Sports Coaching IIIMasters ProgramProf. Donna DeWittSport / Performance Psychologist

Academic Year2010-2011

• Individual versus Team CoachingIndividual versus Team Coaching

• Defining the coach-athlete relationshipDefining the coach-athlete relationship

• Interdependency; fostering independenceInterdependency; fostering independence

• Setting boundariesSetting boundaries

• Stress management Stress management

Individual versus Team Coaching

What are some of the What are some of the differences between differences between individual coaching and individual coaching and team coaching?team coaching?

Attention Anonymity ResponsibilityHeightened sensitivityGender Action / reaction Boundaries Body language / touch Involvement / intensity Dependence Time Motivation

Significance of the Coach-Athlete relationship

Historically: focus on merely enhancing athletes’ physical, technical and strategical skills (Miller & Kerr, 2002).

Now: recognized as the foundation of coaching and a major force in promoting the development of athletes’ physical and psychosocial skills.

Defining the coach-athlete relationship

The foundation of coaching

Growing appreciation and respect for each other as individuals

Dynamic and complex coaching process

Means by which coaches’ and athletes’ needs are expressed and fulfilled

What makes the ideal coach-athlete What makes the ideal coach-athlete relationship?relationship?

Effective versus ineffective relationships

Successful versus unsuccessful relationships

Helping relationships

Interdependency; fostering independence?

The coach–athlete relationship is defined by mutual and causal interdependence between coaches’ and athletes’ feelings, thoughts and behaviors.

In what ways are coach and athlete In what ways are coach and athlete interdependent upon one another?interdependent upon one another?

THE 3 C’S CONCEPTUAL MODELTHE 3 C’S CONCEPTUAL MODEL

THE CO-ORIENTATION MODELTHE CO-ORIENTATION MODEL

Unifying components..Communication: creating the opportunity for talk and disclosure

Does the coach seldom explains his actions/choices Does the coach make his plans independent of me/us in the team Does the coach helps me/us when we have personal problems Does the coach include me/us when deciding on strategies for important competitions Does the coach often ask for my/our opinion on how to organize the training Does the coach explain each and one of us our tasks Is the coach concerned with explaining techniques/tactics Does the coach behave in a way that makes me/us trust him/her Does the coach encourage and compliment Does the coach tell me/us when I/we perform well

Empathy : understanding and caring for others’ intentions and feelings

..Unifying components

Davis’ Empathy ScaleDavis’ Empathy Scale

Coach-athlete Dyads

Some famous coach-athlete couples:

Joycee Kersee & Bob Kersee Marion Jones & C. J. Hunter Jenny Meadows & Trevor Painter

Setting boundaries

Mediating factors: gender, power, age, reciprocation and ambiguity of touch communication, how much coach & athlete like one another etc.

Touch communication: physically exchanging emotional and relational messages

Emotional exchange: needs and expectations of relationship defined and met and limits are set

The ‘Forbidden Zone’

What is considered to be desirable, What is considered to be desirable, appropriate, inappropriate, ethical or appropriate, inappropriate, ethical or

unethical within a coach-athlete unethical within a coach-athlete relationship?relationship?

“A South Brunswick High School coach married one of his young athletes. Local residents and administrators are speaking out. Days after marrying her coach, 40-year-old Brent Wuchae, 16-year-old Windy Hager didn't have much to say about the issue. Her neighbors did. “

Coach Stress

Stress responses: result from perceived imbalance between environmental demands and one’s coping resources

Coping: constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external / internal demands

Implications for coach-athlete relationship

Athlete’s psychological responses to coach stress?

How do athletes perceive behavior of coaches’ that are higher in emotional exhaustion

Psychological skills: Performance Curve

Coaches Coping

1. Minimal challenge, disinterest

2. some task demands, growing motivation

3. performance matches challenge, total involvement

4. demands too great, stress is high

5. alarm, decreased performance, ‘burn-out’