APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3

Applied Coaching Research Conference Round-up Ann-Marie Bunyan UK Coaching

Our second Applied Coaching Research Conference talent development which challenges and nurtures was held at Derby County FC’s Pride Park Stadium a wide range of skills and attributes in individuals, in February, and included a variety of fantastic helping young people to excel. workshops, poster presentations and ‘time for you’ sessions. “Creating environments for sustained high The perfect talent storm performance requires both high challenge and high support.” The conference got under way with inspiring words from one of the UK’s leading figures in sport This highly supportive learning environment science and Head of Performance at the Football provides the athlete with optimal conditions to excel Association of Wales, Tony Strudwick. Tony’s in and out of sport, ultimately producing the ‘perfect keynote provided insight into what it takes to be talent storm’. a successful coach in high-performance sport and placed an emphasis on quality relational coaching “You have to understand that what might work which ‘out trumps’ the technical and tactical. for Manchester United might not work for Derby Tony discussed the generational differences and County. Coaching is complex, and each context is the need for coaches to adapt to the iGeneration very different.” who are highly confident and expect instant results. With this, Tony advocated a holistic approach to

10 APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3

Morning workshops After the first keynote, delegates were able to of female empowerment and development of attend a selection of exciting workshops of choice. self-efficacy through sport explored the experiences James Mitchell, Lecturer for the University of of women participating in a female-only community Derby, provided intriguing insight into the potential strength training programme. The novel programme of eye-tracking technology to inform observational is held at Hallam Barbell Strength and Fitness analysis in coaching. Coaches use observation Club, of which Dave is the head coach, and is as a fundamental tool in informing a lot of their aimed at developing women’s self-efficacy and coaching practice. James spoke around the novel confidence. The Active Lives Survey from Sport technology and shared how it can help to shape the England underpins the programme, with evidence future of coaching. suggesting that fewer women than men play sports. The programme was designed and developed to Coach Development Officer Chris Foreman from attract more women to take part in exercise in a less the Albion Foundation presented alongside UK conventional context. Coaching to share the initial findings and lessons learnt from a longitudinal project communities of The programme is the club’s busiest with over 80 practice's on camera: setting up and evaluating a women training every week, and in Dave’s words community of practice for sports coaches. Three provides “a safe community space for women communities of practice were set up in different to enjoy training together without the many football settings to measure the impact they had distractions and disruptions that they might find in on the coaches involved. Examining the extent to a traditional strength training area of the gym”. which communities of practice provide coaches with the opportunity to learn and develop, the In technology enhanced coach education and interim findings are positive, with the three development: why nothing works everywhere communities of practice's reporting that the project for everyone, Liam McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in had influenced their coaching by: Physical Education, Sport and Youth Development at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and Tom Hounsell, • enhancing their knowledge and understanding of Lecturer in Physical and Sport Education at St areas of interest Mary’s and Academy Coach at Fulham Football Club, aimed to have a wider debate about technology • providing more opportunities to reflect and the role it plays in coach development. A key message to transpire from the session was that • developing their practice by being challenged technology may not be a ‘magic bullet’ when it and supported. comes to coach education.

The detailed findings of this research are presented Liam and Tom discussed a 12-week module, later in this journal. whereby students from St Mary’s and the University of Central Lancashire engaged with each other Mark Scott, Lead Officer for Modern Learning at UK through an online community of practice. The group Coaching, said: “Recently, a growing number have blogs allowed students to come together from a become more autonomous, engaging in deepened distance and find solutions to problems and have conversations, by meeting up in a coffee shop on conversations about common interests. Technology Wednesdays.” was used to supplement face-to-face learning.

Dr Leanne Norman of Leeds Beckett University “We wanted to create debate and see what presented an exploration around the topic of would happen next from an informal learning improving coach well-being through addressing perspective,” said Tom. “We looked at the analytics: the diversity of the coach, namely exploring how ‘What did they look at? How long did they engage? improving gender equity in sports coaching can aid How frequently? Who were they collaborating with coach well-being. Delegates were able to reflect and who were their critical friends that they were on how diversity in coaching can be improved and having discussions with around their practice?’” explored strategies towards addressing inequalities in their own workforces. Liam and Tom concluded that while the use of technology can enhance coach education and coach An energetic workshop was delivered by Dave practice, it is not the solution to everything. Hembrough, Sports Science Officer at the Centre of Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam). UK Coaching provided an overview of research Powerbelle – women who lift: a community model into the importance of well-being among paid

11 APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3

and volunteer coaches, aptly titled, the coaching After lunch pill. The benefits of coaching are well known for After lunch, delegates were able to take part in participants, but the benefits for coaches are less a well-being panel discussion; the second of the promoted. keynotes. The panel included Dr Pippa Grange The session drew from case studies of individuals (Sports Psychologist); Liz Burkinshaw (UK Coaching’s who had experienced a positive impact on their Development Lead Officer); and Prof. Alan Currie well-being from being a coach. The session (Consultant Psychiatrist NHS and Visiting Professor outlined how we as a sector can use coaching at the University of Sunderland). The discussions as a vehicle for enhancing well-being. began with an opening question on how the sector can better support the mental well-being of coaches. Presenters Julie Blackwood, a HCPC-registered/ BPS-chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist Pippa opened by suggesting that there is still a and Merlin Van de Braam, Interim Head of Coach ‘taboo’ that needs to be removed. She said, as and Development at the Lawn Tennis Association a sector, “we need to create environments and presented the principles of effective coaching in cultures where care pathways for coach mental British Tennis. This was born out of a project which well-being flourish”. developed a set of common principles applicable across tennis coaching domains. Julie and Merlin Liz went on to remind the audience that “one in four led the delegates through a coaching process people [every year] will experience a mental health which is aligned with meeting players’ needs and problem and that includes our coaches”. taking into account the personal characteristics of the coach. Alan said that although the industry has “worked very hard in recent years to make sure the care Dr Alex Twitchen (Open University), Michael pathways are there for athletes and that the care Antrobus and Ciara Allan (The Football Association) pathways for mental health problems have a and Alice Weaving made an impactful case for parity with physical health problems”, we are still coach well-being through a peer-to-peer research somewhat behind in terms of support from support project aptly known as creating a ‘peer to peer’ staff. learning culture: the UEFA B ‘Vets’ project. The ‘Vets’ project has been designed to provide an Further in the discussion the panel suggested innovative solution to the challenge of the ongoing practical steps that coaches can take to ensure development of coaches. Sixteen coaches who their mental well-being is taken care of. Simple participated in a UEFA B qualification during yet overlooked lifestyle changes such as going to 2017–2018 acted as mentors to the cohort of bed on time and not drinking too much alcohol coaches undertaking the qualification in were messages from Alan. He also advised against 2018–2019. The idea was to provide a form of perfectionism. mutually beneficial support to the coaches. Time for you The project is still in its infancy at nine months As an extension of the well-being theme, delegates old, but Alex Twitchen stated that there isn’t had the opportunity to take time out for themselves a need to see formal qualifications as isolated and attend a selected ‘time for you’ session. Sessions learning opportunities. “The ‘Vets’ group is another included talk and walk, chair yoga (Fiona Adamson), network for coaches to access for support and MindfullySTRONG (Dave Hembrough), love to move: development…and useful to coaches who don’t cognitive enhancement gymnastics (Patrick Bonner) have an extensive learning network.” and bat and chat (Table Tennis England and UK Coaching). The delegates could also choose to have The challenge to care in sports coaching was free time to simply wind down. energetically and articulately presented by Dr Colum Cronin. As well as being a lecturer Delegates thoroughly enjoyed the sessions, giving at Liverpool John Moores University, Colum them a chance to put into practice boosting has also worked as a volunteer basketball well-being. coach for 15 years. Colum introduced to the delegates the concepts that are fundamental to caring relationships; for example, engrossment, motivational displacement and reciprocity, and examples of how coaches in basketball and athletics implement these concepts.You can read more about this research later in this journal.

12 APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3

“Really like the concept of time for you, Working in disability sport presents a unique set particularly given the theme of health and well- of challenges, in particular how to best support being for coaches. Looking forward to the follow- learning. Dr Luciana De Martin Silva, Principal up to share resources and continue networking.” Lecturer at Hartpury University, and John Francis, Lecturer in Performance Analysis at the “The sessions on time for you were really good. University of Worcester presented the findings I did chair yoga. It re-energised me as well from a longitudinal study, deaf international futsal as grounded me in the ideas I’ve heard in the player learning experience in preparation for a sessions.” major competition. The study involved 10 players and three staff members who were part of an “Enjoyed Dave’s honest story and how he took the international deaf women’s futsal team. Luciana decision to start MindfullySTRONG.” and John explored the learning experiences of deaf players when using an online platform in supporting Afternoon workshops face-to-face learning. Dr Luke Norris from Leeds Beckett University Dr Charlotte Woodcock (University of Birmingham) conducting research on social support and sports led the delegates through the findings of an impact coaches introduced stressors, coping and well- study, empowering coaching for doorstep sport: being among sports coaches: a systematic review. a case study into empowering community sport Luke provided an overview of the current research providers and participants. The study looked at the that explores coaches’ stressors, coping and well- learning journeys of community sport providers being experiences. The session provided delegates who attended an innovative coach development with an outline of the stressors that coaches programme. Further information about this research experience and different strategies that coaches is presented later in this journal. use to cope with such stressors. Charlotte said of the day overall: “As a speaker, this Doug MacDonald, Scottish Canoe Association and is the best organised event I have ever been to.” Richard Cheetham MBE, University of Winchester delivered a highly interactive session exploring Overall, the conference was a great success. It had the use of deliberate play in the acceleration of a good mix of keynote presentations, workshops learning in paracanoeing and slalom canoeing. and interactive sessions, and the right balance of The need for this concept was identified when it coaching theory, research, and practice. The full was recognised that there is an over-reliance on research articles from three sessions (Empowering linear pedagogy. The project aims were to support coaching for doorstep sport training; Setting up and coaches in applying deliberate play in their own evaluating a community of practice for sport caches; coaching environments. and Athlete views of care in coaching) are presented in this journal, but for further information about any of the conference sessions, please get in touch with a member of the UK Coaching team.

13