Community Junior Sport Coaching final report - 2009

Coaches’ in Action
The behaviours exhibited by junior coaches during rugby league and rugby union training sessions
were investigated using videoed systematic observation. This information together with the results
from the modified coach rating scale will provide a greater understanding of the junior coaching
environment. Coaching behaviours reported in the literature have predominantly been from the
perspective of athletic success and efficiency of coaching (Bloom et al., 1999; Claxton, 1988; Horton
et al., 2005; Lacy and Darst, 1985). All studies have been conducted in a different sporting context –
predominantly in the USA, UK and Europe and examining high school through to professional
coaching practice making it difficult ficult to compare the coaching behaviours reported here to those in
the literature. There is no comparison of coaches at an individual level due to the unique context of
each sporting environment but rather looking at the sample of 37 coaches collectively.
Figure 4-2 indicates that the two dominant coaching behaviours displayed are instructing and
observing players. Together this accounts for 65% of all training sessions. The coaches exhibit
affective behaviours (feedback – positive, ive, negative or general; scold, hustle and humour) for 15% of
the training session closely followed by managing or organising players (13%). Previous research
reports that instruction is the most frequently used behaviour regardless of the level or age of the
athlete (Claxton, 1988; Cushion and Jones, 2001; Liukkonen et al., 1996; Mesquita et al., 2008;
Seagrave and Ciancio, 1990; Tharp and Gallimore, 1976; Vangucci et al., 1997).
% Total Training Time
2%
5%
15%
48%
Instructions
Management/Organisation
17%
Observation
Not on task
13%
Affective behaviour
uncodable
Figure 4-2 Coaches behaviour during the training session measured by systematic observation
Table 4-8 outlines the frequency, duration, and percentage breakdown for each of the 16 coaching
behaviours. Specifically column 2 indicates the average number of times each behaviour was
Junior Community Coaching Report December 2009
37