Coach Tracking Study(PDF) - sports coach UK
Coach Tracking Study(PDF) - sports coach UK
Coach Tracking Study(PDF) - sports coach UK
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COACH TRACKING STUDY<br />
© SWpix.com<br />
2 The Importance of <strong>Coach</strong>es to<br />
Clubs and Participation<br />
Over half of the <strong>coach</strong>es in this study<br />
originally started <strong>coach</strong>ing because<br />
there was no one else available,<br />
and this trend appears to have<br />
continued throughout their career. Last year,<br />
one third of <strong>coach</strong>es had undertaken more<br />
<strong>coach</strong>ing than before, and the most common<br />
reason for doing so was an increase in<br />
participation and thus a greater demand for<br />
<strong>coach</strong>es. Thirty per cent (30%) of additional<br />
<strong>coach</strong>ing was due to increased demand<br />
within the club, while 27% was the result of<br />
taking on a new <strong>coach</strong>ing role with increased<br />
responsibility for more participants.<br />
Interestingly, about a third of <strong>coach</strong>es mentioned that<br />
increased demand had been stimulated by a club<br />
recruitment drive or a governing body/county <strong>sports</strong><br />
partnership (CSP) sponsored programme (eg Chance to<br />
Shine in cricket, Get Back Into squash, Sky Ride).<br />
Here are a series of comments from <strong>coach</strong>es as to why<br />
they have done more <strong>coach</strong>ing.<br />
They show the link between increased participation<br />
and <strong>coach</strong>ing:<br />
• A growing need at our club, I have taken up football<br />
<strong>coach</strong>ing as well as cricket.<br />
• The club has more teams, meaning, to get better<br />
improvement, I must spend more time <strong>coach</strong>ing.<br />
• Local clubs have made a big effort to recruit new members<br />
so more basic <strong>coach</strong>ing is required.<br />
• Increased demand by our club and local authority<br />
(LA)/primary care trust (PCT) projects and opportunities.<br />
• Pressure from my club due to increased success of an<br />
expanding membership.<br />
• Increase in players needing <strong>coach</strong>ing.<br />
• Loss of other staff. Taken on another squad group.<br />
These findings show the vital role <strong>coach</strong>es play in<br />
absorbing demand created by new participation projects.<br />
Equally important are the skills these more experienced<br />
<strong>coach</strong>es bring to a session that ensure new participants<br />
receive a good first impression of the sport and are<br />
encouraged to maintain their participation.<br />
This is in line with exercise psychology research that has<br />
found the important role <strong>coach</strong>es can play in participation.<br />
Weinberg and Gould (2003) suggest:<br />
Most people starting a programme need extra motivation and<br />
the <strong>coach</strong>/leader’s encouragement, enthusiasm and knowledge<br />
are critical in this regard...Good <strong>coach</strong>es/leaders also show<br />
concern for safety and psychological comfort [and] develop<br />
expertise in answering questions about exercise. 1<br />
These are precisely the skills that experienced <strong>coach</strong>es can<br />
provide to new participants.<br />
1<br />
Weinberg, R. and Gould, D. (2003) Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. ISBN: 978-0-736064-67-5.<br />
3
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