Playing for the Future

The principles of sports coaching

By
Thomas McStravick

Content Page
Content page 1
Introduction 2
Support 2, 3
Role of a sports coach 3
Coaching styles 4, 5
Understanding the importance of coaching and 6
coaching philosophy
Communication skills 7, 8
The responsibilities of a coach 8
Learning styles to improve performance 9, 10, 11
Conclusion 12
Bibliography 13

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Introduction

Sports coaches are a very important part in the development of all sports. In sport the
most important coaches are usually those working at grassroots level and in most
cases they are volunteers giving up their own time for the love of their chosen sport.
Coaches are seen to be those of knowledge and are well respected figures in all sports.

A sports coach can be defined as;

“Sports coaches help people participating in sports to work towards achieving their
full potential working with them closely to improve performance.

Sports coaches bring out ability by identifying needs and planning and
implementing suitable training programmes. Whatever the context, coaching
involves developing the participants' physical and psychological fitness and
providing the best possible practical conditions in order to maximise their chances
of performing to the best of their ability”. (Martens2004, pg54)

This assessment will evaluate the different types of coaching, teaching and learning
styles that can be used to meet the needs of athletes.

Support

In today’s environment coaches have many outlets of support that are used to improve
and enhance their knowledge on improving performance levels. The use of science in
sport has played a major role in developing new jobs and areas of support for coaches
and team managers in many sports. In professional sports clubs and organisations
sport science plays a major role in how teams and individuals train and prepare for
competitive games. The majority of clubs employ full-time staff in areas to
concentrate specifically on sports science to help reduce injury levels and increase
performance the role of the coach is to then analyse the scientific evidence provided
and produce a coaching and training programme to develop the athlete.

Lucozade sport have developed their very own sports science academy where they
work with professional and amateur clubs in England to provide guidance and advice
in areas related to sport science such as;

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Hydration

Physiology Nutrition
Sports
science

Bio-
Medicine
mechanics

(Source: www.lucozade.com/sport/sport-science)

The above topics are relatively new methods of coaching and learning styles. They are
considered to help coaches gain a wider understanding of the factors affecting
performance to help meet the needs of athletes. It is essential that the science is
understood in order to apply it in a training programme to allow it to produce
maximum development.

The role of a sports coach

There are many different roles of a sports coach often depending on the environment
or what level they are working. In grassroots level a coach can be the bus driver, taxi
driver, kit manager, first aid, counsellor, leader, role model and a friend all while
trying to be a good coach. While in the professional ranks the coach simply has to
concentrate solely on coaching and improving performances.

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Coaching styles
What makes a good coach? This question is frequently discussed.
The success of various coaches in many sports ignites the difference in opinion
between so many people at different levels on what makes a good coach.

Because every person has different personalities, strengths and weaknesses there are
likely to be many different styles of coaching. A coach’s unique individual style may
be influenced by a number of factors, including:

 Personality – some coaches are quiet, loud, lively, enthusiastic etc and this
will have an influence on how they approach coaching methods
 Knowledge – effective and successful coaches have open and inquiring minds
and never assume they know everything about their sport or coaching. A
firm knowledge of the sport, their athletes, factors that influence the
effectiveness of coaching (i.e. methods, skills, styles) and also the factors
that influence performance (i.e. fitness, injury, psychology)
 Reasons for Coaching – everyone has their own reason for becoming a coach.
Some may be driven by success while others are more interested in athlete
development and they are usually the type of coaches involved in coaching
young athletes.
 Previous Experience of being coached – coaches usually base their style of
coaching to the styles of their previous coaches.

The successful coach guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and Phil
Cabral pg 43 identify four main coaching styles;

1. Tell – the coach is the only decision maker and does not allow performers any
involvement in decision making. Athletes are told what to do and how to do it.
Many coaches are comfortable with this style as it allows them to plan, set the
pace and control the situation. It does however tend to discourage the athlete
to communicate with the coach. It may be a valuable asset in certain situations
e.g. in a large group or in an emergency.

2. Sell – coach makes the decisions and shows what is required. Provides
explanations and encourages performers to ask questions.

3. Share – the coach outlines the situation or problem, poses questions and
invites suggestions. The coach will then make the decision based on the
feedback from the athletes.

4. Allow – the coach and athletes outline the situation or problem together, the
coach defines the limits, uses questioning to explore possibilities but allows
athletes to make decisions. This style concentrates on the athlete’s welfare and
positive group relationship.

According to the Special Olympics website coaches can be categorized into 3 groups;

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 Authoritarian
 Cooperative
 Casual

Authoritarian

Authoritarian style coaches have a winning philosophy and have little or no

communication development with the athletes. They make all the decisions and are
usually inflexible in relation to training structures. Examples of an Authoritarian style
coaches can be found in Appendix 1.

It is widely accepted that to be a good coach you need to possess the following
attributes;

Cooperative

Cooperative style coaches are athlete centred and all decisions are guided b the coach
but are shared and the coach welcomes input from other sources. A cooperative
coach’s communication developing is high. A cooperative coach places great trust in
the athlete and are usually quite flexible in training structures. An example of a
cooperative coach can be found in Appendix 1.

Casual

Casual style coaches usually provide no motivation for the athletes and they also tend
to show no trust towards the athlete. An example of a casual coach can be found in
Appendix 1.

All the top coaches who are successful in their role have got attributes and aspects of
their work that relate or fit into two or even three of the categories. It is important that
coaches are able to adapt certain coaching styles to different situations or when
working with different athletes.

B. Woods (Applying psychology to Sport, Hodder & Stoughton, 1998) identified 4

different styles of coaching:

Name Description
Command style direct instruction, coach dictates

Reciprocal style athlete takes some responsibility for their

own development - monitored by the
coach
Problem solving style athlete solves problems set by the coach
Guided discovery athlete has freedom to explore various
options

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Understanding the importance of coaching and coaching

philosophy

Being a coach is an extremely important job in the development of young athletes.

The physical and technical developments are two very important aspects when
developing a young athlete. The physiological development of athletes is also an
imperative part when coaching. As a coach you can play a significant role in the
development and lives of young athletes.

F.C Barcelona recognises the importance of not only the physical and technical
development but also the physiological development of athletes. In a study of the club
carried out by Ricardo Moniz for his UEFA Pro License in 2007/2008 it is clear that
F.C Barcelona place great importance on the roles of their coaches in the development
of young players. The following is a list of essential characteristics that coaches have
to possess in order to work in their academy;

• Good character
• Healthy lifestyle
• Happy
• Smile (otherwise you cant be creative)
• Responsible
• Good Mentality
• Motivator
• Passionate

The knock on effect that their style of coaching and philosophy has on the production
of young players is as follows;

• Good Treatment
• Respect
• Take care
• No pressure
• Always want to have the ball
• Always constructive football
• Always creative football
• Offensive & creative
• Good Passing
• Good decisions

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Communication skills

Communication is known as successfully sharing information with people through the

use of verbal and non-verbal actions. To ensure an efficient and effective
conversation, there are six considerations:

 you must make your message clear and understood

 get to the point early
 be accurate
 avoid confrontations
 be complete in giving explanations
 always be positive and provide constructive information

(Source: www.see.ed.ac.uk)

The successful coach guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and Phil
Cabral pg 5 suggests that effective coaching is not just about developing skills and
improving performance it is also about building good relationships with a wide range
of people. Communication is a two-way process where listening is equally important
as talking. Coaches are often good at talking and giving information but not so good
at listening.

Verbal communication is not the only way of communicating with an athlete or

athletes. Non-verbal communication is used in every conversation. Facial expressions
or body language is another way of communication. A coach can learn a lot from
these expressions from their team or individuals. When an athlete is smiling,
laughing, nodding their head has an open body posture and has eye contact then this is
a sign that the athlete is happy and listening to the coach. In contrast when the athlete
avoids eye contact and their body posture is closed and their head is down it is a sign
that the athlete does not agree to what the coach is saying and or is disinterested.

Below is an example of former Ireland and current USA rugby coach Eddie
O’Sullivan’s body language during a game;

Eddie O’Sullivan’s body language suggests that he is dejected and disappointed with
the performance of his players.

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Sports coach website Brian Mac stated that it is important that coaches develop their
verbal and non-verbal communication skills as a means of ensuring effective
communication. Coaches should always be positive and take positives out of every
situation as it can be an effective tool in improving performances and increasing
psychological performance.

The responsibilities of a coach

As well as having an understanding of their roles and understanding the importance of

their position coaches also have to be aware of their responsibilities. The
responsibilities are detailed in the table below;

Responsibility Description
Legal obligations Coaches need to be aware of their legal responsibilities, especially with
respect to the advice they give their athletes and the way they manage
and supervise participation in sport. Coaches have a legal responsibility
to their athletes and should be aware of the following laws that can
have an effect on coaching;

 Child protection
 Discrimination – race, age, religion and disability
 Equal opportunities

(Source: www.sportecoach.com)

All coaches must be CRB checked to ensure that they are suitable to
work with children. Coaches should also be qualified to a suitable level
and public liability insurance is required to cover the risk of death or
any other injury to the participants or the coach.
Health and safety The coach has to ensure that the facilities are safe along with the safety
of the participants and the activities of the session.
Equal opportunities All participants should be given an equal opportunity by the coach
regardless of age, sex, race, religion, political or education attainment.
Conduct All coaches should present themselves in a professional manner at all
times and constantly behave in an appropriate manner.

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Learning styles to improve performance

It is important to ensure that coaching sessions are structured to maximise learning

using relevant learning styles to adapt and relate to the preferred learning style of
certain individuals and groups. When working with children the coach will need to
ask themselves certain questions;

• “Will the child understand what I say?”

• “How many coaching points will they be able to take in?”
• “How will they cope with difficult decisions?”

The successful coach guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and Phil
Cabral pg 34 suggests that when coaching children it is important to know how
children, think and learn, perceive & remember and also how they make decisions. It
also highlights the following points that are important to enhance learning and create
a better learning environment for children;

 Keep coaching points short and simple

 Keep groups small and match ability
 Vary activities often
 Ensure there are sufficient activities to allow for changes in the children’s
needs
 Reward effort and ability equally
 Use praise rather than criticism (be positive)
 Structure the practise so that everyone achieves success and gains satisfaction
through seeing their own improvement

It is generally accepted that children learn in different ways. Below is the VAK
Learning model which has three main learning categories;

VAK Learning Model Visual learners memorise by seeing pictures;

This model has three main categories:
 Visual learners
 Auditory learners
 Kinaesthetic learners
may be fast paced or impatient; often
struggle to remember verbal instructions
because their minds tend to wander.
Auditory learners learn by listening and
memorise by steps, procedures and sequence;
usually like music and talking on the
telephone; typically talk to themselves.
Kinaesthetic learners memorise and learn by
‘doing it’ or ‘walking through something’;
may be laid back and nonchalant.

In addition to the Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic learning styles identified in the
VAK learning model Coker (1996) accommodating learning styles in physical
education suggests ‘The Thinker’ as being another learning style.

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The Thinker
The thinker represents the athletes whose learning styles are best described as a
movement scientist. These athletes require information so that they can explore in
order to understand. Children to this quite often, when told something they often try it
out so they can understand what is being asked of them.

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford have identified four main learning style preferences;

Activists
Activists like to be involved in new experiences. They are open minded and
enthusiastic about new ideas but get bored with implementation. They enjoy doing
things and tend to act first and consider the implications afterwards.

Reflectors
Reflectors like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They
like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions.
They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own.

Theorists
Theorists adapt and integrate observations into complex and logically sound theories.
They think problems through in a step by step way. They tend to be perfectionists
who like to fit things into a rational scheme.

Pragmatists
Pragmatists are keen to try things out. They want concepts that can be applied to their
job. They tend to be impatient with lengthy discussions and are practical and down to
earth.

KOLB’S LEARNING CYCLE.

The learning cycle model, developed by David Kolb, identifies four stages in
learning.

Stage 1 - Having an experience

Stage 4 Stage 2 - Reflecting on the experience

Acting differently as a result/

planning the next steps
Stage 3

Concluding from the experience

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According to coaching styles and methods by Brian Grasso, YCS, CMT Developing a
young athlete is not based solely on a coach’s understanding of scientifically valid
measures of motor stimulus, strength training or flexibility exercises. In fact, it could
be argued that successful coaches will be the ones who can teach and relay
information to young athletes well, more so than the coach who merely reads and
digests the scientific information offered via clinical research.

There appears to be three phases in performance;

1. The Perceiving Phase –

During this phase, an athlete is attempting to establish what is happening and

distinguish what information is applicable or valid. Proficient players are able to sort
through the key information quickly and separate it from other stimulus.

2. The Deciding Phase

This phase involves the athlete deciding the most appropriate path of action to take.
Clearly, proficient athletes are more effective and decisive decision-makers.

3. The Acting Phase

Neural signals are sent which enlist muscles to carry out the desired task with suitable
timing and adroitness. Although this execution phase is clearly important to sporting
success, it must be understood that it alone is not responsible for on-field
accomplishment. The two preceding phases serve essentially to set up this final stage,
a fact that is often ignored by coaches and trainers who maintain misappropriated
beliefs regarding how young athletes learn.

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Conclusion
This assessment evaluated a range of coaching, teaching and learning styles that are
used to meet the needs of athletes.

Relatively new areas of support in the last 20 years for coaches include the use of
sports science. Sports science is used to improve and enhance their knowledge on
improving performance levels. The use of science in sport has played a major role in
developing new jobs and areas of support for coaches and team managers in many
sports. The Lucozade sports science academy provides advice for coaches in areas
such as hydration, medicine, bio-mechanics and physiology, all methods that are used
to enhance performance and meet the needs of athletes.

The role of a sports coach is one of a diverse range of areas. Coaches at grassroots
level are often used for driving buses, first aid, kit manager as well as being a role
model and a good example to the athletes.

A range of different coaching styles including research from a variety of sources

concluded that there are many coaching styles and that everyone approaches coaching
in different ways. Appendix 1 looks at a range of different coaches from different
sports and it highlights their characteristics to determine what their style of coaching
is. It is suggested that in order to be a good coach at any level especially when
working with young athletes or elite athletes you do have to possess a range of
different qualities and adapt to different individuals learning styles or situations.

Understanding the importance of coaching and coaching philosophy was also looked
at. It is widely accepted that coaching is a very important job in the development of
young athletes. The physical and technical developments are two very important
aspects when developing a young athlete. The physiological development of athletes
is also an imperative part when coaching. As a coach you can play a significant role
in the development and lives of young athletes. The coaching philosophy that F.C
Barcelona imposes on their young players has a positive effect on their education.

Communication skills are also a very important part of effective coaching and
creating a positive learning environment for the athlete. The successful coach
guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and Phil Cabral pg 5 suggests that
effective coaching is not just about developing skills and improving performance it is
also about building good relationships with a wide range of people. Verbal and non-
verbal communication skills are both as equally important.

A range of learning styles was provided by VAK Learning model, Coker (1996)
accommodating learning styles in physical education, Peter Honey and Alan
Mumford, David Kolb and Brian Grasso. All of these learning styles provided,
support the claim that coaches need to adapt to and understand the needs of young
athletes in order to create an effective learning environment to improve and enhance
performance.

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Bibliography

 B. Woods (Applying psychology to Sport, Hodder & Stoughton, 1998) – used

for coaching styles
 Coaching styles and methods by Brian Grasso, YCS, CMT - used for learning
styles
 Kolb’s learning cycle - used for learning styles
 Peter Honey and Alan Mumford - used for learning styles
 Ricardo Moniz UEFA Pro License presentation 2007/2008 – used for
information on the importance of coaching methods
 Successful Coaching by Rainer Martens - April 2004 – used for a definition of
a sports coach
 The successful coach guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and
Phil Cabral pg 43 – used for coaching styles
 The successful coach guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and
Phil Cabral pg 5 – used for information on communication skills
 The successful coach guidelines for coaching practise by Penny Crisfield and
Phil Cabral pg 34 – used for information on coaching children
 VAK Learning model – used for learning styles
 www.brianmac.co.uk – used for information on communication
 www.lucozade.com/sport/sport-science - used for information on sports
science methods
 www.see.ed.ac.uk – used for information on communication
 www.specialolympics.org – used for coaching styles
 www.sportecoach.com – used for legal responsibilities

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