Coaching Principles

Is Coaching an Art or a Science?

Science

To support the coach there is a wealth of scientific information based on research conducted with athletes. Information is available to support the coach and athlete in all areas of training and development including nutrition, biomechanics, psychology, physiology & medicine. There are a number of scientific methods to measure and analyse the athlete's performance e.g. computer aided analysis of VO2 max, lactate levels, running technique etc.

Art

The art of coaching comes when the coach has to analyse the scientific data and convert it into coaching and training programs to help develop the athlete. This analysis process relies heavily on the coach's experience and knowledge of the event/sport and the athlete concerned.

By understanding the science, which is the foundation of training, a well designed training program can be developed that will help an athlete reach their full potential.

So is coaching the art of understanding the science and then applying it?

UK Coaching Certification (UKCC)

"Coaches are crucial for sport at all levels - on the school pitch, in the local club or for a major international team. They are the people who motivate, encourage and inspire. This certificate will recognise coaching as it should - a profession with a proper accredited qualification and career development structure." Richard Caborn MP, UK Minister for Sport

In July 2002, in response to the UK's Government "Plan for Sport", the Coaching Task Force published their report on coach education and qualification schemes in the UK and identified the need for a coaching structure suitable for all sports and the implementation of a UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC).

The five coaching levels of the UKCC are:

1. The coach will be qualified to assist more qualified coaches, delivering aspects of coaching sessions, normally under direct supervision
2. The coach will be qualified to prepare for, deliver and review coaching sessions
3. The coach will be qualified to plan, implement, analyse and revise annual coaching programs
4. The coach will be qualified to design, implement and evaluate the process and outcome of long term/specialist coaching programs
5. The coach will be qualified to generate, direct and manage the implementation of cutting edge coaching solutions and programs

The five levels provide coaches with a progressive development pathway from being a beginner coach (Level 1) through to being a highly evolved expert coach. The levels are reflective of the coaching skills attained and not the level of performer being coached.

Coaching Process

The coaching process comprises of three elements:

• Planning - developing short and long term training programs to help your athlete achieve their goals
• Conducting - delivery of training programs
• Evaluating - evaluation of the programs, athlete development and your coaching. This element may result in adjustment of your athlete's training program and your coaching.

To support this process you will need to develop your knowledge and practical coaching skills. These include, but not limited to:

• your coaching philosophy
• coaching styles
• teaching methods
• the learning process and training principles
• the code of ethics and conduct for sports coaches
• the sports coach's legal responsibilities
• how to apply an athlete centred approach to your coaching
• prepare training programs to meet the needs of each athlete
• Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)
• capabilities of growing children
• the rules for your sport/event
• how to assess your coaching performance
• how to communicate effectively with your athletes
• advise athletes on issues of safety applicable to their sport/event
• the causes and symptoms of over-training
• how to reduce the risk of injury to your athletes
• assist athletes to develop new skills
• the biomechanical principles that underpin efficient action
• use evaluation tests to monitor training progress and predict performance
• advise athletes on their nutritional needs
• advise athletes on legal supplements
• how to develop the athlete's energy systems
• how to develop the components of fitness as appropriate for your athlete and event
• advise athletes on relaxation, visualisation and mental imagery skills
• advise athletes how to prepare for competition
• evaluate an athlete's competition performance
• evaluate athlete/training and athlete/coach performance
• provide clear and effective instructions, explanations and demonstrations
• conduct effective observation and analysis
• provide clear and effective feedback
• use effective questioning to determine what an athlete knows or can do, their understanding and to develop their self awareness

The Coach's Non-technical Tool Box

The following information was first published in Issue 28 of the FHS magazine

Remember:

• Being a good coach is not just about having excellent sports-specific and technical knowledge
• The skill of effective coaching lies in asking the right questions
• It is important to ask yourself: Have I planned for perfection and covered all eventualities?

Coaches as leaders:

• Require excellence; do not expect perfection
• Understand your athletes before you can influence them
• Create trust and command respect
• Motivate and inspire

Communicating with your athletes:

• Keep the message concise and precise
• Work out whether your athletes receive the same message as the one you think you are communicating
• Remember your tone of voice and body language - only 10% of what we recall comes from the words spoken
• Find out what your athletes' preferred styles of thinking are - visual, auditory or kinaesthetic?
• Try to use a story to help get what you want to say across

Understanding how your athletes tick:

• Think about how your athletes like to be coached
• Look at how well you know your athletes:
  • What are their goals?
  • What is stopping them from achieving this?
  • What can you do to help?
• Think about how often you ask for feedback from your athletes about your coaching

Understanding how your athletes like to learn:

• Understand what your athletes' preferred learning styles are
• Look at how your preferred coaching style is likely to be received by those with different learning styles
• Build the needs of those with different learning styles into how you present information
• If you feel you are not getting through to your athlete, remember that it might be the medium and not the message that is wrong

Making use of the media:

• Remember that journalists are looking for a story that will sell
• Know what you want to get across and make it into a story
• Recognise the needs of different branches of the media and tailor your message accordingly
• Think before you use the media to try to psych out your opponents

Page Reference

The reference for this page is:

• MACKENZIE, B. (1997) Coaching Principles [WWW] Available from: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/coaching.htm [Accessed

Associated Pages

The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:

• Coaching Articles
• Coaches Corner
• Coaching Philosophy
• Coach Assessment
• Communication Skills
• Coaching Styles
• Code of Ethics and Conduct for Sports Coaches
• Principles of Training