Coaches & Athletes: Interpersonal Relationships

1. By Terra Miller Coaches & Athletes: Interpersonal Relationships

2. Coaching…? • What does it mean to be a coach? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4zqyRSPWZk • Knowledge (Werthner & Trudel, 2006) • Mediated – attending clinics • Unmediated – observing other coaches • Internal Learning – reflecting on their experiences • Other areas • Undergrad degree in phys ed • Knowledge from previous coaching experiences • Elite experiences in competition • Not all were once experts – Hitchcock, Parcells, Mourinho

3. Coach-Athlete Relationship Defined • Based on Interdependence Theory • The situation in which the coach and the athlete develop interconnected feelings, thoughts and behaviors • Collaborative Relationship

4. Collaborative Relationship • Collaborate – to work with another or others on a joint project • Aspects of a collaborative relationship: • Neither participant taking a superior role • A ‘team’ approach • Joint efforts • Both being open and explicit • The coach’s collaborative stance and demeanor • The coach providing rationales • The coach offering techniques which the athlete can choose whether or not to use • The coach admitting mistakes • Collaborative spirit

5. Important relationship because… • More successful together instead of separately • Ex: Clyde Hart & Michael Johnson (Track), Bob Bowman & Michael Phelps (Swimming), Mary Lou Retton & BelaKarolyi (Gymnastics) • Process Vehicle

6. Coaching Roles • Coach’s Role – directing, instructing, supervising, monitoring, training, performance, learning and development • Deals with intrapersonal, interpersonal and contextual factors • Enhances people’s capacity to achieve a goal or develop a specific skill • Work together with athletes in an effort to facilitate continuous skill development, maintain high levels of enthusiasm and ultimately achieve performance success

7. 3Cs + 1C Model of Relationship Quality – Jowett • Closeness • Reflects affective ties and includes interpersonal liking, trust, respect and appreciation • Ex: The athlete needs to trust their coach to have a certain degree of closeness that binds the relationship • Commitment • Ties that are long term • Ex: Maintaining a relationship through the good and the bad • Complementarity • Cooperative interactions • Ex: Understand that the coach is the dominant authority and the athlete is the submissive • 1C = Co-orientation • Interdependence that exists in interpersonal relationships • Ex: The athlete can easily interpret each direction given by the coach

8. Influencing Factors • Passion for the sport • Team cohesion and coach leadership • Coach-created motivational climate • Achievement motivation • Satisfaction with sport • Relationship satisfaction • Conflict and support • Empathic accuracy • Physical self-concept • Collective efficacy • Attachment orientations

9. What Does the Athlete Want from the Coach? • Teaching principles – being able to instruct • Can communicate about issues outside competition • Co-orientation - interdepence • Closeness – to develop the relationship • Confidence – being able to positively approach teaching

10. Coaching Behaviors and Their Consequences • Positive • Democratic style of decision-making • Social support and praise • Satisfaction of athletes with coach, increased sport enjoyment, self-esteem, more effort and success • Negative • High levels of criticism • Low levels of positive reinforcement • Decrease perceived confidence in athletes • Strong relationship between athletes’ liking of their coaches, and their perceptions of the ability of their coaches • ***Is there anyone who disagrees?***

11. Critical Moments in the Relationship • Six Common Characteristics of Critical Moments • 1. Intense emotions for the athlete. • 2. Intense emotions for the coach. • 3. A tension in the relationship between the coach and the athlete. • 4. A tension around the boundary of the coaching relationship. • 5. Unexpected and unforeseen. • 6. A qualitative change in the nature of the coaching relationship.

12. Taking the Good with the Bad • Recognize when something is wrong • Important to focus on goals, but also keep a strong focus on the relationship • Working through conflict allows for the coach and athlete to see strength of relationship • Both should know the value of the relationship and what they can do for each other • All relationships go through rocky times

13. References • Carter, A. D., & Bloom, G. A. (2009). Coaching knowledge and success: Going beyond athletic experiences. Journal of Sport Behavior, 32, 419-437. • Day, A., De Haan, E., Sills, C., Bertie, C., & Blass, E. (2008). Coaches’ experience of critical moments in the coaching. International Coaching Psychology Review, 3, 207-218. • Donahue, B., Miller, A., Crammer, L., & Cross, C. (2007). A standardized method of assessing sport specific problems in the relationships of athletes with their coaches, teammates, family, and peers. Journal of Sport Behavior, 30, 375-397. • Jowett, S. (2009). Validating coach-athlete relationship measures with the nomological network. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 13, 32-51.

14. Cont. • Jowett, S., O’Broin, A., & Palmer, S. (2010). On understanding the role and significance of a key two-person relationship in sport and executive coaching. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 6, 19-30. • Oberstein, S. (2010). Capitalizing on coaching challenges. T & D, 64, 54-57. • O’Broin, A., & Palmer, S. (2009). Co-creating an optimal coaching alliance: A cognitive behaioural coaching perspective. International Coaching Psychology Review, 4, 184-194. • Sanchez, J. M., Borras, P. J., Leite, N., Battaglia, O., & Lorenzo, A. (2009). The coach-athlete relationship in basketball: Analysis of the antecedents, components and outcomes. Revista de Psicologia del Deporte, 18, 349-352.