1. Managing Players and Relationships

2. By the end of this session you will be able to:
Recognise what is required when managing players and relationships: including working with parents
Describe how to manage players in a manner that promotes the player’s personal responsibility/self reliance
Explain what is meant by empowerment
Determine the complexities of managing a team of players during a competition
Implement standard best practice Guidelines on Child Protection 2

3. Developing a positive learning environment
Positive and supportive social relationships have the potential to impact on an individuals motivation 3

4. Task 1 In pairs, identify the people involved in the coaching process
Support team
Peers
Parents
Athletes ~ players
NGB administrative and support staff 4

5. Coach and athlete relationships
The way in which coaches interact with their athletes can have a significant impact on the athletes:
motivation
self esteem
perception of their ability
participation in the sport 5

6. Relationships
The nature of the working relationship that exists between coach and athlete will have a crucial impact upon athlete motivation
Of particular importance is the way that the coach connects with his/her athletes 6

7. Interactions between coach and player
Positive interactions where the coach uses praise, encouragement and provides regular feedback
Negative interactions
Players feel valued
Have high self esteem
Confident
Enthusiastic
Hostility between coach and athletes
Players lack confidence in their own ability
Players drop out 7

8. Task 2
Working in pairs, consider the way in which you work with your athletes:
Produce a list of examples of good practice in the way that you interact with players
Produce a list of things you could improve in the way you interact with players 8

9. Parents Parents play a very important role
They have the potential to reinforce but also compromise what coaches do
Get parents on board
Let them know what is expected of them
Highlight the important role they have to play in developing their child’s sporting potential
Give them responsibility ~ even at an elite level
Make sure that they are positive not negative
Provide them with training about how to cope as a parent in a sporting environment 9

10. Interactions between players
Coaches have a responsibility to provide an environment in which all players have an equal opportunity to progress, prosper and achieve their potential. Coaches need to consider the individual needs of players of different:
Gender
Ability
Age
Ethnicity
Class
Sexuality 10

11. Interactions between players
Coaches must provide an inclusive environment in which players are expected to:
Support each other both on and off the court
Positively encourage and respect each other
Include all members of the group
Provide positive and not negative comments about each others performance 11

12. What sort of coach are you?

13. What sort of coach are you?
Does this describe your coaching practice?
Traditional leadership style has given coaches a licence to exploit their power by taking the choice and control away from the athlete 13

14. Or do you empower your athletes?

15. What sort of coach are you?
Does your coaching have …..
an emphasis on an athlete-centred approach which promotes a sense of belonging, as well as giving athletes a role in decision making and a shared approach to learning 15

16. Empowerment
Empowerment coaching builds a committed partnership between coach, athlete and team. Goals become mutual and the coach enables the athlete to exceed his/her current limits by nurturing autonomy in the athletes learning 16

17. Does your coaching…. Develop a team culture and vision
Establish clear targets and expectations with your athletes
Promote athletes self confidence and independence
Increase levels of motivation
Allow athletes to have ownership of and take responsibility for their own learning as players 17

18. Does your coaching…..
Recognising the differing needs of individual players
Include opportunities to work with individuals
Include opportunities to develop a team ethos for specific competitions
Give athletes their own time and space
Promote open and honest communication
Value the input of your players
Include use of different strategies to establish on and off court goals and targets with your athletes 18

19. Managing the team in competition
Prepare well and set clear targets and expectations with your athletes
Put processes in place to ensure that everything runs smoothly, for example, issues to do with being away from home
Encourage players to take responsibility for their own actions both on and off the court
Establish rules and regulations in relation to, for example:
communication with, and access to, family and friends
use of mobile phones
free time
dealing with the media
Do all of this with your athletes not for them!! 19

20. Safeguarding Children
Task – Outline the elements of best practice in safeguarding children 20