SKILLS & CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COACH

Week 11

Skills Required by the Coach

• Observation skills

• Knowledge of sport sciences

• Knowledge of the sport

• Communication skills

• Organisational skills

• Understanding and empathy

• Ability to improve performance

Observation Skills

• Analysis of the athlete– Strengths– Weaknesses– Areas to improve

Knowledge of the Sport Sciences

• The respected coach will have a knowledge of:– Training methods, training principles, training

periodisation, skill acquisition, biomechanics, physiology, sports psychology

• This knowledge occurs through the coaches own experiences and observations as well as study, research and attending coaching courses

• The coach may also draw upon the expertise of other people– Give some examples

Knowledge of the Sport

• Thorough and up-to-date

• Rules

• Skills

• Techniques

• Strategies

• Analyse and interpret statistical data

Communication Skills

• Extremely important skill for a coach to possess

• Provide and receive information

• Verbal and non-verbal

• Dealing with ___________, ___________, ___________

Organisational Skills

• Planning ___________ and ___________

• Goal setting

• Plan strategies to achieve

Understanding & Empathy

• Ability to understand the athlete’s personal motivation and goals

• Ability to be able to interpret the athlete’s ___________

Ability to Improve Performance

• Must use a variety of resources– Their own knowledge and experience– Other specialist personnel (eg: assistant

coaches, sports scientists, nutritionists)– Technology (eg: video and computer

analysis)

Characteristics of a Respected Coach

• Knowledge and intelligence

• Enthusiasm and high expectations

• Character and integrity

• Effective communication skills

• Patience and persistence

• Organisation and preparation

• Model of appropriate behaviour

Knowledge and Intelligence

• Thorough knowledge– Physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, injury

management, tactics, rules, stages of learning, skill acquisition

• Curious and creative• Pass on knowledge through drills and

game simulations• Continues to ___________ his/her

coaching

Patience and Persistence

• Learning can be very slow therefore the coach must be patient

• Coaches must be persistent with the athlete that is resistant to change

Enthusiasm and High Expectations

• Display a positive attitude to all aspects of the sport

• This enthusiasm can be infectious and rub-off on athletes

• High expectations for his/her coaching and also the performance of the athlete

• Hard work is required to achieve high expectations

Organisation and Preparation

• ___________ must take place in advance

• Athletes gain confidence from a well planned coach

• Preparation involves setting ___________

• Organisation and preparation displays commitment towards the athlete

Character and Integrity

• Acceptance and practice of the Coaching Code of Ethics

• Level headed and focused

• Confidence in coaching ability

• The athlete requires the security of knowing that the coach can handle all situations and is always in ___________

Model Appropriate Behaviour

• The coach is a ___________

• The coach should display the positive attributes of a sportsperson– Motivation– Determination– Sense of fair play

Effective Communication

• Two-way communication• Ability to communicate and ___________• Clear and concise• Simple explanations with a ___________• Feedback

– Positive– Immediate– Specific

• Knowing the athlete’s personality• Body language

– Understanding and reading – Athlete and also yourself as the coach

• Sense of humour

Coaching Accreditation and Code of Ethics

• To assist coaches in acquiring and developing skills

• National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS)– Aims: see page 126– http://www.ausport.gov.au/coach/ncas.asp

• Code of Ethics– Behaviour that is expected of coaches– See table 3.1, page 127