Effective coaching practices

What is a sports coach? A sports coach is someone responsible for training an athlete or a team. What do you want from a sports coach?

The roles and responsibilities of a coach As a class… lets brainstorm Write down as many as you can think of..

Some answers maybe…

Roles and responsibilities of the coach On-field Improve performance Risk Management What does this involve? Coaches Code of Conduct Australian Sports Commission (ASC)

Roles and responsibilities of the coach On-field Improve performance Risk Management What does this involve? Coaches Code of Conduct Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Always to be inclusive Ethical issues that may present What is right and what is wrong

Ethical issues a coach may have to deal with

Roles and responsibilities of the coach Off-field Professional development, accreditation and coaching pathways Coaches must stay up to date with current practices Conferences and clinics Work with others e.g. parents, officials, media Plan and review of the season What do you want to achieve? By when? Periodisation – breaking the season up into time periods and then further breaking it down into macrocycles Plan each training session to maximise time Organisation for game day e.g. players, equipment, first aid, travel Review practices to determine the effectiveness of a program

Think about your coach???? What roles does your coach do well? What roles does your coach need to improve on? Why? please discuss.

Styles of Coaching 3 Main Styles of coaching - Authoritarian or Autocratic Style - Democratic or Cooperative Style - Casual Style

Authoritarian Style A strict and disciplined approach Thorough organisation and planning Meticulous attention to detail Total devotion Communication is one way (coach to player) Often critical and harsh to players Not a good coaching style of the sensitive or deep thinking player

Democratic Style Cooperative style of coaching Consultation and shared decision making between coach and players Flexible and creative Awareness of individual needs Develops trust and respect Friendly, approachable, safe

Casual Coach Highly relaxed, almost detached from players Loosely organised & lack of preparation, which can hinder skill & fitness development The coach acts more like a consultant than a coach Appears to be a coaching style which lacks commitment

The coaching style continuum What style or combination of styles of coach do you think you would be? Authoritarian Casual Democratic

Variety of Coaching Styles There are obviously advantages and disadvantages with each coaching style, but all styles can be successful It depends on the; Relationship between the coach & players The purpose of the players involvement Age and experience of both the coach & players The period of time the coach & players have worked together Some coaches have a combination of one or more of the different coaching styles Read page 225-226

Coaching Style Advantages Disadvantages Authoritarian Democratic Casual

Role Play Activity One: Work in groups of 2 or 3 Select a coaching style Simulate a sporting role play using the allocated coaching style Guess what coaching style is being used……

Role Play Activity Two: Work in the same groups, select another coaching style Simulate another sporting role play that is non verbal only Guess what coaching style in being used….

Skills and characteristics required by the coach. Patience and persistence Dedication and enthusiasm Motivating High Expectations Ability to model behaviour Integrity Knowledge of sport Qualification Organisational skills More on page 235

Skills and Characteristics of a respected coach Observation skills (analyse performance) Knowledge of sport (up to date knowledge of rules, skills, techniques, strategies. Also analyse and interpret information from a game) Communication skills (both send and receive information to and from players. Also non verbal cues) Organisational skills (plan goals and training sessions for success) Understanding and empathy skills (personal motivations and goals) Ability to improve performance (using other resources or professionals) Cater for individual differences (age, learning style, stage of learning) Develop effective relationships (group dynamics, conflict resolution, develop a team culture).

Characteristics Knowledge and intelligence (physiology, nutrition, injury management, techniques, tactics. Curious and creative intelligent drills and game simulations) Enthusiasm and high expectations (passionate, positive attitude and commitment, lead by example) Character and integrity Effective communication (verbal & non verbal) Patience and persistence (positive and constructive feedback) Organisation and preparation Model of appropriate behaviour

Effective communication skills Effective communication - Is the imparting or interchange of information, producing the intended or expected result.

Verbal communication Most Common Direct play Manage athletes Organise drills Provide feedback Instruct and question athletes for understanding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXfCTyJDDDk

Non-verbal communication Body Language Facial expressions - Head nods, smiles, frowns, eye movements etc What are these faces telling you?

Listening Good coaches listen to their athletes! Listening to both Verbal and non-verbal responses. This makes the athlete feel that the coach is interested in what they have to say.

Barriers to effective communication Environment – Can all athletes see and hear you? Are there any distractions in the background? Physical - Do all the athletes have good vision and hearing? Intellectual - Can all the athletes understand what you are saying? How long can the athletes pay attention? Background - Do all the athletes speak English? Are there terms you use that might be specific to you? Could there be specific cultural considerations? How can coaches overcome these barriers?

Sports psychology “ Elite Sport in the modern era is now 5 percent physical and 95 percent mental.” Motivation Arousal and Anxiety Confidence Mental Imagery Concentration Goal Setting

Arousal and performance Best illustrated by the inverted U hypothesis For optimal performance arousal must not be too low, yet too high Athletes can develop coping skills such as physical relaxation, positive thinking and refocusing to deal with pressure situations

Sport Specific Optimal Levels of Arousal Inverted U Hypothesis Sport Specific Optimal Levels of Arousal

Individual Differences Athlete Specific Optimal Levels of Arousal Roger Federer Lleyton Hewitt