Sports Coaching Through the Ages with an Empirical Study of Predictors of Rowing Coaching Effectiveness
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Sports Coaching Through the Ages with an Empirical Study of Predictors of Rowing Coaching Effectiveness Cameron Michael Kiosoglous A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Paul D. Renard (Chair) Gabriella M. Belli Marcie Boucouvalas Clare D. Klunk Friday, April 5, 2013 Falls Church, Virginia. Keywords Professionalization of sport Sports coaching effectiveness and expertise Sports coaching development Evaluating sport coaching success Reflective practices in sport coaching Sports Coaching Through the Ages with an Empirical Study of Predictors of Rowing Coaching Effectiveness Cameron Kiosoglous Abstract Coaching effectiveness is a result of a coach getting the best out of the people and resources in their environment. For coaches, learning from experience is vital in a role that is a complex, dynamic and multifaceted process of balancing fun and winning where one cannot be sure if results will go according to plan. At the Olympic level, due to commercialization more money is being spent than ever before on developing more professional and effective training systems to maximize athletic performances. Medals won determine how a coach is evaluated and with more nations competition at a higher level, success is becoming even more competitive. More qualified and adaptable coaches are required to cope with the demands of international competition. The literature has been extensively examined based on the research question: to what extent is coaching success predicted by a coaches’ ability to self-reflect on past experiences? The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that if coaches who are highly self- reflective and have successful athletic and coaching experiences would be more likely to have future coaching success than those who either were not self-reflective or had less success in the past. Coaching knowledge is acquired though experience and the process of learning and self- reflection is an activity that facilitates this process. This study showed that rowing coaching experience and rowing athletic experience are positive predictors of coaching success, albeit weakly so. While self-reflective activities are not predictors of coaching success, self-reflection is an activity that coaches engage in. This study also identified the challenges in measuring coaching success. But like any domain, deliberate practice, which is a known pathway to developing expertise, is an activity that contributes to the professionalization of sports coaching and its advancement as a profession. COACHING THROUGH THE AGES iii Acknowledgements “Becoming a Ph.D.” has been a process of some significant life changes since enrolling at Virginia Tech in the Fall 2002. Like a form of therapy, this research has allowed me to go deep within and explore who I am and what is my life’s purpose. As an example, my father sudden passing on August 10, 2005 has brought a new perspective into my life about being true to myself. A cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, has given me a new sense of meaning about what it means to be alive. I have learned to live my life one day at a time. And as my mother taught me, there is one thing that remains when we are gone: “Our memories of each other is what lasts forever.” These acknowledgements are intended to thank all the people that made this possible, just like a bouquet of flowers and a good bottle of wine. To all of my teachers, their patience and love, generosity and support seemed endless and have been an inspiration to me. You are role models that I have attempted to live up to, by trying to be a better person everyday. To my committee and those at Virginia Tech, without whom I would never have been able to survive this journey. Each of you has provided me with the words of direction and inspiration, support and motivation, at times when I needed you most. You have made me be a better person through constantly striving to become a better scholar and researcher and person every day. You each have challenged me when I needed to be challenged, and supported me when I needed to be supported. Your investment of time and energy has been endless and I truly don’t know how you each do what you do. I hope that one day I am able to give back some of the many lessons that you have taught me. Paul, you have been so reliable during this entire process and your encouragement and ongoing support was so much appreciated. Gabriella you have kept me in line through this whole process and I can’t thank you enough for going beyond the call of duty on so many occasions. Marcie you are a pillar of strength in every aspect of life and your wisdom and vision inspires me. Clare thank you for your support and energy, you have pushed me when I have needed to have more faith in what I can achieve. Linda you have given me a whole new perspective on the way I see myself and my research. Michele you have kept this program moving for me and so many others. There are no words to truly reflect how much each of you and your expertise means to me. Thank you for all that you have brought into my life! COACHING THROUGH THE AGES iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. ix Chapter 1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................... 1 Coaching, Experience, and Self-Reflection .................................................................................1 Professionalization .......................................................................................................................2 U.S. Olympic Sports ................................................................................................................2 Commercialization .......................................................................................................................3 The Coaching Context .................................................................................................................4 Background ..................................................................................................................................5 Coaching Through the Ages ........................................................................................................6 Sports Coaching, Money, and Education .....................................................................................6 Elite Rowing Coaching in the United States and Its Environment ..............................................8 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................................8 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................................10 Research Question .....................................................................................................................11 Scope of the study ......................................................................................................................11 Assumptions ...........................................................................................................................11 Limitations .............................................................................................................................11 Significance ............................................................................................................................11 Outline of the research ...............................................................................................................12 Significance of this Study ..........................................................................................................13 Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 14 Understanding Sport Coaching ..................................................................................................14 Defining Sport Coaching .......................................................................................................15 Conceptualizing Sports Coaching ..........................................................................................16 History of Sports Coaching ....................................................................................................21 Global Politicization of the Olympic Movement ...................................................................43 A New Era of World Sport ....................................................................................................50 The Olympic Games and Television ......................................................................................53 Professionalization of Sports Coaching .................................................................................56 National Sport Development Case Studies ............................................................................59