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COACH-LEADERSHIP STYLES

Leadership Resource 3

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What is Coaching?

“Unlocking a person’s potential to maximize his or her own performance. It is helping them to

learn rather than teaching them.

Center for Creative Leadership.

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What is a Coach? 2A coach transports a valued person from where they are to where they want to be.

old Webster

(slide courtesy of Lyn Johnston)

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COACH

onviction Driven: Never compromise beliefsverlearning: Ongoing learningudible – Ready: Know when to changeonsistency: Respond predictably to performanceonesty-Based: Walk your talk.

(Blanchard & Shula, 2001)

www.sportwellington.org.nz

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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)(Hinkson, 2001)

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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)

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Types of Coach-Leadership

There are different types of coach-leaders. Most of us develop one style that’s our favourite.

It is good to borrow from other

coaching styles when the situation calls.

(Hinkson, 2001)

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Task Oriented Coaching

Similar to but not the extreme of the traditional autocratic or authoritarian leader.

Focuses on the performance and the results.

(Hinkson, 2001)

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Athlete Oriented Coaching

The modern coach uses a democratic, athlete oriented style.

Coaches are there for the athletes, enable athletes’ motivation and focus is on the athletes.

It depends is the situational response to the needs of the athletes.

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Coach Leadership Styles

Command Style Characteristics

Decisions are made by the coach Athlete's role is to listen, absorb

information and obey Athletes are motivated extrinsically Athletes are treated as robots or

slaves, not like thinking human beings Athletes participate for the praise of

the coach or to avoid their wrath

(Martens, 1998)

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Coach Leadership StylesCommand Style Characteristics

Command style is historically prevalent Many novices or inexperienced coaches

adopt the command style Many coaches adopt command style

because it conceals any doubts they may have

Command style appears effective – good athletic teams need organisation

Can be effective if the coach’s primary objective is winning and if their authoritarian nature does not stifle athlete’s motivation

(Martens, 1998)

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Coach Leadership Styles

Command Style Characteristics

Athletes tend to be extrinsically motivated under a command style coach

The command style can alienate all but the highly gifted athletes

If your objective is to help athletes grow physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially through sport, and to help athletes learn and make decisions, and help people become independent, then the command style is not for you.

(Martens, 1998)(Martens, 1998)

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Coach Leadership StylesCo-operative Style Characteristics

Athletes know what is expected of them and have a say in those expectations

Mutual goals are clear and firmly set Coach is receptive to new ideas and

requests Athletes are given immediate feedback

on results Athletes are involved in decision-

making and goal-setting(Martens, 1998)(Martens, 1998)

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Coach Leadership StylesCo-operative Style Characteristics

Athletes enjoy their sport and show enthusiasm

Athletes are innovative and resourceful Athletes are more coachable because

they have freedom and choice Athletes are highly committed to

achieving levels of excellence Coach answers questions, encourages

players to ask questions and seek knowledge

(see Philosophy resource in Coaching Effectiveness Module for more characteristics)

(Kidman and Davis, 2007)

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Coach Leadership StylesSubmissive Style Characteristics

Coach’s input into the team is minimal Little formal instruction is given Activities and trainings are seldom

organised Team motivation and discipline are

lacking Coach resolves discipline problems

only when necessary

(Martens, 1998)(Martens, 1998)

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Coaching is about…

Coaching is about buildingrelationships….Coaches must earn trust….Successful coaches motivate

by building the coach-athlete relationship before anything else.

(Hinkson, 2001)

www.ausport.gov.au

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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)

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Athlete-Centred

Both empowering and athlete-centred styles may be described as ‘a process by which people gain control over the decisions affecting their lives’.

(Kidman, 2005)

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Coach-Centred Coach

This style of leadership describes ‘a person who coaches for

himself or herself, uses power to dominate and considers athletes

as only a means to an end’.

(Kidman, 2005)

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Athlete-Centred Coach

When a coach considers the athletes first and thus gives them choice and control, the athletes are empowered.

(Kidman, 2005)

Question Question Question

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References

Hinkson, J. (2001). The art of team coaching. Canada: Warwick.

Kidman, L. (2005). Athlete-centred coaching: Developing inspired and inspiring people. Christchurch: Innovative Print Communications.

Kidman, L. and Davis, W. (2006), Empowerment in Coaching, In J. Broadhead and W. Davis (Eds) , Ecological Task Analysis Perspectives on Movement, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Martens, R. (1998). Successful coaching. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.