Community Junior Sport Coaching final report - 2009

Table 4-13 What the coaches enjoy most about coaching
What the Coaches Enjoy Most About Coaching
% of Similar
Responses
Enjoy watching the players have fun 30
Enjoy watching the players improve 26
Player/coach interaction 17
Enjoy teaching in general 17
Just love doing it 4
Other 4
Finished playing and wanted to stay involved 2
Perhaps more important for coach educators is identifying aspects of coaching that coaches enjoy
least and developing strategies to reduce or minimise these aspects. It has been suggested that
volunteer junior coach turnover could be linked to coaches being dissatisfied with their coaching
experience.
The broad category of ‘parents’ accounted for over 50% of responses. This included abusive parents,
parents emphasis on winning, criticism from parents, and parents who think their kids are better
than what they are (table 4.14). Parents also contribute to another cause for concern – poor player
attendance. The other major contributor is discipline issues and misbehaviour. In total these reasons
account for 77% of responses.
Abusive and critical parents can make things difficult for the coach. This situation sends mixed
messages to the players. This can contribute to player defiance and discipline becomes a problem.
Players are more likely to have a poor concept of ‘team’ if their parents are always pushing them to
the detriment of others. Abusive and critical parents often make excuses for their son so the player
never has to be responsible for their actions. Parents who place an over emphasis on winning also
makes things difficult for the coach who is trying to be inclusive of all players and provide enjoyable
opportunities that may contribute to lifelong participation in the sport.
The coaches in this study indicated that their motive was to create an environment for fun and
learning but it seems there is a high level of stress and pressure which must surely challenge the
coach’s motive to continue.
Junior Community Coaching Report December 2009 56