Learning to coach coaching to learn

Abstract

The thesis report evaluates the development of my coaching career identity during the work placement experience over a period of ten weeks, where I coached a hobby-level group of athletes aged 12 to 17 at Vantaan Salamat Athletics club. The diary-based methodology is used to document the daily coaching experiences and then to analyse my coaching skill development along with my coaching communication improvement within a real youth sport setting. The whole project consists two main phases: Communication skill improvement is focused on weeks 1 – 5 and development of coaching skills along with instructional design and session leadership are focused on weeks 6 – 10. The thesis’s theoretical foundation includes seven influential frameworks on coaching science, learning theory and youth development. The communication practice is investigated according to the Interpersonal Communication in Sport (ICS) Model (Jowett & Poczwardowski, 2007) and Transformational Leadership Theory (Bass & Riggio, 2006), which give priority to relational trust building, motivation, emotion climate creation, and empowering athletes. Acquiring skill for practical knowledge and coaching practice phases are embraced by the Nonlinear Pedagogy (Davids, Button & Bennett, 2008) and the Athlete-Centered Coaching Framework (Kidman & Lombardo, 2010), which give preference to exploration and autonomy of the individual learner. To further fortify the reflective and developmentally oriented foundations of the thesis, the Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984) and the Reflective Practice Theory of Schön (Schön, 1983) are integrated to explain how experience and reflection over the years have affected my evolution as an individual and how it shaped my professional growth. Also, the motivational and developmentally oriented needs of young athletes are studied with the aid of the Self Determination Theory of Deci and Ryan (Ryan & Deci, 1985), and the Positive Youth Development Approach of Lerner (2005) that places special stress upon autonomy, competence, relationship and personal growth. During the ten weeks of the experiment, I observed that the four cornerstones of effective coaching including communication, motivation, emotion and safety issues, and athlete autonomy formed the foundation of effective coaching. The use of the diary method ensured a continuous cycle of reflection to engage the process at all stages. It is apparent from the findings that coaching competence development goes beyond learning concepts or technical knowledge, moreover it includes interaction and engagement with reflection, communication with athletes or learners, understanding the learning environments of athletes, and identifying the athlete’s development needs. In conclusion, this thesis also illustrates how new coaches could learn to not just become coaches but also learn while coaching through an appropriate combination of practice and reflection along with theoretical integration within a supportive coaching atmosphere