My thoughts on these coaching guidelines from Sport Coach UK

“There are 4 Steps coaches should think about next time they coach.

1. Is to identify the aspect of your coaching behavior that you want to change. (Think about how you coach in specific situations.)
2. Ideally, how do you want to behave in the situation? Think of how your idea of a good coach would behave.
3. Ask yourself how you need to change your behavior in order to behave in the same way as your idea of a good coach. Step 3 is the key, crucial reflection is about constantly questioning your own behavior and thinking of ways to change in order to move closer to your idea of a good coach.

(Then Coach)

4. Reflect on your coaching by analysing how you behaved and asking yourself if your behavior matched how your idea of a good coach would behave in the same situation. If it did not, return to step 3. ” (Sports Coach, UK 2008)

My thought on these guidelines that number 1, is important because you need to coach and adapt in different situations; for example if someone was lower level of ability compared to the other participants, you would need to adapt your session by making the drills easier for the other participant who was struggling.

I think its important for all coaches to always use reflection and constantly question your own behavior and thinking of ways to change in order to move closer to your idea of a good coach.  These guidelines are only effective if you use them every week after a coaching, if not you will never analyse your coaching effectively. I think they are good guidelines for coaches because it helps us to identify the strengths and weakness in our own coaching.

Looking at one of the coaches Sports coach UK interviewed he realised his approach caused friction between himself and the players. He admitted he was not open enough for discussion and did not communicate with them enough. He changed his behavior by sitting down with players and discussing things with them when they stepped out of line. He found out and stated that, “As well as changing his own behavior, this coach increased the possibility of his players changing their behavior through the coaches’ critical reflection, given they  now enjoyed more positive relationships with him.”

Reference list:

Sports Coach UK, 2008. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.sportscoachuk.org/&gt; [Accessed on the 2nd March, 2015]