Coaching Development and Education

The relationship is more important than the science

I have spoken before about how coach education is in need of an overhaul. I believe that sport coach education is generally focused on the wrong things as it tends to be about the physiology or the training instead of the relationships. While the physiology is important, it is not the most important facet in most coaching scenarios. In fact, in some ways, coaching education should mirror teacher education in that relationships and team management skills need to take center stage over the X’s and O’s. As I have said before, the struggle for coaching is the fact that it is a profession born of volunteerism with very few coaches having formal education in their craft. They are getting information and instruction from their National Governing Bodies (NGBs) at times, but very little formal education in relationships and team management. Secondly, the role models for the profession are generally very high level coaches that are at the top of the sport and are working with athletes to whom the last 1% of improvement is critical. I will not argue that at the highest level the science and the training is paramount; however, for the vast majority of the profession, the other 99% is far more important. Many coaches are trying to mirror the process and the training of the highest level of coaches instead of focusing on how to best serve their athletes. In coach education, we need to put the relationships first, the subject matter of training is actually secondary.

Let’s look at what is required for a teaching degree. Teaching certificate requirements vary from state to state, but generally a bachelor’s degree, specific teaching education and student teaching are all required as well as background checks. Generally, all that is required for a coach is a background check, Safesport education and perhaps an exam from the NGB. Yet, as noted in an earlier newsletter, athletes will often point to their coaches as the largest and most important influences in their lives. Meanwhile, coaches have been exposed to a dramatically lower threshold of education and instruction and the majority of that is in the training and physiology of that particular sport. This is a scary combination.

I have been privy to attempts to revamp the coaching education systems in multiple sports in the US as they try to gear education more toward the relationships between coaches and athletes. The newer systems are looking at how to work with people and less about the science and the sport specific knowledge that coaches are presumed to need. The pushback from coaches has been, to me, troubling. I have been told that it doesn’t make sense or that the new information isn’t relevant to the profession or even that we are creating less qualified coaches. I think we need to compare teaching and coaching to see the why I disagree with the criticism of the new programs.

The goals of our education system are rooted in the age of the child being taught and our sport systems seem to mirror this. However, while teacher education focusses on the age of the child and tailors the teacher’s education toward age specific learning, coach education in general does not. Instead, coach education is the same no matter the level of the coach or the age or ability level of the athlete. We are giving coaches of 8 and 9 year old athletes the same information that we are giving coaches of elite athletes. Furthermore, the majority of what has been taught in the past was about physiology and training for that sport. This does not help the coach of the young athlete or the beginner athlete. They instead would benefit from instruction on how to manage multiple young athletes in a sport setting or how to encourage an older athlete to try a new sport later in life.

Additionally, sport coaching must be tailored to the sport age of an individual. In other words, we would never train a newbie 30 year old triathlete like we would a 30 year old national age group champion. Both the maturity or actual age of the athlete and the sport age of the athlete (which for the newbie is 1) have to be taken into consideration. I would argue that for both of these athletes, the relationship and trust between coach and athlete is far more important than the workouts given. Of course, there needs to be enough knowledge to do no harm physically and mentally through training, but look at all the different methods of training that work in sport. Whether is be USRPT versus volume in swimming or polarized versus sweet spot in cycling, many methodologies work. Especially when the training age is low. What really sets athletes apart is their own personal love for the sport and their drive. It is very similar to what makes a great student; drive to learn and love of learning. That is exactly what teachers of elementary students are trained to do. They are taught how to create a safe, fun place to grow and taught to instill a love of learning. That’s what our main goal needs to be when training coaches. We need to train them to create safe, joyful environments in which to learn the sport and instill a love for that sport. This is especially true at the youngest ages, both sport and actual.

This also ensures safe environments for athletes as joy and love for the sport are valued over performance. Much like in the education system, the goal should be life long learning and enjoyment rather than PhD’s or the Olympics for everyone. Generally, the athletes that become professionals and the students that go to the highest level of learning are internally driven. The role of a teacher or a coach is to foster that drive and at times even keep it in check rather than to push their charges. Leave it to the college professor to teach astrophysics, much like Olympic style training should be left to a specific type of coach. In other words much like a third grade teacher does no to need to know calculus, a coach that works with beginner and even intermediate athletes does not need to read the latest paper on fatigue resistance. However, relationship and team management style education is not just reserved for the beginner or intermediate coach. The experienced coach is often desperately in need of this type of instruction. Many of us have experienced that college professor who’s knowledge base is profoundly deep, but their teaching or people skills are highly flawed. Much like that professor, many high level coaches lack the people and athlete management skills required to continue to foster the love and joy that most athletes depend on for success. They too would benefit from ongoing coach education centered around relationships and athlete support.

I have long called for further and different education for coaches. To me, it is the first and most effective line of defense to protect athletes from physical, mental and sexual abuse. There are encouraging developments within NGBs and their education systems for coaches that are focusing on the “soft” side of sport science. However, the lack of understanding by athletes, their parents and the coaches themselves of what drives performance and success has created resistance to these changes. The relationship the athlete has with sport is what creates both champions and life long athletes and together these groups drive the success of sport. Great coaches enhance this relationship and quality coach education can encourage them to do so.