland and The Firebirds

Within the team there exists a greater respect for the diversity of the athletes personalities. Athletes and
coaches now know that to get the most out of each other and the team, they must treat each team member as
an individual and according to how that individual would like to be treated.
Holly Hesse, Softball Head Coach, Missouri State University

"High performance in sport is similar to high performance in business in that a person must have a good
understanding of themselves. Having worked with Bo Hanson before, I have the highest regard for him
personally and in the field of sporting endeavors."
John Eales, Rugby Union - 86 Tests, 55 as Captain, Dual World Cup winner & Business Leader

"Bo was a delight to have at our conference. His fresh and progressive insights in to the coach-athlete
relationship and the qualities coaches must cultivate in themselves to be successful in todays landscape are
crucial for all coaches to embrace, and will certainly help our coaches best position themselves going forward."
Marissa Fillipou, Netball Victoria, Coach Development Coordinator & Conference Organizer

Bo Hanson presented to our Coaching Conference about the importance of the Coach Athlete relationship.
We found the presentation to be highly engaging and Bo is obviously passionate about his work. Bo had great
credibility as a speaker and captured the attention of the Coaches with a presentation which contained his
personal stories and some compelling statistics. Really importantly though, every coach had the opportunity to
take away vital tips which could be immediately applied to their roles to make a difference to their and their
athletes performance. We recommend Bo to any organization who wants an energetic and inspiring speaker.
He really hit the mark and we would love to have him present to us again.
Wayne Lomas, Development Manager, Swimming Queensland

Winning the national championships is a long road, but working with Athlete Assessments has certainly
smoothed the way."
Gary Butler, Head Coach and National Championship Softball Coach

"No matter how much you know as a coach, the info is only half of the story. Communicating effectively -
getting your message across - is the key to getting the most out of your athletes. This is a really valuable tool,
in a short survey I can find out the best way to communicate with my athletes - what's most likely to work and
what will get the results we all want."
Gary Lynagh, Coach (Olympian and three-time World Champion)

"Comprehensive, no nonsense, and very useful information." Norbert Gaulton, River Dragons Club

"Thank you so much!! The results were concise and helpful, especially the constructive suggestions on utilizing
strengths and strengthening shortcomings. P. Sullivan, Northeastern University


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Athlete Assessments contact details

We look forward to your contact.

At Athlete Assessments we are here to serve you and pride ourselves on giving you the best support
possible. For more information or if you have any questions, contact us to find out how we can help
you.

General Information:
coach@athleteassessments.com
Email if you have a general question, or if you are not sure of who to contact specifically

Technical Advice about Athlete Assessments DISC profiles:
coach@athleteassessments.com
Email if you have a technical question about DISC and our assessments

Sales Team:
sales@athleteassessments.com
Email if you have a question about purchasing or how we can assist you

Athlete/Team Consulting:
bo@athleteassessments.com
Email if you have an enquiry about our consulting services

Accounts Team:
accounts@athleteassessments.com
Email if you have a question about making payments

Phone:
USA (+1) 760 742 5157
Australia (+61) 07 3102 5333
New Zealand (+64) 09 889 2979
UK (+44) 20 7193 4575

Corporate Information
www.athleteassessments1.com, www.athleteassessments.com, www.athletedisc.com and other
related websites are all owned by Business Opportunity Group Pty Ltd, trading as Team 8 and
Athlete Assessments (ABN: 96 107 926 643).

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How was your last End-of-Season
or Coach Performance Review?

Was the process a valuable experience?
Was it conducted at Best Practice?
Or did it even happen?

When you think about your next
Performance Review, do you look
forward to it or Cringe?

At Athlete Assessments, our goal is to take the cringe out of coach
performance reviews and deliver a significant development opportunity.
We aim to embrace the success achieved by the coach and support their
future development in a positive way.

A Coachs role is too important to be measured by the scoreboard alone.

When we ask coaches about their end of season performance review, we
receive a myriad of responses and to be honest very, very few coaches
have any element of a positive, useful or relevant experience to tell us
about. This needs to change AND it can!

Benefit from a best practice Coach Performance Review, the Coach 360.

For those coaches who know the success of their team and athletes depends on them continuing to
develop their coaching, the Coach 360 provides the pathway to significantly better outcomes. Find
out more about Athlete Assessments Coach 360. It is possible to ENJOY performance review time.

See our contact details on the previous page
or go to: www.athleteassessments.com/coachreview

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By Bo J Hanson

4x Olympian and Coaching Consultant

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