Foundations of Sports Coaching

Applying Theory to Practice

Ashley Gill, Ashley Gill

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000375176
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Sport & Exercise Science
• Index: Biological Sciences

The fully revised third edition of the popular Foundations of Sports Coaching textbook aims to provide a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the practical and theoretical principles that underpin the sports coaching process, from both a participation and performance perspective. The focus of this contemporary edition is to bridge the gap between practical sports coaching delivery and the conceptual theories that underpin a sports coach's practice. It provides a wealth of real-world examples and up-to-date case studies from a wide range of sports to support the developing practitioner and help sports coaches understand how to apply key concepts and theories to their practice.

In addition, there are countless practical coaching tips, techniques and strategies to further support sports coaches in their practice and development. The book will provide the reader with the skills, knowledge and background they will need to prepare athletes and sports people technically, tactically and strategically, covering the key components of a sports coaching-related undergraduate course, including:

? the continuing professionalisation of sports coaching

? the International Sports Coaching Framework (I.C.C.E.)

? the fundamental skills of a sports coach

? how to coach populous groups

? coaching philosophy

? coaching pedagogy

? creating a positive learning environment

? talent ID and sevelopment

? the reflective coach

? performance analysis to support coach feedback.

This third edition updates the style of previous versions with all-new chapters focusing upon international professional practice frameworks, coaching philosophy, coaching pedagogy, talent identification and development, and reflective practice. All of these are critical for the contemporary practitioner to understand in order to ensure they provide the best possible coaching environment for their athletes to develop and succeed.

No other introductory textbook explains the importance of a holistic approach to sports coaching practice. This is an essential companion to any sports coaching course.

1 The Continuing Professionalisation of Sports Coaching

Ashley J.G. Gill

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

• Introduction of sports coaching as a profession
• Insight into the history and continuing development of sports coaching
• Explore the development of professional standards within coaching
• Highlight the development of coaching from an international perspective.

Introduction

This chapter introduces a broad, contemporary view of sports coaching in the U.K. and its professional status as an occupation, coupled with brief examples of international coaching structures and their development. The chapter will provide you with an insight into the history and development of sports coaching in the U.K. and beyond, outlining the emergence, role and structure of international bodies and national bodies and how these are driving the standards of coaching within specific sports. There is also an insight into sports coaching from a broader international perspective, with a focus on coaching structures and systems that exist in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

At the end of the chapter there are suggestions for seminar or discussion-related questions that may provoke thought and insight around the topic area, along with key terms and definitions. There are also web links and suggested further reading if more information or further research is required.

Background of the Development of Coaching as a Profession

What do we mean by ‘profession’? Essentially, its meaning is linked to belonging to a specific group, with its own set of beliefs, rules, customs and practices. It provides those within its ranks with a sense of membership. Different professions are commonly referred to as occupations when they are used as a way of earning a living, although a profession has a specific requirement for advanced specialist knowledge and qualification, demonstrating high levels of skill, competence and expertise (North et al., 2019). To professionalise is to give an occupation, activity or group professional qualities, typically by increasing training or raising required competencies and/or qualifications. Therefore, a professional is someone who demonstrates a high level of knowledge, proficiency and expertise and adheres to governed standards within a specific occupation.

Sports coaching as an occupation has undergone significant professional development in recent times. Especially considering that sports coaching had been confined to being a ‘grassroots activity’ for most of the twentieth century, utilising the goodwill of amateurs and volunteers to provide a broad base of voluntary and community-focused organisations (Taylor and Garratt, 2010). To understand the distance travelled, it is important to first understand the background and context of where we have come from.

Importantly, during the mid twentieth century, a significant change occurred when a strong relationship evolved between the P.E. teacher and sports coaching (Lyle, 2002). This relationship in part resulted in sports coaching being an extension of the role of physical educators in schools, who were responsible for the delivery of sport in schools and supporting sport and performers in extracurricular fixtures and competitions. Soon thereafter, the emergence of multiple national governing bodies (N.G.B.s) and greater governance of sport and coaching provided greater access to sport for participants, above and beyond that in school. There was a definitive movement towards providing structured coaching across a range of sports, both within schools and in the community, delivered by specific sport coaches and P.E. teachers, who were attending coaching-related courses and training events organised by N.G.B.s. These developments in governance led to central discussions and debate pertaining to the notion of increased accountability to central government for sport, to oversee the provision of local education authorities (L.E.A.s) and N.G.B.s. This was somewhat of a milestone in that central government deemed sports coaching significant enough to start to establish a framework for sports coaching and professionalise the occupation (Sports Council, 1991; UK Sport, 2001; Department for Culture, Media and Sport [D.C.M.S.], 2002a). Taylor and Garratt (2010) emphasise the importance of UK Sport’s “Vision for Sports Coaching” paper, which strongly recommended the need for standards within sports coaching and for it to be elevated to a profession to support the development of sport and performers (UK Sport, 2001). This led to a coaching task force being established to review the role of coaching and investigate why there was a shortage of coaches, both voluntary and paid. This signified a recognition of coaching as a profession, with accredited qualifications and a career development structure resulting from the task force’s work. Essentially, this review was conducted in response to earlier concerns regarding the lack of standards for coaching and the strategies for training and employment in the developing profession. With sport being a global phenomenon and not solely based in the U.K., more guidance was needed for sports coaching because a lot of the moral and ethical responsibilities of coaches tended to evolve informally, together with other diverse sports coaching traditions (Taylor and Garratt, 2010).

The monetary aspect of sport is not without merit in the development of coaching as a profession; with the responsibility to host major sports and athletic tournaments, there was an urgency among governing and leading bodies to develop coaching as a profession to maximise impact and potential on a global scale, while also providing an enduring legacy and presence in the world of sport beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It cannot be downplayed: the awarding of the Olympic Games to London for 2012 was a major landmark in the development and recognition of sport within the U.K. The British Olympic Association (B.O.A.) explicitly included increased sports participation as an envisioned legacy of the Games in its bids (Reis et al., 2017), and, with this, not only would participation boom, but so would the demand for sports coaches and for coaching to be regarded as a legitimate profession.

The London 2012 Games were a commercial success, with the U.K. government receiving considerable praise for much of its delivery strategy and success (Norris et al., 2013). Team GB benefited from the extraordinary investment in elite sports programmes, which resulted in a record medal haul (House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts, 2013). However, this was the first and only one of the four key bid themes that was fulfilled (Reis et al., 2017).

Elite sport continued to benefit in the preparation for Rio 2016, with an 11% increase in funding for the No Compromise programme (UK Sport, 2012). In addition, to promote mass participation as part of the London 2012 sporting legacy, the government announced a £150m Olympic legacy boost for primary school sports in England (Department for Education, 2013). This initiative replaced Sport England’s previously successful School Sports Programme, which had a coaching for teachers focus and resulted in more than 35,000 teachers attending coaching courses that helped them to upskill and gain coaching qualifications. A range of sports and activities were included in the programme, as well as sports for young people with disabilities and courses in first aid, umpiring and refereeing. However, despite the replacement initiative being promoted by the government as a positive, it was viewed by others as somewhat of a shortfall replacement for the previous Sport England School Sports Programme initiative, which was worth £162m (Campbell, 2012).

Thanks to the investment of money in sports at both a grassroots and elite level post London 2012, there are now plentiful opportunities to become a coach, with more and more sports clubs, schools and organisations requiring the services of a coach. In fact, coaching-related educational courses are now popular in a range of further and higher education (F.E. and H.E.) institutions in the U.K. Concurrently, there appears to be a significant growth in coaching opportunities and employment, especially with the support of professional organisations such as UK Sport (elite) and UK Coaching (all phases) to promote professional standards and improve the quality of coaching in the U.K.

The future of sports coaching within the U.K. appears positive under the stewardship of the professional bodies and coupled with the development and publication of the International Council for Coaching Excellence’s (I.C.C.E.) International Sport Coaching Framework (I.C.C.E., A.S.O.I.F. and L.M.U., 2013). The future is looking bright for sports coaching.

The Development of UK Coaching (formerly Sports Coach UK)

In the early 1980s, the National Coaching Foundation (N.C.F.) was established in Leeds to look after the interests of coaching and coaches (SportsCoachUK, 2008a). This organisation was supported by a range of sporting bodies in British sport and was formed to establish a comprehensive, non-specific sports coach education programme throughout the United Kingdom, catering for all levels of coaching. A series of key events, from 1986 through to 2001, oversaw the National Coaching Foundation evolve into SportsCoachUK. These events are summarised as follows:

In 1986, a focus group was established with a remit to produce a coaching strategy for the future. In 1987, a network of 14 national coaching centres was established, and the coaching arm of the (GB) Sports Council was designated to be responsible for the coordination of coaching and coach education. In 1988, the Sports Council reported that it regarded the implementation of the National Coaching Foundation and network of national coaching centres throughout the U.K. as one of the major successes of the previous 5 years (Sports Council, 1988, cited in SportsCoachUK, 2008a). In 1990, independence was gained from the (GB) Sports Council, and a trading subsidiary was established known as Coachwise Ltd. In 1993, a membership service was formed to give advice and guidance on product development and services. The Champion Coaching scheme was created, establishing a range of coaching initiatives led by the governing bodies of sport to provide coaching for children. By 1995, the Champion Coaching initiative was providing quality coaching for thousands of young people in more than a hundred schemes, involving more than 300 coaches. In 1997, 18,000 coaches took advantage of the wide range of professional opportunities available at national, regional and local level, and the Australian Coaching Council made a request to use elements of the N.C.F. coach education programme to develop a coach education programme in Australia (SportsCoachUK, 2008a). In 1999, Coaching for Teachers provided more than 800 courses attended by in excess of 12,000 teachers, and a new workshop programme was launched in January 1999. Also, Premier Coaching Centres were established in strategically placed locations that allowed coaches access to a range of courses, products and resources. Faster, Higher, Stronger (now Coaching Edge), the U.K.’s quarterly magazine for coaching, and the High Performance coaching programme were launched. In 2000, N.C.F. membership services were launched, and more than 2,500 development opportunities were provided by the N.C.F. and attended by more than 30,000 coaches and teachers (SportsCoachUK, 2008a). In 2001, the N.C.F. was rebranded as SportsCoachUK, and 1st4sport Qualifications, a new awarding body meeting the criteria set by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, was established as a trading division within CoachWise. In 2002, the Coaching Task Force Final Report was produced by the D.C.M.S.’s Sport and Recreation Division (2002b) and was wide-ranging in its scope, context and recommendations. The report identified a need for investment in coaching and consistent coach development and suggested that coach education should be a focus. It also recommended that future coach deployment and employment should be considered. Subsequently, in 2004 (facilitated by Sport England and SportsCoachUK), 30 coach development officers (C.D.O.s) were appointed; their main purpose was to work with the emerging county sports partnerships, N.G.B.s, schools, F.E./H.E. institutes, local authorities and other key stakeholders to support the sustainable implementation of continuous professional development for identified coaches (SportsCoachUK, 2008b). By 2006, a further 19 C.D.O.s had been appointed, bringing the workforce up to 49. To support these C.D.O.s, eight regional coaching managers were appointed to oversee the work of the C.D.O.s.

A further recommendation of the Coaching Task Force Final Report (D.C.M.S., 2002b) was to provide more opportunities for coaches to develop coaching as a career. In response to this, Sport England, funded by the D.C.M.S., established the Community Sports Coach scheme. The objective of this scheme was to establish 3,000 paid, qualified community sports coaches (C.S.C.s) working at a loc...