DISCUSSION BOARD

Some interesting thoughts here Grahame - I'm pleased to see that you have been gathering 'public opinion' so to speak. It is always good to edit language and I would thoroughly recommend that approach. I would expect to see some of these descriptions but a couple of the words (personal hygiene & sober) do concern me as to past experiences.

Having asked a range of questions - I was able to accumulate the following descriptors of "what characteristics does a good coach possess".

Cool, calm, collected, considerate, empathetic, attentive, knowledgeable, reflective, clever, calculating, reactive, committed, proactive, man manager, passionate, leader,inspirational, relatable, enthusiastic, smooth, composed, controlled

No surprises here from my point of view... I would expect all of these responses to be universal across most sports.

Definition of good coaching practice within hockey:

"An elite coach within the sport of hockey will show excellence in preparation, competition and analysis of performance. Good coaching practice would be displayed through research of the competition while planning accordingly and liaising with athletes to prepare their team. This individual would show composure during competition, while being able to motivate and inspire their athletes to perform and would show control of their emotions during both success and failure. They would be calculating during competition, through having the necessary knowledge and understanding of the sport to adapt tactics, in order to promote the best opportunity for winning, which displays a proactive approach to problems, rather then reactive once problems occur. The skill of reflection is a critical characteristic in a top quality coach, who can examine matches and performances critically, in order to plan ahead for future sessions addressing their teams/athletes needs and requirements."

Hi all

I appreciate this is a bit redundant now but I asked coaches I knew a couple of months ago, was originally waiting for as many  replies as I could get, then got caught up with work and the essay's. But here's what came back and some of my thoughts on it.

The questions I asked were;

Have you participated in sport, if so which and to what level

Has the sport and level you played at influenced the way you coach

Has your experience of being coached influenced your coaching

Describe the qualities and attributes a good coach possesses

Should these change depending on your coaching level

The sports competed in were;rugby, hockey, orienteering, athletics, gymnastics, sports acrobatics (tumbling) and trampoline, slalom kayak, cricket, squash, golf, and tennis. There were several people with national or international experience in gymnastics, rugby, golf, athletics, and hockey.

While there was no absolute agreement on sport level and experience of being coached influencing coaching practice/behaviour the majority did state that it has at least played a part in influencing expectations, values, outlook, approach, and expected standards.

There was a very wide range of attributes listed but the recurring words were; respect, enthusiasm, flexible and adaptive, confident, accountable, growth mindset, positive, good communicator, organised, honest, authentic, competitive, passionate, empathy and understanding, charisma, management skills, resilient, technical expertise.

These are all common words when coaches are asked to describe what they need to be effective.

There was little consensus on the last question. I was unable to see any pattern to the views either. Some with many years experience thought that no it shouldn't some said yes, likewise for those less experienced. One experienced coach thought they do change with coaching level acknowledging they could not coach young performers, with their patience identified as an issue.

An interesting reply, from probably the most experienced coach I asked, they questioned what was meant by coaching level. They said '[coaching level] Should not be measured by the performance level of the athlete but by the level of expertise the coach bring[s] to their delivery.' This is an interesting change in perspective, I would say I'm the same as the previous coach in that I would struggle to coach pre-teen kids as I lack the patience and probably the imagination to make it fun for them so they engage, but the above quote changes the perspective. Instead of me not being a good fit for young athletes it's a case of me having failings as a coach that stops me from being able to effectively coach them.

This task was assigned a while ago, and it's only recently that I realised I asked the wrong question. Instead of what attributes do good coaches posses the question should have been 'What is the purpose of coaching'. I think the All Blacks have figured it out, something that has contributed to their success. Its purpose is to make better people. As stated in Hodge the All Blacks came up with 'Better people make better All Blacks' a cornerstone in their culture, a culture that has contributed to them successfully defending the world cup, something never before done.

This question and, in my view, answer is the reason for the parallels in business and coaching. That process will mean you have someone with a clear value structure and a strong sense of right and wrong. They will be honest, something that will contribute to hard work, and selfless, which will mean the betterment of the team or business over the individual. Ultimately the better the team/business does the better the individual does though. Ego will play a much smaller part meaning they can not only be seen as a leader, but truly encapsulate what that entails.

After reading my final essay my Dad gave me a book to read entitled;'Further Up The Organization:How to Stop Management from Stifling People and Strangling Productivity'. He saw parallels with what I had written. While I'm only just starting it there is one bit that struck me as very similar to what coaches describe as desired characteristics; Available, Inclusive, Humorous, Fair, Decisive, Humble, Objective, Tough, Effective, Patient.

When I think about it it seems strange that it's taken me so long to even think about what I'm trying to achieve as a coach beyond sporting ability. I always had the idea of engendering a work ethic and maybe some values towards that end, but there was no clear goal. While 'Making Better People' may be a vague objective, and I may need to refine it to add clarity, it serves as something simple I can communicate to those I coach and to those above me and a reference point when looking at other fields for what can be used in coaching.

References

ROBERT, T (1984) Further Up the Organization. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc

HODGE, K,  HENRY, G,  SMITH, W (2014) A Case Study of Excellence in Elite Sport: Motivational Climate in a World Champion Team. The Sport Psychologist. 28 (p.60-74)