Coaching Principles and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Coaching Principles and Practice - Essay Example Many coaches never make a conscious decision regarding the coaching method(s) they adopt or could adopt. Often coaches adopt methods they experienced as athletes, or as a consequence of watching other coaches, maybe as a spectator, or as an assistant coach. This approach to learning how to coach is often called the apprentice model because the learning occurs 'on the job' and at the side of a more experienced coach. This model may work well if the exemplary coach is a quality coach and has the time to spend with the apprentice coach, but many times this is not the case and the result is that undesirable coaching practices continue to be reproduced. The work of Tinning et al. (1993) reminds against slipping into the belief that methods exist separately from the coach, and that they can be simply implemented unproblematically by the coach. Coaching is a social practice, and this implies the involvement of the whole person, in relation to specific activities as well as social communities. Thus, methods can be viewed not as a â€Å"set of strategies which can be successfully or unsuccessfully implemented by a teacher [read coach], they are more like a set of beliefs about the way certain types of learning can best be achieved. They are as many statements about valued forms of knowledge as they are about procedures for action†. The direct method of coaching involves the coach to do the following: †¢ Providing the information and direction to the group/individual †¢ Controlling the flow of information... Often coaches adopt methods they experienced as athletes, or as a consequence of watching other coaches, maybe as a spectator, or as an assistant coach. This approach to learning how to coach is often called the apprentice model because the learning occurs 'on the job' and at the side of a more experienced coach. This model may work well if the exemplar coach is a quality coach and has the time to spend with the apprentice coach, but many times this is not the case and the result is that undesirable coaching practices continue to be reproduced. The work of Tinning et al. (1993) reminds against slipping into the belief that methods exist separately from the coach, and that they can be simply implemented unproblematically by the coach. Coaching is a social practice, and this implies the involvement of the whole person, in relation to specific activities as well as social communities. Thus, methods can be viewed not as a "set of strategies which can be successfully or unsuccessfully implemented by a teacher [read coach], they are more like a set of beliefs about the way certain types of learning can best be achieved. They are as much statements about valued forms of knowledge as they are about procedures for action" (Tinning et al. 1993, p. 123). Characteristics of Coaching Methods Direct Method The direct method of coaching involves the coach to do the following: Providing the information and direction to the group/individual Controlling the flow of information Privileging the demonstration, (it can be given by the coach or the athlete, or be on video) (Kirk et al. 1996) Giving little recognition to the diverse needs of the athletes Behaving in ways that can be categorised as managerial and organisational Setting goals that are specific