PSE4U Coaching Principles and Practises

Coaches Coaches have been referred to as a …….role models, friends, mentors and inspirations. Knowing the technical aspects of a sport is crucial for a coach, however, there is a lot more to coaching than an ability to impart knowledge of rules and basic skills. If you think back to different coaches you’ve had in your life were they all the same? How did they differ? It is rare that any coach will be exactly the same as another coach. There are 5 categories depending on your coaching style that you can fit into as a coach.

Coaching Styles AUTHORITARIAN Emphasizes disciple in practise and competition Well organized in all aspects Teams are characterized by good team spirit when winning, but by dissension when losing May be feared or disliked by some athletes

Coaching Styles BUSINESS-LIKE Adopts a logical “professional” approach to training and competition Plans and organizes practises and competitions thoroughly Remains current on new technology Expects top effort from athlete at all times May set goals too high for some team members

Business Like – Coaching Styles

Coaching Styles “NICE GUY/GAL” Is usually well liked by athletes Players may take advantage of his/her co- operative nature Works particularly well with athlete of similar temperament; may alienate those with more intense personalities

Coaching Styles INTENSE Emphasizes winning above all His/her high anxiety often translated to players May alienate easy-going athletes

Coaching Styles – Intense Coach

Coaching Styles “EASY-GOING” “Casual” approach to training and competition Often gives impression of not taking sport seriously May not be prepared to “push” athletes in training Usually well liked by athletes but some may find his/her approach not serious enough

Democratic vs. Autocratic Coach DEMOCRATIC: encourages athlete to be fully involved in decisions Democratic Sharing  Begins by making suggestions about training or competition and follows up by seeking athlete input  Plans based on athletes suggestions Democratic Allowing  Involved only in making suggestions about training and competition  Allows athletes to brainstorm possible approaches and ultimately to implement suggestions

Democratic vs. Autocratic Coach AUTOCRATIC: “DO AS I SAY” approach Autocratic Telling  Content to instruct athletes, defining rules and parameters of activities  Does not seek input from athletes Autocratic Selling  Provides explanation of what athlete should do  Encourages questions and feedback regarding execution of activity  Final decision lies with coach

Role of the Coach Keeping it positive Self-esteem The teams-based approach – promote concept of teamwork and co-operation Balance – between sports and personal development (friends, school, family etc) Participation – learning and enjoyment increases through performance Staleness and burnout – don’t do the same thing over and over again Coaching personality and style – something that fits with their personality as well as the athletes Working with parents – parental liaison especially when working with young athletes

Coaching Skills Knowing how to communicate with athletes Having grasp of training principles and learning styles Knowing which style works for which athletes Understanding limitations of young athletes Being aware of and teaching safety aspects Recognizing causes and symptoms of over training Knowing how to reduce injury risk

Coaching Skills Advising athletes on diet and nutrition Knowing how to develop the basic energy systems Helping athletes with imagery and relaxation Advising athletes on use of legal and illegal supplements Continually evaluating coach-athlete relationship Developing suitable training schedules Helping athletes develop new skills Evaluating athletes to monitor progress

NCCP – National Coaching Certification Program LEVEL 1, 2 and 3 (Theory, Technical, Practical) LEVEL 4 and 5 – Highest level of professional training for National and International Coaches  There are 20 tasks: Level 4 you have to complete12 tasks, Level 5 you have to complete all 20 tasks (p.285)

NCCP FAIR PLAY PHILOSOPHY NCCP 5 key principles of fair play philosophy:  Respecting the rules of the game  Respecting officials and accepting their decisions  Respecting the opponent  Providing all participants with equal opportunities  Maintaining dignity under all circumstances *** Can be hard with “ugly sports parents” which is why it is so important to reinforce!!

WINNING and/or LOSING PARADOX: A DILEMMA FOR COACHES WIN AT ALL COST PHILOSOPHY  Professional sports athletes/coached usually adopt this philosophy, however, at the developing levels of sport it is a problem Coaches that support this philosophy at lower levels of developing sport usually believe that “of course young people should have fun in sports but nothing is more fun than winning”

WINNING and/or LOSING PARADOX: A DILEMMA FOR COACHES However, it should be reinforced that winning can take a backseat to :  Attainment of personal goals  Getting along with team-mates and opponents  Developing respect for officials When coaches encourage participation in sports within this context they are building a framework in which people will want to continue sport participation for a lifetime, regardless of their win/loss record.

Other Factors to Consider when Coaching Age-appropriate Coaching Strategies Need to know  Stages of human growth  Phases of skill development Will have to adapt basic coaching principles because what works for one age group will be inappropriate for another. Coaching-Advance Athletes When coaching advanced athletes it needs to be recognized that the simple “fun” approach may need to be changed. Motivation Ethics – more ethical factors need to be considered (Performance enhancing drugs, injure opponents, dirty play, illegal equipment) Goal setting and independence

Other Factors to Consider when Coaching Strategy, Tactics and Planning Strategy, tactics, and planning aim to help an athlete secure a competitive advantage over his/her opponents STRATEGY: when plans are formed in advance and executed in competition TACTICS: when a competitor comes up with a competitive plan during the heat of an athletic contest

Other Factors to Consider when Coaching Ethical and Legal Issues for Coaches Most leagues and sport associations have fairly well defined standards of ethics and behaviour for coaches. Usually highly detailed statements to which coaches must agree before working with athletes. (Getting a police check done would be an example of this) Coach-Athlete Relationship Essential part of any successful athletic career. If trust, respect, communication etc. is poor or absent from the coach-athlete relationship it could hurt the success of the athlete.