Coach Tracking Study(PDF) - sports coach UK

COACH TRACKING STUDY
Table 3: The percentage of coaches who believed an information
source was important, and the change from Year Two
Year Four
(%)
Year Two
(%)
Difference
Planning programmes (over a season, year, cycle) 88.7 97.6 -8.9
Organisation of sessions (eg facilities, equipment, health
and safety)
89.9 97.4 -7.5
Decision making 92.2 98.9 -6.7
Facilitating 92.1 98.2 -6.1
Planning sessions: structure, format, content 93.6 98.9 -5.3
Providing instruction 94.7 100 -5.3
Managing the coaching environment 91.5 96.7 -5.2
Self-reflection and critical thinking 95.4 99.6 -4.2
Technical/tactical knowledge 95.4 99.4 -4
Questioning 95.5 99.2 -3.7
Knowledge of a wide range of coaching methods 95 97.9 -2.9
Evaluating sessions/programmes 96.2 99.1 -2.9
Understanding/evaluating athlete/player development 95.9 98.7 -2.8
Observation and analysis 97.3 100 -2.7
Responsiveness/adaptability to situation/person 97.4 99.5 -2.1
Listening 98.2 100 -1.8
Providing feedback 98.2 100 -1.8
Motivating athletes 97.6 98.5 -0.9
All the evidence points to an understandable trend in the
knowledge sought by coaches. Initially, the basic skills
needed to run a coaching session were most important,
but as coaches gain more experience, so they want to
improve their coaching by adding different skills and start
to reflect on their own practice (a process that in itself
requires new knowledge). Of course, this doesn’t mean
that coaches are no longer looking for tactical and
technical knowledge – these are still the most commonly
sought types – rather, it shows coaches are interested in
increasing their breadth of knowledge.
Coaches have also become more discerning about the
quality of knowledge being offered. Common reactions
from coaches about the best learning sources in the
previous year demonstrate how they value new
information to develop their sessions. Comments
suggested that new information gives me different aspects
and new ideas or helped by revitalising session by introducing
new ideas.
However, there is also a danger of coaches feeling they are
learning nothing new and therefore the value of the
learning source is reduced. As one coach commented:
It was interesting but of little real use as it didn’t introduce
much that was new to me beyond some tactical analyses.
Otherwise, it was frustrating.
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