Junior Coaches Research Articles

A Chinese perspective on the actual and preferred sources of coaching knowledge

Efforts to improve coaching effectiveness require an understanding of the common sources of coaches’ knowledge acquisition. Sports coaches utilise multiple learning sources, yet limited direct evidence elucidates the manner in which Chinese coaches learn to coach and the evolution of their learning sources throughout their careers’ development. This research examines the actual and preferred sources of coaching knowledge for Chinese coaches and analyses changes in learning sources from Junior to Senior level coaches. One hundred coaches from China, including 60 Junior coaches, 23 Intermediate coaches and 17 Senior coaches, completed an online questionnaire. The survey results indicated that coaches acquire knowledge from formal, informal and non-formal learning situations. However, formal coach education (coach education programmes) is the most important source of knowledge acquisition for all coaches. Furthermore, as coaches develop, the sources to acquire knowledge will gradually change from athletic experience to interaction with other coaches. Based on these findings, we suggest that national sport governing bodies build more comprehensive coach education systems by establishing a scientific mentoring system and organising regular coach-themed clinics, seminars, meetings and so on. Future research is needed to examine how coaches in China’s dominant programmes learn to coach and how this learning is practically applied.

An exploratory investigation of junior-elite football coaches´’ behaviours during video-based feedback sessions

ABSTRACT Despite the growing qualitative research examining the complexities underlying the delivery of video-feedback, no study has yet explored coaches’ actual behaviours within this environment. Thus, this study aimed to explore junior coaches´ behaviours and their underlying rationales during team-based video-feedback. Twenty-two in-season sessions delivered by four junior-elite coaches were filmed and analysed. Following previous studies and advised by a panel of experts, the tool employed was adapted from the Coach Analysis and Intervention System and the Arizona State University Observation Instrument, to represent the study context. Subsequently, semi-structured stimulated recall interviews were conducted to elucidate coaches´ thinking, understanding, and rationalising of their behaviours. Data indicated a prescriptive approach to coaching within the video-feedback environment. Feedback was the most employed behaviour of all coaches, followed by silence, player participation, convergent, and divergent questioning. One coach had player participation as their second most utilised behaviour. Findings demonstrated varied levels of understanding for each coach and evidenced three different types of cognitive dissonance or epistemological gap between coaches´ behaviours and understanding. Therefore, future coach development programmes, specific to video-based feedback, would need to consider each individual coach baseline behaviour and cognitions before intervening.

Youth Leadership Development in the Start2Finish Running & Reading Club

Researchers have asserted that offering intentional leadership roles to youth can help them to develop life skills (e.g., communication, decision-making); however, few physical-activity-based positive youth development programs provide youth these intentional leadership roles, and little research has explored the impact of these opportunities on youth who take them up. The purpose of this study was to understand the developmental experiences of youth leaders in a physical-activity-based positive youth development program. Sixteen youth leaders (Mage= 13.37, SD = 1.36) from 4 sites of the Start2Finish Running & Reading Club participated in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences as junior coaches. Fertman and van Linden’s (1999) model of youth leadership development was used to guide the data collection and analysis. Through deductive-inductive thematic analysis, 3 themes were constructed: (a) awareness: developing into leaders started with seeing potential through role models, (b) interaction: learning by doing and interacting with others helped youth to practice leadership abilities, and (c) mastery: taking on greater responsibility allowed for opportunities to refine leadership abilities and develop a variety of life skills. These themes helped to bring an understanding to the processes involved in leadership and life-skill development. Practical and research implications are discussed regarding leveraging youth leadership opportunities in youth programming.

Identifying Factors Perceived to Influence the Talent Identification in Iranian Futsal Players

Objectives: To identify possible key factors that help in predicting success over time in futsal, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the talent identification process in Iranian futsal players. Methods: 74 subjects including 6 national team coaches, 54 junior coaches of Tehran premier league, 14 university professors participated the study. Data was collected in a standardized form as self-administered questionnaire. Friedman’s Test was used to analyze the data. Results: It was found that there was a significant difference between effective factors of talent identification in Iranian futsal players. Psychological factors, physical fitness and skill levels were of utmost importance in identifying the talents in futsal. In addition, it was shown that, anthropometric traits, skill levels, physical and motor fitness, social-psychological factors had a significant different priorities in the process of talent identification. The most important factors were respectively: fat percent (of 5 selected anthropometric indices), dribbling skills (of 7 selected skill-based indices), muscular endurance (of 8 selected physical fitness indices), fair play (of 5 selected sociological indices), and anxiety control (of 10 selected psychological indices). Conclusions: Given the nature and requirements of the games, futsal players need the specific characteristics of psychological factors, physical fitness and skill levels which predominantly improve their overall play to achieve peak performance leading to success in various competitions.

Identifying Factors Perceived to Influence the Talent Identification in Iranian Futsal Players

Objectives: To identify possible key factors that help in predicting success over time in futsal, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the talent identification process in Iranian futsal players. Methods: 74 subjects including 6 national team coaches, 54 junior coaches of Tehran premier league, 14 university professors participated the study. Data was collected in a standardized form as self-administered questionnaire. Friedman’s Test was used to analyze the data. Results: It was found that there was a significant difference between effective factors of talent identification in Iranian futsal players. Psychological factors, physical fitness and skill levels were of utmost importance in identifying the talents in futsal. In addition, it was shown that, anthropometric traits, skill levels, physical and motor fitness, social-psychological factors had a significant different priorities in the process of talent identification. The most important factors were respectively: fat percent (of 5 selected anthropometric indices), dribbling skills (of 7 selected skill-based indices), muscular endurance (of 8 selected physical fitness indices), fair play (of 5 selected sociological indices), and anxiety control (of 10 selected psychological indices). Conclusions: Given the nature and requirements of the games, futsal players need the specific characteristics of psychological factors, physical fitness and skill levels which predominantly improve their overall play to achieve peak performance leading to success in various competitions.

A comparison of game-play characteristics between elite youth and senior Australian National Rugby League competitions

ObjectivesTo compare game-play characteristics between elite youth and senior Australian National Rugby League (NRL) competitions. DesignLongitudinal observational. MethodsThe dataset consisted of 12 team performance indicators (e.g., ‘all runs’, ‘offloads’ and ‘tackles’) extracted from all 2016 national under 20 (U20) competition (elite youth; n=372 observations) and National Rugby League (NRL) (elite senior; n=378 observations) matches. Data was classified according to competition (Two levels: U20 and NRL) and modelled using two techniques. Firstly, non-metric multidimensional scaling resolved multivariate competition (dis)similarity, visualised using a two-dimensional ordination. Secondly, a conditional interference (CI) classification tree was grown to reveal the performance indicators most capable of explaining competition level. ResultsNon-metric multidimensional scaling revealed high competition dissimilarity, with U20 and NRL teams orienting distinctive positions on the first dimension of the ordination surface. Five team performance indicators were retained within the CI tree (‘all runs’, ‘tackle breaks’, ‘tackles’, ‘missed tackles’, and ‘kicks’), which correctly classified 79% of the U20 observations and 93% of the NRL observations. ConclusionsMultivariate differences between elite youth and senior rugby league competitions were identified. Specifically, NRL game-play was classified by a greater number of ‘all runs’, and ‘tackles’ and a lower number of ‘missed tackles’ relative to the U20 competition. Given the national U20 competition is purported to assist with the development of prospective NRL players, junior coaches may consider training interventions that primarily aid the tackling capacities of players. This may subsequently assist with talent development and player progression in Australian rugby league.

What Influences Collegiate Coaches’ Intentions to Advance Their Leadership Careers? The Roles of Leader Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancies

The purpose of the current study was to examine the influences of leader self-efficacy and coaching career outcome expectancies on intentions for advancement in leadership careers of collegiate assistant coaches in the United States. We also investigated psychosocial antecedents of these factors and explored gender differences. Female and male collegiate assistant coaches (N = 674) participated in an online survey consisting of measurements of leadership career advancement intentions, leader self-efficacy, and coaching career outcome expectancies, and their putative antecedents (i.e., developmental challenges, head coach professional support, family-work conflicts, and perceived gender discrimination). Results showed that leader self-efficacy and coaching career outcome expectancies were related to coaches’ leadership career advancement intentions. Developmental challenges and head coach professional support were positively related to leader self-efficacy, while family-work conflicts and perceived gender discrimination were negatively related to coaching career outcome expectancies. Findings also suggested that female assistant coaches may have higher coaching career outcome expectancies, but lower intentions toward leadership career advancement, leader self-efficacy, and developmental challenges than male assistant coaches. The study findings suggest ways to advance junior coaches’ leadership careers.

Investigating the Teaching Styles of Tennis Coaches Using The Spectrum

Abstract It is unknown what teaching styles (range of pedagogies) coaches are employing during coaching sessions and whether these teaching styles are associated with recommended pedagogical principles advocated by sport and coaching scholars. It is unknown whether twenty years of coach education has shifted coaching practice as the insights into the pedagogical diversity and preference of teaching styles that underpin and inform the coaches’ decisions to employ particular teaching strategies during coaching sessions are undetermined. This paper addresses these unknowns in the field of tennis coaching in Australia by reporting the findings of a study that address the lack of information on the teaching styles employed by tennis coaches by asking the following research question: What teaching styles are junior coaches in Australia actually using during coaching sessions? This study used The Spectrum (Mosston & Ashworth, 2008) of teaching styles as a tool to assess the observed teaching styles of twelve junior coaches. Contrary to the educational convictions of Australian sport coach education materials the results from this study indicated that the coaches in this study potentially did not offer players developmental opportunities beyond a limited range (i.e., motor skill development in the physical learning domain) due to a narrow pedagogical mix in their coaching.

Attitudes and behaviours of top-level junior rugby union coaches towards the coaching of proper contact technique in the tackle – a pilot study

Background. Coaching strategies for effective technique and injury prevention have been proposed for the tackle. Despite this, little isknown about current coaching attitudes and the behaviours of coaches towards proper contact technique in the tackle, especially at thejunior level.Objective. To report on the attitudes and behaviours of junior rugby union coaches towards coaching of proper contact technique in thetackle.Methods. Seven coaches of the top 8 rugby-playing schools (Premier Division) in the Western Province Rugby Union participated in thestudy (representing 88% of the entire population of top-level junior coaches in the region). Coaches completed a questionnaire, modelledon previous research, surveying attitudes and behaviours towards tackling.Results. Proper technique for injury prevention was rated as very important (57%) and important (29%), with 14% undecided. Propertechnique to improve performance was rated as very important (57%) and important (43%). To further develop coaching knowledgeand to develop new training methods, ‘coaching colleagues’ (very much – 71%; mean rating 4.7; 95% CI 4.3 - 5.2) was rated as the mostoften used.Conclusion. Collectively, the coaches in this study demonstrated a positive attitude towards injury prevention and performance. Additionalmeans of communicating information to coaches, other than the traditional channels, have also been highlighted here.

Attitudes and behaviours of top-level junior rugby union coaches towards the coaching of proper contact technique in the tackle – a pilot study

Background. Coaching strategies for effective technique and injury prevention have been proposed for the tackle. Despite this, little isknown about current coaching attitudes and the behaviours of coaches towards proper contact technique in the tackle, especially at thejunior level.Objective. To report on the attitudes and behaviours of junior rugby union coaches towards coaching of proper contact technique in thetackle.Methods. Seven coaches of the top 8 rugby-playing schools (Premier Division) in the Western Province Rugby Union participated in thestudy (representing 88% of the entire population of top-level junior coaches in the region). Coaches completed a questionnaire, modelledon previous research, surveying attitudes and behaviours towards tackling.Results. Proper technique for injury prevention was rated as very important (57%) and important (29%), with 14% undecided. Propertechnique to improve performance was rated as very important (57%) and important (43%). To further develop coaching knowledgeand to develop new training methods, ‘coaching colleagues’ (very much – 71%; mean rating 4.7; 95% CI 4.3 - 5.2) was rated as the mostoften used.Conclusion. Collectively, the coaches in this study demonstrated a positive attitude towards injury prevention and performance. Additionalmeans of communicating information to coaches, other than the traditional channels, have also been highlighted here.

Attitudes and behaviours of top-level junior rugby union coaches towards the coaching of proper contact technique in the tackle – a pilot study

Background. Coaching strategies for effective technique and injury prevention have been proposed for the tackle. Despite this, little isknown about current coaching attitudes and the behaviours of coaches towards proper contact technique in the tackle, especially at thejunior level.Objective. To report on the attitudes and behaviours of junior rugby union coaches towards coaching of proper contact technique in thetackle.Methods. Seven coaches of the top 8 rugby-playing schools (Premier Division) in the Western Province Rugby Union participated in thestudy (representing 88% of the entire population of top-level junior coaches in the region). Coaches completed a questionnaire, modelledon previous research, surveying attitudes and behaviours towards tackling.Results. Proper technique for injury prevention was rated as very important (57%) and important (29%), with 14% undecided. Propertechnique to improve performance was rated as very important (57%) and important (43%). To further develop coaching knowledgeand to develop new training methods, ‘coaching colleagues’ (very much – 71%; mean rating 4.7; 95% CI 4.3 - 5.2) was rated as the mostoften used.Conclusion. Collectively, the coaches in this study demonstrated a positive attitude towards injury prevention and performance. Additionalmeans of communicating information to coaches, other than the traditional channels, have also been highlighted here.

Ensuring implementation success: how should coach injury prevention education be improved if we want coaches to deliver safety programmes during training sessions?

Coaches play a major role in encouraging and ensuring that participants of their teams adopt appropriate safety practices. However, the extent to which the coaches undertake this role will depend...

The Role of Parents in Tennis Success: Focus Group Interviews with Junior Coaches

This study was designed to investigate experienced coaches’ perceptions of the parent’s role in junior tennis and identify positive and negative parental behaviors and attitudes. Six focus groups were conducted with 24 coaches. Content analysis of coaches’ responses revealed that most parents were positive influences and espoused an appropriate perspective of tennis, emphasized child development, and were supportive. In contrast, a minority of parents were perceived as negative, demanding and overbearing, and exhibiting an outcome orientation. New findings included parents’ setting limits on tennis and emphasizing a child’s total development, as well as the identification of behaviors that represent parental overinvolvement and that negatively affect coaching. Results are discussed relative to sport-parenting literature, and practical implications are outlined.