Learning to Become a Coach
2011 AAHPERD National Conference – San Diego, CA
Pete Van Mullem, Ph.D. – St. Cloud State University (MN)
Heather Van Mullem, Ph.D. – Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
Past…
• 1967 - “certification movement”
• 1970’s – Emergence of Coaching Minors
- Massengale, 1984
• 1981 - American Sport Education Program – first course
• 2000 – National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education.
• National Standards for Sport Coaches 1995 and 2006 (NASPE)
…Present…
• “…we do not fast track doctors merely
because they were continually ill as children,
so why coaches just because they once
happened to be athletes?”
-Lyle & Cushion, 2010
How does a Coach Learn?
• Attending clinics, observing other coaches,
and reflection on experience.
-Werthner and Trudel, 2006
• Trial and error, past playing experience, the
advice of a mentor, videos, and DVDs
- Jones, Armour, & Pontrac, 2004
Challenges in educating the coach
 The preferred method of educating a coach from
the coaching practitioners is the “hands-on”
actual coaching experience compared to formal
training procedures - Hedstrom & Gould, 2004
 Established coaches participate in coaching
education courses with long-standing beliefs and
actions developed through experience in the field
-Cushion, Armour, & Jones, 2003
What Programs Exists…
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NCACE - National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education
NASPE – National Association for Sport and Physical Education
ICCE - The International Council for Coach Education
ASEP – American Sport Education Program
NAYS – National Association of Youth Sport
State Certifications - What are they in your state?
Sport Specific Certifications - Soccer and Tennis
How do the methods interact?
• Minimal research has examined which learning
methods best interact to produce a successful coach.
- Gilbert, 2006
• What training method or combination of learning
methods leads to a successful coaching career?
• “…clearly there is a need for not only basic coaching
education, but also for more relevant and advanced
coaching education…” - Vargas-Tonging, 2007
The Power of Reflection
– The experience a coach gains through longevity in
coaching, interactions with other coaches, and
working with numerous athletes becomes more
meaningful in their development as a coach with
the implementation of self-reflection.
-Lynch & Mallett, 2006
…Future
• “Coaching is both an individual and a social
process…liked to both constraints
and opportunities
?
of human interaction.” - Jones, Armour, & Pontrac, 2004
• How do we reach the coach, the learner?
• How do we access the coaching knowledge of
experienced coaches to assist in the development of
coaching education programs?
Study in progress…
• The Education of a Coach
– Nationwide study on current or former coaches at
the intercollegiate or interscholastic level.
– Current N = 1,061 (785 Male, 276 Female)
– Respondents
• 61% have a master’s degree or Ph.D.
• 32% have 20+ years of coaching experience
• 45% have a self-reported winning % of .600 +
Learning to coach…
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A college course(s) for credit (classroom or online)
Coaching clinics/ workshops
State certification programs
Asking a mentor
Books on coaching
Observation of other coaches
Discussions with former players
Web sites on coaching
Informal discussion with other coaches
Videos/DVD's on coaching
Trial and Error (on your own)
Hands-on Training (with guidance of instructor/coach)
Reflecting on personal playing experience
How did you learn how to coach?
Share your learning experience…
• Join three other coaches in attendance and
form a group of four.
1. Share your experience in learning how to coach
with your group. Utilize the hand-out and make
note of which methods assisted you in
developing your coaching knowledge and
philosophy.
2. Of the variety of methods you have utilized in
learning to coach, which one had the greatest
impact? Explain?
3. Focusing on the method that had the
greatest impact, how were you exposed to
this particular method?
4. Examine additional methods you identified in
learning to coach. Why were these methods
less effective for you?
5. What solutions do you have to enhance the
learning process for a coach? How could
your ideas be implemented into a coaching
education program?
Final Wrap-Up
• “We need to strike up a dialogue with
practitioners and demonstrate an
engagement and collaboration with
coaching practice.”
-Lyle & Cushion, 2010
References
Cushion, C.J., Armour, K.M., & Jones, R.M. (2003). Coach education and continuing professional
development: Experience and learning to coach. Quest, 55, 215-230.
Gilbert, W. (2006). Introduction to special issue: Coach education. The Sport Psychologist, 20,
123-125.
Hedstrom, R. & Gould, D. (2004). Research in youth sports: Critical issues status. Retrieved from
http://hollistonsoccer.net/image/web/coaches/CriticalIssuesYouthSports%20 (2).pdf
Jones, R.L., Armour, K.M., & Potrac, P. (2004). Sports coaching cultures: From practice to theory.
New York, NY: Routledge.
Lyle, J. L. & Cushion, C. (2010). Sports coaching: professionalism and practice. Churchill
Livingstone: Elsevier Ltd.
Lynch, M., & Mallett, C. (2006). Becoming a successful high performance track and field coach.
Modern Athlete and Coach, 44(2), 15-20.
Massengale, J.D. (1984). The certification of coaches: Considering the lack thereof. Journal of
Teaching in Physical Education, 3, 6-8.
Vargas-Tonsing, T.M. (2007). Coaches preferences for continuing coaching education.
International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. (2)1. 25-35.
Werthner, P. & Trudel, P. (2006). A new theoretical perspective for understanding how coaches
learn to coach. The Sport Psychologist, 20, 196-210.