The Coach
There are many characteristics that make a good coach. Though not every coach employs every characteristic, they still possess many positive attributes that enable their athletes to learn and be successful. They are a critical figure in the life of an athlete. The coach should be the best resource in regards to training methods and skill development. The
coach should be knowledgeable in their sport, and it is beneficial for them to
have a knack for identifying the needs of the athlete, whether physical or
mental. This knowledge should be shown mostly in the practice environment, where the coach has the most time to make a difference.
Helping the athlete make decisions
Being honest with the athlete
Helping the athlete make decisions
- The coach is likely the most significant influence in the athlete’s development of mental skills.
- The
coach must be a guiding partner for the athlete, providing professional help
and support.
- It is important for the coach to help, but not do all the thinking for the athlete (Ryba, Stambulova, Wrisberg, 2005, p.163).
- Be a guide, not a constant decision maker.
- The coach should help the athlete understand what they are doing and how it is going to help them accomplish their goals.
-
Russian sport psychologist, Avksenty Puni, felt that the coach’s role was
to equip the athlete with the kinds of mental skills that would allow the
athlete to be able to take charge of their own decisions in regards to their
mental abilities.
- If dependent on coaches, [the athlete is] ill prepared for
competition. (Stambulova, Wrisburg & Ryba, 2006, p. 177).
- Controlling
behavior has consistently been shown to undermine athletes’ internal motivation
(Mageau & Vallerand, 2003).
- Athletes should be actively involved by being given choices (within boundaries) about the content of training sessions. This helps to promote self-belief, independence, and internal motivation (Crust and Clough, 2011, p. 27).
- “Coaches should emphasize task relevance (activity in relation to the task or activity) and in addition, the learning environment should be based upon guided discovery and problem-solving” (Crust and Clough, 2011, p. 27).
- Example: The coach should focus on the specificity of skill and drills in relation to the sport, while also guiding athletes to the answer by helping them figure out the solution!
Being honest with the athlete
- The
coach must maintain an honest relationship with the athlete, because “if
players don’t trust or respect their coaches, then they won’t be as willing to
take on board what they say or do” (p. 1490).
- The athlete may benefit in knowing that the coach is credible and has a background that the athletes feel they can safely follow. When a player lacks trust of the coach, they may be more apprehensive to "buy in" to the program, feeling uncertain if the tasks and skills they are working on are really going to work.
- If
the coach does not have the necessary knowledge to apply particular aspects of
sport psychology in his or her coaching techniques, the participating
learners/children will ultimately suffer (Le Roux. 2010, p. 446).
- If the coach's methods and ideas of psychological development are not grounded in common research, those lessons could potentially have a negative effect on the athlete.
- Example: A coach might try to make their athletes "tougher" by creating grueling practices that physically exhaust their athletes everyday, but research might show that that volume of work might be too much and have a negative effect on training.
- Coaches
should always be aware that their feedback can have a great effect the athlete. Youngsters may take their coaches’ criticisms to
heart and find flaws in themselves (Wooden, 2005).
- Coaches (including teacher coaches) should [also] know more about their sport than teaching skills, conditioning or basic first aid (Le Roux, 2010, p. 448).
- Example: It is important for the coach to know more about the theory, strategies and skills than the other aspects of development. Though conditioning and first aid are very important, the knowledge of the sport skills is the most important!