Coaching Process

Lesson 8: Types of Feedback and Delivering Feedback

 Aims

To revise the coaching process in order to

highlight the need for feedback

Examine what feedback is and the types of

feedback

Examine different methods of delivering

feedback
What is the Coaching Process?
The essence of the coaching process is to instigate
observable changes in behaviour

The coaching and teaching of a skill depends heavily upon

analysis to effect an improvement in athletic performance

Informed and accurate measures are necessary for

effective feedback and improvement of performance

In most athletic events, analysis of performance is guided

by a series of qualitative assessments made by the coach

Franks et al, (1983) defined a simple flow chart of the

coaching process. This outlines the coaching process in its
observational, analytical and planning phases
The Coaching Process
(Franks et al, 1983)
Cotes et al, 1995
Cotes et al, 1995
Cotes et al, 1995
 The Coaching Process

The game is watched and the coach will form a

conception of positive and negative aspects of the
performance

Often the results of previous games and often

performances in practices are considered before planning
in preparation of the next match

The next game is played and the process repeats itself

There are however problems associated with the
coaching process, such as it relies heavily upon the
subjective assessment of game action

During a game many occurrences stand out – officials

decisions/ exceptional technical achievements by
individual athletes

Whilst easily remembered they tend to distort the

coaches assessment of the game as a whole

Most of the remembered features of a game are

those that can be associated with highlighted features
of play/ competition
 Feedback
Feedback is a crucial element of the coaching process

Gilbert (2001) suggested only 7% of sports coaching/

science articles in past 32 years have been on
feedback

Solomon (1998) suggests feedback in the coaching

context is extensive

Feedback is myriad in nature including- various media,

differing times, for a variety of reasons, from different
people and therefore has varying consequences

Two types of feedback - Augmented and Intrinsic

 Augmented feedback
Augmented: to make bigger/better by adding too....

Often technical, knowledge performance, knowledge

results, praise, scold, target learning preference

Also encourage, guide, aid exploration, introduce

strategic concepts, educate athlete as to where and
what to place attention on

Almost always verbal feedback but could also be

kinaesthetic, visual etc
 Verbal Feedback

Coaches need to know athletes as people in

order to tailor feedback

Feedback and perceived ability

Coaches perception

Athletes perception
 Visual feedback

Demo

Video
 Intrinsic Feedback
Information that is immediately available to the
athlete via sensory receptors

Not easy for the coach to identify

Strategies the coach can adopt to encourage

Intrinsic feedback:

Video

Designing Drills

Verbally encourage using cues - ask how

“it feels” Ask athlete to describe
Any Questions?
Delivering feedback
 Delivering feedback
Don’t feel it has to be verbal
 Delivering feedback
Don’t feel it has to be verbal

Plan feedback
 Delivering feedback
Don’t feel it has to be verbal

Plan feedback

Aids- video, performance profiles, evaluation and

physical
 Delivering feedback
Don’t feel it has to be verbal

Plan feedback

Aids- video, performance profiles, evaluation and

physical

Denison (2007): Verbalisation needs to be related to

the physical experience of the game in order to
connect the sequence events
 Delivering feedback
Don’t feel it has to be verbal

Plan feedback

Aids- video, performance profiles, evaluation and

physical

Denison (2007): Verbalisation needs to be related to

the physical experience of the game in order to
connect the sequence events

Lack of attention to non-verbal feedback such as

body language, facial expressions and gestures can
cause misinterpretation (Allen & Howe, 1998)
 Considerations for
delivering feedback
According to Markland & Martinek (1988):

Amount

Time (duration)

Type

Timing (when)

Cross & Lyle (2003) recommend the coach asks four

questions before giving feedback:
1. Are the majority of feedback statements I make to my
athletes value statements? That is, do i say things such
as “well done”, “good shot”, “that’s great” rather than
any other type of statement?

2.When I give corrective feedback, such as “you failed to

keep you wrist cocked” or “your feet were in the wrong
place” is it phrased negatively, as in these examples or
positively?

3.When coaching more than one athlete at a time, do i

usually give feedback to the individual so that others
can hear what I'm saying?

4.Do I usually give feedback to my athletes while they

are actually working/practising?
 Recommendations
Cox, 1991 gives 4 recommendations for the delivery of
feedback:

Give praise (value-laden feedback) only when

athletes clearly understand the reason for it

Phrase corrective feedback positively, such as “try

to do this” rather than “don’t do that”

Impart criticism privately so that athletes do not

suffer the added embarrassment of having their
weaknesses exposed

Give feedback immediately after the performance ,

rather than during or some time after
 Giving Feedback
Beginner coaches are schooled to give positive
feedback to bolster athletes self esteem.

Competent coaches know that praise in certain

instance may communicate low expectations and that,
at times, constructive criticism serves as a more
effective tool.

Craft Knowledge allows more experienced coaches to

know what to say and when, this is developed, often
through trial and error.

Therefore coaches need to do three things...

 Gain Experience

Use reflective coaching

Experiment

More experienced coaches strive to give

feedback that is challenging, specific and
positive

Jones, 2006; Berliner, 1994

Any Questions?
 In Conclusion
Feedback is an integral part of the coaching
process

Feedback can be delivered in a variety of

ways

We should be cautious of feedback being

subjective and consider how we can make it
objective

We should also consider the athletes learning

styles
Franks, I.M., Goodman, D., & Miller, G. (1983). Analysis of performance: Qualitative or
Quantitative. SPORTS, March.

Franks, I.M. (1993) The effect of experience on detection and location of performance
differences in a gymnastics technique. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 64,
2 227-231.

Hughes, M., Evans, S. and Wells, J. (2001) Establishing normative profiles in

performance analysis. International Journal of Performance Analysis of Sport. 1, 4 -
27.

Hughes, M.D., Franks, I.M. and Nagelkerke, P. (1989) A video-system for the
quantitative motion analysis of athletes in competitive sport. Journal of Human
Movement Studies. 17, 212-227.

Hughes, M & Franks, I.M. (2004) Notation Analysis: Systems for better coaching and
performance in sport. (2nd Ed) Routledge. Printed in UK

Jones....??? 2006 slide 22

McMorris, T & Hale, T. (2007) Coaching Science. Theory into Practice. Wiley. Printed
in UK