Print this page

Coaching Styles We are now at your second most important decision as a coach — your coaching style. Your coaching style will determine: How you decide to teach skills and strategies How you organize your practice and competition methods How you discipline athletes What role you give athletes in making decisions Coaches lean toward being authoritarian, casual or cooperative. In the past coaches were more widely accepted as and expected to be authoritarian. In many cases, this is how they were coached and they adopted the same style. Today, athletes are encouraged to ask "why." Asking why is good because it allows athletes to be co-creators in their athletic experience. The following chart compares the three primary coaching styles.     Authoritarian Cooperative Casual Philosophy Win centered Athlete centered No emphasis Objectives Task objectives Social & Task Objectives No objectives Decision Making Coach makes all decisions Decisions are guided by coach, but shared Athlete makes decisions Communication Style Telling Telling, asking, listening Listening Communication Development Little or none High None What is Winning Judged by coach Judged by athlete and coach Not defined Athlete Development Little or no trust in the athlete Trust in the athlete Trust not shown Motivation Sometimes motivates Motivates all No motivation Training Structures Inflexible Flexible None   Ask yourself "what kind of coach do I want to be?"   As a coach, you want to find a balance in the styles that will allow you to be firm when needed while letting the athletes have fun and also letting them have a voice in their training and competition experiences. The team has to be well organized in order to function effectively and efficiently. The team or the athlete cannot have a vote in every decision that has to be made. As the coach, you provide the direction and instruction when it is needed and let the athletes make decisions and assume responsibility when appropriate.   Being an athlete is more than simply displaying athletic prowess. Athletes have to be able to cope with pressure, adapt to changing situations, keep winning and losing in perspective, show discipline and maintain concentration in order to perform well. By finding a balance within the various coaching styles mentioned, you place trust in the athletes, which helps boost their self-esteem and motivation. Athletes are not motivated by fear but by a desire for personal fulfillment. This means that you must be in control of both the athletes and yourself.

Prev Page                                                                 Next Page