Role of the coach in the coach-athlete relationship

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The relationship that exists between a coach and an athlete can be both extreme and powerful. A coach has tremendous influence on the physical and psychological development of their athletes. The main responsibility of the coach is to enable their athletes to attain high levels of performance. Coaches therefore need to motivate athletes and establish the right conditions for learning. Effective coaches have many skills. They should, for instance, be good communicators and have a working knowledge of the learning processes, and of the teaching methods, training principles, and assessment procedures associated with their sport. These skills enable a coach to fulfil five defined roles—those of teacher, organiser, competitor, learner, and friend and mentor.

Teacher — This role is the most immediately recognisable function of a coach. Training involves the provision of tuition about physical, tactical, technical, and mental aspects of the sport.

Organiser— Typically the least enjoyable or rewarding part of being a coach is the organisation of practices and competitions, and the scheduling, planning, and transportation of athletes—that makes for a successful season. Organisation, however, helps a coach to prepare for training and for competition, and is crucial for success in all sports. A coach must have an explicit plan or vision, especially in team sports. It is vital for a coach to begin every season by outlining the steps necessary to achieve success.

Competitor—Throughout the day of competition, the coach must attend to various tasks. These tasks differ from sport to sport. Coaches of teams play a more active part in competitions than do coaches who work in individual sports; having to make athlete substitutions, call time-outs, and interact with officials. Individual sport coaches are often passive observers during competitions. Coaches in team sports also tend to be more emotional than those in individual sports, in that they are more likely to experience the same emotions as many of their athletes. This emotional response affects the content and focus of the post-competition meeting with athletes.

Learner—A coach should be continually learning about their sport and improving their abilities as a trainer.

Friend and mentor—Coaches have the opportunity to develop strong relationships with their athletes and to take on the role of friend and mentor. This process involves being a positive role model, discussing problems, sharing successes, offering support when needed, and even providing counselling when necessary. This aspect of coaching can have a strong positive or negative effect on the athlete and affects their feelings of satisfaction with the coach-athlete relationship.

Successful coaches seek to improve athletes’ lives both inside and outside of sport. There are some differences between those who work in individual sports and those who work in team sports. Athletes in individual sports often feel closer and more committed to their coaches than do team players. But if a coach is wrong, a gifted athlete might never achieve his or her potential.

Coaching is an art as well as a science. A coach has to assimilate a vast amount of information and scientific data about their sport, and translate it into practical coaching and training programmes. The success or failure of this process relies heavily on the coach’s experience, availability of resources, knowledge of the event or sport, and their relationship with the athletes that they are coaching. By understanding the scientific principles that surround their sport, a well designed training programme can be developed that will help an athlete reach their full potential. The art of coaching is in the understanding and application of the science.

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Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1438