Coaching Science
Dr. paed. Prakash Pradhan
Executive Director
Sports Science Academy of Nepal (SAN)
Outline of Presentation
 Coach ?
 Coaching Roles
 Coaching Styles
 Athlete-coach Relationship
 Coaching Process Skills
 Job Responsibilities of Head Coaches
 Qualities of Coach
 Leadership in Coaching
 Management and Monitoring of Athletes
What is a Coach?
A coach transports a valued person from
where they are to where they want to be.
old Webster
(slide courte
Sports Coaching
Sports coaches are vital to the success
of a number of programmes across a
range of sports
They are at the heart of participation
and performer development
Coaching – Art or Science?
Science
 To support the coach there is a wealth of scientific
information based on research conducted with athletes
 Information is available to support the coach and athlete in
all areas of training and development including:
Nutrition
Physiology
Medicine
Biomechanics
Psychology
Coaching – Art or Science?
Art
 The art of coaching comes when the coach has to:
Analyse the
scientific data
Convert it into
Coaching and training
programs to help
develop the athlete
 This analysis process relies heavily on the coach's
experience and knowledge of the event/sport and the
athlete concerned
Coaching – Art or Science?
 By understanding the science, which is the
foundation of training, a well designed training
program can be developed that will help an
athlete reach their full potential
 The art is understanding the science and then
applying it
What is Coaching?
An ongoing relationship which focuses on the
player/athlete taking action toward the realization of
their vision, goals, or desires. Coaching uses a process of
inquiry and personal discovery to build the
player/athlete’s level of awareness and responsibility and
provides the player/athlete with structure, support, and
feedback..
Professional and Personal Coaches Association
(slide courtesy of Lyn Johnston)
8
The Realities of Coaching
Coaches can’t assume
that:
 All athletes will be
skilled
 All athletes will be of
good character with no
behavioural problems
 All athletes will be
good athletes
There are 2 sides to
coaching:
 A coaching side - to
improve performance
 A leadership side -to
build character and
prepare athletes to
compete
(Hinkson, 2001)
9
Coaching is about…
Coaching is about building
relationships….
Coaches must earn trust….
Successful coaches motivate by
building the coach-athlete
relationship before anything else.
(Hinkson, 2001)
10
Coaching is about…
“Coaching to me has never been
about the coach
– it is about the athletes and the
value the coach can add.”
(Don Tricker, Coach NZ Black Sox)
11
Coaching Roles
Aspiration
Performance Coaching
Development Coaching
Coaching
Boundary
Markers
Participation
Coaching
Preparation Intensity
Competitions Involvement
Performance Standard
The relationship between forms of coach and boundary criteria (Lyle, 2002)
PERFORMANCE
Short duration
Intensity high
Limited nonintervention contact
Stable
performance group
Short-term
objectives
Competition
focus
Limited control of
variable
Attempted control
of variables
Longer-term
objectives
Participation
focus
Extensive intervention
and interpersonal
contact
Large, variable
numbers
Intensity low
Long duration
PARTICIPATION
A diagrammatic representation of the balance of performance and participation coaching roles (Lyle, 2002)
Coaching Styles
Autocratic Coaching Practice
Negative
Directive
Coach-led
Task-centred
Performance
Feedback
Communication
Decision
taking
Role
orientation
Goal
orientation
Positive
Interactive
Performer-led
Person-centred
Democratic Coaching Practice
The distinctions between autocratic and democratic coaching practice (Lyle, 2002)
Process
Authoritarian
Power sharing
COACH CONTROL
12 years & under
Humanistic
approach
COACH/ATHLETE
ATHLETE
CONTROL
CONTROL
13-15 years
16-17 years
• Early experiencing
• Developing and collaborating
• Coach dependence
• Athlete/coach dependence
Teaching skills
Safety and security
Procedure and routines
Guidance in learning
Opportunities
self management
self determination
Shared decision making and
sense of control
Partnership
Illustration of a shift in coaching paradigms (Hogg, 1995)
18 years & over
• Empowerment
• Athlete independence
(+ accountability)
Personal AUTONOMY in:
Self-responsibility
Training / competitive
intensity
Performance routines
Strategies
Between coach and athletes
High Performance Sport
Winning
“Winning isn’t everything, but
striving to win is”
“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the
only thing”
ATHLETE
COACH
TALENT
EXPERTISE
QUALITY OF
TRAINING
PREPARATION
PHYSICAL
KNOWLEDGE AND PERSONALITY
TECHNICAL
TACTICAL
The athlete-coach relationship (adpated from Bompa, 1983)
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Successful coach needs to mix art with
science on their coaching
(Pyke, 1999)
Athlete Centered
Coaching
Team
Career Path
Professional
Development
Athlete
Coaching
Health
Monitoring
Career Path
Pastoral
Care
Injury
Prevention &
Rehabilitation
Technical
Team
(Scientific)
Career Path
Education
Mentoring
Career Development
Continuing
Education
Scientific
Assessment &
Monitoring
Professional
Development
Research &
Performance
Analysis
Continuing
Education
Skills Training
Coaching
Sponsorship/Fundraising
Facilities
Athlete Welfare
Publicity/Promotion
Civic Education
Apprenticeship
Coaching Process Skills
Planning
Coaching
Process
Planning
- strategic
programming
- scheduling
- goal setting
- competition
programming
Monitoring
Delivery
Implementation
Management
Resources
Coaching process skill (Lyle, 2002)
Regulation
- crisis management
- contingency management
- threshold decision making
Management
- administration
- information management
- financial management
- resource management
Craft
- communication
- teaching
- problem solving
- decision solving
- organization
- interpersonal skills
- competition management
- demonstration
Coaching
Practice
Qualities of Coach
(Sabock, 1973)
 Coaches should maintain high moral and ethical
values.
 Coaches must be completely honest with all those
with whom their deals.
 Coaches must maintain a true and lasting concern
for all the athletes with whom their deals.
Qualities of Coach
(Sabock, 1973)
 Coaches must earn the respect of their athletes, and
the community.
 Coaches must be able to motivate their athletes as
well as other school and community.
 Coaches must be dedicated to their athletes, to the
school, and to the community.
Qualities of Coach
(Sabock, 1973)




Coaches must be a strong disciplinarian.
Coaches must have obvious enthusiasm.
Coaches should possess a strong desire to win.
Coaches needs to be a good evaluator of talent.
Qualities of Coach
(Sabock, 1973)
 Coaches must be knowledgeable about their
sports.
 Coaches should have a good sense of humor.
 Coaches must be willing to work long hours.
 Coaches must have a working knowledge of
their sport.
Leadership in Coaching
(Martens, 2004)
 Leaders provide direction; they set goals by having
a vision of the future.
 Leaders build a psychological and social
environment that is conducive to achieving the
team’s goal.
 Leaders instill values, in part by sharing their
philosophy of life.
Leadership in Coaching
(Martens, 2004)
 Leaders motivate members of their group to pursue
the goals of the group.
 Leaders deal with members of the organization when
problems arise, and they resolve conflicts.
 Leaders communicate.
Respect may be gained by
(Holbrook & Barr, 1979):
 Being knowledgeable about your sport.
 Being prepared in all situations.
 Giving respect.
 Treating all team members equally, but not
necessarily the same.
Respect may be gained by
(Holbrook & Barr, 1979):
 Refraining from using excessive bad language.
 Being moral and ethical in all areas of life.
 Showing concern for athletes in and out of the
athletic setting.
 Being enthusiastic and showing confidence in
team members and the team itself.
Management and Monitoring
of Athletes
A. Positive Discipline
Athletes are coached with tolerance, encouragement,
praise, fairness, consistency, and respect, but without
criticism, unfriendliness, ridicule, and humiliation.
B. Preventive Discipline
Step 6:
Catch them doing
good
Step 5:
Conduct exciting practices
Step 3:
Step 4:
Develop team rules Create team routines
Step 2:
Hold team meetings
Step 1:
Create the right team culture
The steps of preventive discipline (Martens, 2004)
Guidelines for Handling with
Athletes’ Misbehaviors
(Martens, 2004)
 Be highly predictable in your dealing with misbehaviour.
 Be specific about what you want the athletes to do or stop
doing.
 Be to the point. Avoid lecturing, nagging, interrogating,
and moralizing.
Guidelines for Handling with
Athletes’ Misbehaviors
(Martens, 2004)
 Be confident when you speak, but if you are not quite
certain about the appropriate consequence, tell the athletes
you need to give it some thought and will talk later.
 Even if you feel angry, remain calm and in control.
 Once you gain compliance, do not keep athlete in the “dog
house”. Forgive and forget.
Conclusion
Successful coaches are those who can learn
new skills, who are flexible enough to
change old ways when change is needed,
who can accept constructive criticism, and
who can critically evaluate themselves.
A ordinary coach tells,
A good coach explains,
A superior coach demonstrates,
But the great coach inspires
(Martens, 2004)