Understanding The Integrative Nature Of The Coaching Process

Within the field of sports coaching there is a large array of models and guidelines that endure constant adaptation and evolution. Existing research includes various definitions, characteristics and models of the coaching process. Coaching process consists of multiple stages that the coach has to go through to assist the athlete to learn and improve a specific skill (Borrie and Knowles, 2003). This definition suggests that coaching process is limited to coaching sessions. However, current understanding advices that coaching is not something that is purely delivered, but it involves dynamic social actions that energetically engage both the coach and the athlete, and the goal is to achieve favourable results in organisation, training and competition

Researchers examined coaching process in a range of competitions and training sessions with certain aims to examine coaches’ knowledge and strategies, as well as coach-athlete relationships (Cushion et al., 2006). In the existing literature frequently cited model is the coaching practice model developed by Cote et al. (1995). Through collection of empirical data Cote et al. (1995) derived main components of the coaching process, which are competition, training and organisation. It has to be noted that all three components of the coaching process have a direct impact on shared coach-athlete goals which is essential in athlete’s development. First, the organisation involves establishing optimal conditions for training and competition environments by structuring the tasks in order to reach set goals. The organisation of tasks involves variables such as planning training sessions and interpersonal relationships - working with parents and assistants. The second component of the coaching process – training – involves helping athletes acquire and master various skills, this way recognising the importance of individual coaching styles and various coaching behaviours, which is part of effective coaching. Finally, during the competition coaches’ role is to use their knowledge to help athletes to perform to

(1995) chose the grounded theory as this study’s research approach to investigate the process of effective coaching. Grounded theory does not test or prove existing model but instead develops concepts and theories that account for the knowledge, experience and behaviours of individuals participating in the particular study; Cote et al. (1995) examined elite level gymnastic expert coaches. Therefore, it can be said that this model is grounded on a real world, effective coaching practice. Also, this model takes into account interpersonal relationships and contextual factors and therefore is applicable to established definition of the coaching process. However, the nature of so many factors of the coaching process described in this model, specifically, coach-athlete relationships and interaction, made this model extremely complex to use among field coaches who preferred more simplistic model. Future literature could look at establishing a more comprehensive model on coaching rather than examining each factor in isolation, this way making the model more applicable in practice and understanding coach’s role in athletes’ careers more