Role of a Coach in Developing Athletes - Assignment Example

Role of a Coach in Developing Athletes Role of a Coach in Developing Athletes Introduction In athletics, the role of the coach isnot simply coaching. A coach is responsible for developing athletes by enabling them achieve their full potential and fulfill their personal goals. Coaches prepare athletes to effectively participate in challenging athletic events. Coaches are responsible for all the training, guidance and performance needs of athletes. A coach is expected to be an athlete’s friend, planner, organizer, counselor, motivator, supporter, adviser, assessor, demonstrator, mentor and trainer among other roles. This report will analyze the role played by a coach in developing athletes. The importance of the “coach-athlete” relationship on performance will also be discussed. 1. Concentration Being a facilitator, a coach should ensure that an athlete is focused on improved performance. A coach should create the right conditions that will allow athletes to concentrate on improving their performance (Balague, 1999). Athletes need not be stressed by challenges that may be present in their professional life. They need to concentrate on how they will improve their performance. Concentration is crucial in the success of an athlete’s career. It is the role of the coach to create an environment that will make it easy for athletes to focus on performance (Huber, 2013). Coaches need to eliminate all possible distractions. This phenomenon is psychological in nature because an athlete will hardly concentrate if there are issues that are making it difficult for him to concentrate (Jowett & Chaundy, 2004). It is necessary for a coach to remain focused on his job as a coach. When he concentrates on his roles as a coach, he is able to execute them easily, thus maximizing the potential of the athlete. The coach needs to be in the right state of mind and focus on the athlete. The coach should concentrate on the wellbeing of the athlete (Jowett & Cockerill, 2003). 2. Control A coach is an athlete’s manager. Control is a crucial in management. As a manager, a coach should have control over the athlete (Jowett, 2003). Control is the ability of the coach to direct, regulate, check, manage and positively influence an athlete. The coach has to make the athlete know that he is in control as his mentor and role model. If the coach is able to control the athlete, the athlete will have a positive attitude towards his own training and performance. Control entails a coach’s authority over an athlete. A coach should let his authority be felt so that the athlete can respect and adhere to the rules set by the coach (Kidman, 2005). As a planner, organizer, counselor, motivator, supporter, adviser, assessor, demonstrator, mentor and trainer, a coach is in charge of the athlete. For this reason, the coach must have respectful control over the athlete. The authority of the coach has a direct relation to the performance of the athlete (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003). 3. Commitment Commitment is a sign of the athlete’s and coach’s willingness to foster their athletic and professional partnership. Commitment represents the cognitive connection between the athlete and coach. For an athlete to be committed to his coach and to athletics, he has to gain his coach’s trust. The coach must commit to improving the performance of the athlete (Miller & Kerr, 2002). Once trust is gained, it is easy for the coach to make the athlete open up and express his personal goals. The coach can know whether the athlete is content with the way his expectations are being handled and met. The coach should show the athlete that he is committed to improving his performance because the athlete is more likely to be committed to the tasks presented to him by the coach. 4. Confidence An athlete’s self confidence has to do with his sureness or feeling that he is equal to or better than the task at hand. The athlete has to be sure of his ability to succeed. The coach should enable the athlete to resist his professional setbacks (Miller & Kerr, 2002). He should act as the source of an athlete’s self confidence by helping to improving his performance. He should be involved in the success of the athlete and should persuade the athlete to have a steady physiological and emotional state. If an athlete is confident, the likelihood of him performing well is higher (Rodriguez, 2008). Importance of coach athlete relationship on performance Many official sports organizations, for example, UK Sports and Sports Coach UK support that coach-athlete relationship is the foundation of coaching. The relationship between a coach and athlete should be a respectable and meaningful relationship and appreciation for each other (Huber, 2013). This is crucial to performance because the relationship is entrenched in the self-motivated and multifaceted coaching processes. The relationship provides the platform through which the needs of both the athlete and the coach are expressed and fulfilled. The National Coaching Foundation in the UK highlighted that coach-athlete relationship is responsible for trust, dependence, power, friendship, respect, bonds, communication, cooperation and commitment between the coach and the athlete. When coach-athlete relationships are effective, they lead to positive growth and development of both the coach and athlete (Jowett & Chaundy, 2004). Recommendations For a coach to effectively play his role in the development of athletes, and to ensure a meaningful coach-athlete relationship, he must have the ability to: a. Evaluate the athlete’s training and his own performance as a coach b. Communicate effectively with the athletes c. Understand learning principles and training processes d. Understand the capabilities of athletes e. Effectively advice athletes on crucial matters such as health, nutrition and safety f. Prepare tailor-made and individualized training plans that fit the needs of each athlete g. Assist athletes to develop fresh skills Conclusion The report has identified numerous roles of the coach to the development of athletes. These roles can be summarized by concluding that the coach is responsible for identifying, planning and continually evaluating the development needs of the athletes. The coach is also responsible for managing and taking care of the safety and welfare of athletes. References Balague, G. (1999). Understanding identity, value and meaning when working with elite athletes. The Sport Psychologist, 13, 89-98. Huber, J. J. (2013). Applying educational psychology in coaching athletes. Illinois: Human Kinetics. Jowett, S., & Chaundy, V. (2004). An investigation into the impact of coach leadership and coach–athlete relationship on group cohesion. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice, 8, 302-311. Jowett, S., & Cockerill, I.M. (2003). Olympic medallists’ perspective of the athlete-coach relationship. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 4, 313-331. Jowett, S. (2003). When the honeymoon is over: A case study of a coach–athlete relationship in crisis. The Sport Psychologist, 17, 444-460. Kidman, L. (2005). Athlete-centred coaching: Developing inspired and inspiring people. New Zealand: Innovative Print Communications Ltd. Mageau, G. A., & Vallerand, R. J. (2003). The coach–athlete relationship: A motivational model. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21, 883-904. Miller, P. S., & Kerr, G. A. (2002). Conceptualising excellence: Past, present, and future. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14, 140-153. Rodriguez, D. (2008). Coach-athlete relations in professional sports; Efficacy vs. immediacy. Michigan: ProQuest LLC. Read More