Voice of the Coach Conference

Sport Coaching Insights Project

Leeds, UK 26-28 March, 2013 Louise Assioun, James Vincent, Pauline Harrison

Sports Coaching Insights…. Aims

 Investigate which parts of the coaching process have the most impact on the athletes  Identify what ‘really works’  Validate the ‘functions of the coach’ model as identified in the ISCF  Provide managers and their teams with a focused set of coaching skills to guide the improvement of colleagues in line with the needs of the business  The application of core concepts from sport coaching, performance and system development into the business context

Sports Coaching Insights…. Research Process

 Louise Assioun and James Vincent  Conversations through ‘semi-structured interviews’  Targeted at coaching practice and related research at Leeds Met  Share insights into coaching and research related concepts  Discuss open platform of coaching, and also specific discussion around the coaching framework model  5 High Performance coaches  4 Leading Academics

Sports Coaching Insights…. Coaching Framework

Create the Conduct Shape the Vision and Practice and Environment Strategy Competition

Read and Build Reflect and React to the Relationships Learn Field and Influence Sports Coaching Insights…. Coaching Framework

Creating the vision and strategy The coach creates a vision and a strategy based on the needs and stage of development of the athlete and the organisational and social context within which the programme will take place. Shaping the environment The coach recruits and/or contracts to work with a group of athletes and takes responsibility for setting out plans for specified periods. The coach also seeks to maximise the environment within which the programme occurs through personnel, facilities, resources, working practices and the management of other coaches/support personnel.

Conducting practice and competition The coach organises suitable and challenging practice and competition experiences for the athletes. These experiences provide the core focus for guiding improvement and development on an on-going basis.

Reading and reacting to the field The coach observes and responds to events appropriately, both on and off the field. Central to this function is the making of effective decisions in both pressurised and non-pressurised contexts. Reflecting and learning The coach evaluates the outcomes of sessions and programmes and develops the ability to reflect upon their own practice. This process of evaluation and reflection underpins a process on on-going learning and professional development. The coach also takes on the role of supporting the education and development of other coaches.

Relationship building and influencing The coach builds positive and effective with athletes and others associated with the programme. This includes club, school, federation and other personnel and the coach has a responsibility to engage, contribute and influence the organisational context within which they operate. Sports Coaching Insights…. The Participants

High Performance Leading Academics: Coaches:

 Jack Maitland – Triathlon  Andrew Manley -  Colin Stephens – Rugby Psychology Union  Jim McKenna - Psychology  Mick hill - Athletics  Louise Sutton - Nutrition  Malcolm Brown – Triathlon  Adrian Schonfield -  Anna Carter - Netball Psychology

Sports Coaching Insights…. Key Findings

A summary of the key themes coming from the interviews will be presented in two areas:

1. The key themes of coaching that were discussed. • Providing examples, concepts and suggestions. 2. Specific key themes relating to the coaching framework model, and how the model materialises in the real world.

• Providing examples, concepts and suggestions.

Sports Coaching Insights…. Key Themes Key Themes from Coaching Insights Interviews Sports Coaching Insights…. Key Themes Key Themes from Coaching Insights Interviews Sports Coaching Insights…. Key Themes Key Themes from Coaching Framework Model Sports Coaching Insights…. Key Themes Key Themes from Coaching Framework Model Sports Coaching Insights…. Key Themes Key Themes from Coaching Framework Model Sports Coaching Insights…. Examples from the real world….

• Creating Vision & Strategy, Building the Environment, and Relationship Building & Influencing: Alistair Brownlee case study • The process: Andrew Manley - Cyclical model concept • Communication:

• Getting the message across and buy in – Colin Stephens.

• The coach must listen – Andrew Manley.

• Get the message across clearly – Andrew Manley. • Controlling emotions: Jim Mckenna • How coaches should be: Jim Mckenna

Sports Coaching Insights…. Alistair Brownlee case study

 Creating Vision & Strategy, Building the Environment, and Relationship Building & Influencing: Alistair Brownlee case study  Alistair Brownlee. Joined in 2005 and was fortunate to have talent, personal traits and the right set of circumstances – this elevated the awareness of the coaches to get it right. Age 14 to senior world champion. Long term planning is very important!... Example

Alistair Brownlee “I am always insistent that a lot of my success in sport is down to the various people I've met along the way. Picking up invaluable tips and knowledge from older and more experienced Athletes and Coaches. That's why my coaching set-up works so well. I get fantastic advice and help from Jack Maitland and Malcolm Brown who them selves are not afraid to learn from each other and take advice from other experienced coaches, Doctors and Physiotherapists. That's what I think really sets my training environment apart from many others.” Sports Coaching Insights…. Alistair Brownlee case study

 Joined Northern Start and Potential Squad in 2002 and was fortunate to have talent, personal traits and the right set of circumstances – this elevated the awareness of the coaches to get it right. Age 14 to senior world champion at 21.  Already running at Bradford grammar school and Bingley harriers, and had a history of long distance running.  He also swam at city of Leeds and biked a lot.  His personal traits – intelligent and motivated! At this point it was easy to see lots of areas lacking and pick weaknesses.  He enjoyed training and it wasn't difficult to motivate him, and he really wanted to beat older guys.  He moved up the performance pathway and started to compete on national scale.  1st world championships came 41st (Juniors). Could spot his weaknesses – swimming speed and bike power.  When came to 6th form – more flexible timetable – came to Leeds Met more (Holistic training environment).  Volume increased as other commitments fell away.  Went to Cambridge uni but then came back – transferred to Leeds uni, Physiology & sport.  Came fulltime training age 18-19. 25 hours per week average.  World juniors 2006 - 1st. World juniors 2007 – came 2nd.  1st senior international (Salford World Cup 2007) came 20th – wasn’t strong enough. By November that year he came 2nd in the Rhodes World Cup and in spring 2008 was selected for Beijing Olympics. Came 12th. (In 2007 British Triathlon closed Leeds centre – so it was a shock).  2009 – won world championships. This was a series not a 1 off race, and he won every race. It was a brilliant season …….. 2012…. Olympic Champion!

Sports Coaching Insights…. Alistair Brownlee case study

Sports Coaching Insights…. Andrew Manley – Cyclical model concept

Creating the Vision & Strategy

Relationship Shaping the Building & Environment Influencing

Conducting Relationship & Practice & Learning Competition

Reading & Reacting to the Field Sports Coaching Insights…. Andrew Manley – 3D Cyclical model concept

 Interaction between all areas. Andrew Manley Creating the  Jim Mckenna – the Vision & model is unfolding all the time. Strategy

Relationship Shaping the Building & Environment Influencing

Conducting Relationship & Practice & Learning Competition

Reading & Reacting to the Field Sports Coaching Insights…. Communication Colin Stephens. • Half time team talks. Get your coaching staff together, listen, come up with a game plan, share relevant parts with team, get buy in / acceptance. Communicate it through.... With confidence.

Sports Coaching Insights…. Communication

Andrew Manley... ‘The coach must listen’. • Sport is a results business with pressure on coaches. In order to develop the relationship the coach must listen. The coach must perform well – get the message across clearly, perform as a listener. Listening and observation example; • 2004 Ipswich town academy head coach – empathetic with how athlete is feeling. The striker was not playing well, often looked tired in training… George Burley (head coach) said to ‘beast him’ as his interpretation was a lack of effort. But academy head coach took time to listen, observe and try to find the root of the problem. After time spent listening and questioning it was clear the athlete was burnt out with lack of recovery. The interpretation of the two coaches was totally different because of listening.

Sports Coaching Insights…. Communication

Andrew Manley... Communication – ‘Get the message across clearly’ • In the military: Use powerful language – this is much more effective. Convey power and confidence really well. Power orientated and no stutters, no erms, no ‘you know’, no ‘i mean’. High performance coaching is the same – convey clear messages, use power. Athletes gravitate, prefer direct, powerful language.

‘The coach is a performer and under pressure to get results’. Sports Coaching Insights…. Control of emotions

Jim Mckenna. How do we deal with what we are experiencing? • If you are frightened – this is part of the negative, pessimistic ,past brain. We must change it to CURIOSITY – engage the pre frontal cortex. Ask why, work out what to do. Soon forget about being frightened.

Jim Mckenna. OAK model. • The coach should be: Open, Appreciative, Kind. Everything should be filtered through this. How can you engage players in creative solution finding? Create sufficient negativity (3:1). Bad example in the past. Leeds Carnegie rugby. Initiated negative emotions, and increasing up to match day, with the highest reinforcement of negative on match day = athletes are FROZEN.

Sports Coaching Insights…. Athlete Perspective

JESS ENNIS OLYMPIC CHAMPION 2012, HEPTATHLON

“Good coaching is having someone who can motivate you and get the most out of you and help you to be the best you can be. The coach is consistently furthering their knowledge and making sure they are the best they can be, and then they transfer that knowledge to the athlete”. Sports Coaching Insights…. Summary

 No objections were cited against the framework model.  Creating vision & strategy, building environment & relationship building were very strongly supported.  In addition to the framework, several key areas stood out:

 Goal setting (vision & strategy)

 Environment (shaping the environment)

 Reflection (reflecting & learning)

 Planning (vision & strategy) A further 4 areas:

 Communication

 Building a support team

 Decision making (reading and reacting to the field)

 Core values

 Coaches’ willingness to learn and develop (athlete points)  Indications pointing to ‘Leadership’. The stronger the leadership the more effective the coaching framework/process could be???