Category: Coaching

Generally there is a misconception about coaching and mentoring; it is assumed these are one and the same and although some similarities maybe present there are also significant differences. However, both are practices that target personal or professional development.

Coaching focuses on specific skills, knowledge and development goals by breaking them into tangible tasks to be completed within a specified period of time. It is a non-directive form of development aiming to improve a persons’ job performance with the focus of achieving organisational objectives. Coaching is based on individual and organisational goals and can be used for various reasons e.g. addressing individual and organisational change, handling complex problems, development of leaders etc. It is development focused, facilitates critical thinking and decision-making, takes place on a one-to-one basis and can be informal or unstructured. Also, the agenda is owned by the individual not the coach.

Sometimes coaching can also be confused with training but again, there is a significant difference. Training is more learning focused, trains something specific, provides new knowledge and skills, often takes place with groups, is structured, is led and driven by the trainer and can be a one-time event.

Mentoring is a process used to support the development of less experienced or new staff members. A mentor, in simple words, is someone who offers their knowledge, expertise and advice to those with less experience and by doing so, they will guide the person in the right direction which could ultimately, result in better efficiency across the organisation. Its focus is to help individuals improve skills and manage their career. Again this is based on individual and organisational goals and used for various reasons i.e. improving productivity, to support a learning culture, build diversity, to enhance cost effectiveness etc. There are several different context where mentoring may be applicable e.g.

• Peer mentoring – Individuals at the same level providing skill training;
• Situational mentoring – mentoring for a specific purpose/skill;
• Formal mentoring – with a defined beginning and an end.

There are obvious similarities between coaching and mentoring, both are about increasing individuals’ effectiveness in the work environment with its overall objective to improve performance or achieve and sustain high performance in the organisation. Coaching and mentoring is also beneficial in developing self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills which are vital for work and life success and if these are achieved, the individual will feel better about themselves and about their work, then the quality of output will improve.

Apart from those already mentioned, coaching and mentoring may have many other benefits:

• Help to encourage loyalty in the company
• Supports effective communication
• Gives a positive work experience
• Supports retention
• Supports resolution management/boundaries
• Supports team efficiency
• Empowers individuals and encourages them to take responsibility
• Increases employee and staff engagement
• Helps identify and develop high potential employees
• Helps identify both organisational and individual strengths and development opportunities
• Helps to motivate and empower individuals to excel
• Demonstrates organisational commitment to human resource development

In relation to coaching and counselling/therapy there is also similarities e.g.

• they both create an atmosphere of trust, non-judgement, and support
• they both want you to find your own answers that work for you
• both counselling and coaching focus around good listening and asking you good questions
• they both have the goal of helping you reach your potential etc.

But fundamentally, coaching is action orientated, it helps you recognise what you think helps you set and achieve goals, challenges you frequently etc. Essentially this is positive and forward thinking whereas, counselling and therapy is coping orientated where counsellors/therapists want to help you realise how you feel, recognise and solve your problems in life, support you with empathy and understanding etc. (although they might gently challenge you.) Counselling and therapy have a greater focus on gaining an understanding of the reasons why the person has the problem they have.

Clearly there are many benefits to coaching and mentoring but to enable this to be undertaken effectively organisations need to have a strategy in place which is based on the expectation of what direction they see their company going, what they want to achieve etc., they will also need to consider how this is likely to be implemented, cost implications and also the short and long term impact. Coaching and mentoring is not something just to be done because it sounds good and other organisations are doing it; this should be a clearly defined role with the right people having the responsibility of such positions. Organisations need to put in what they expect to get out e.g. in the short term there will be additional cost implications i.e. paying coaches additional pay or allocating additional hours, training and supervision for those who are the coaches and mentors, allocating rooms for such sessions to happen, training which may be identified from receiving coaching and mentoring etc. By getting this right from the onset the rewards will speak for themselves in the long term.

Introduction

In order to be considered as a growth oriented organisation, developing Human Recourse should take a place in organisation’s priority .HR is a resource with undefined potential capabilities where can be invested in. Human Resource Development “is a system deals with this potential by identifying, focusing on it to design activities with specific time to produce behavioral changes that benefit the organisation and the employee” as Leonard Nadler defined HRD. Coaching is a tool that HRD use to change employee’s behaviors by improve their skills, knowledge and abilities.

This essay will discuss how coaching can be used as a learning practice in organisations. This will be seen, firstly by discussing the coaching nature and differentiate it from training and monitoring, compare and contrast the perspective on learning by coaching and its types from researchers, scholars, managers and HRD professionals’ sides and then see what implications these perspectives do have for HRD, and lastly will see which practices are more practically useful to implement in the workplace. In this essay will be focusing on peer and managerial workplace coaching.

Nature of coaching

Coaching seen as a not clear concept. As per HRD professional’s perspective, they have seen coaching as a term is similar as mentoring, training, instructing or counseling and other one on one tool that used in the HRD learning facilitation. (Toby Egan, Robert G. Hamlin 2014). Similarly, the researchers claimed and even gave evidence of how HRD textbook has been neglected coaching topic. According to Andrea D. Ellinger and Sewon Kim (2014) there is recently no global definitional agreement on coaching. However, coaching from managerial perspective, they indicated that it has been signified in the literature since 1950s (Hagan and Peterson 2014). As per the majority coaching as a terminology is needing to have more attention and more research that clarify this concept.

Growth of coaching definitions

Nowadays there are predictable 53,000 practicing coaches world-wide (Forbes, 2017) and the number of coaching linked to academic courses has increased rapidly in the past 10 years (Grant, 2016). Which improve that coaching is an efficient tool that take a place in development HR.

Coaching is defined as “a human development procedure that includes structured, focused communication and the use of appropriate strategies, tools and techniques to promote suitable and maintainable change of benefit of the coachee and others”. (Bachkirova, Cox and Clutterbuck 2014).

Coaching, mentoring and training

To distinguish between coaching and mentoring we can see that mentoring seen as long-term procedure created by shared trust and respect that focused on building an informal relationship between the mentor and mentee while coaching is for a short period of time, follows a more planned and formal style. On the other hand, training is about transferring knowledge while coaching is about enhancing knowledge.

Coaching as a learning presented

The primary reason of establishing any organization is to make profit out of its operation and to ensure sustainability. Sustainability occurs by improve the individual learning and developing human potential. As per Cox coaching is gaining popularity and become one of notable activities that assist the learning and development aims of HRD. As per coaches’ perspectives they stated that “clients coming back because of coaching works.”

Managers see that using coaching style helped them to change in organizational culture. On the other hand, employees confirmed that coaching was more motivating and created more trusting relationships with their managers. Since everyone has different leaning style, some learns more visual than others, and other learns by doing while other learns by reading and writing, thus when coaches choose how client best learns, they can develop their best coaching practices that can bring the maximum benefit.

Area of knowledge relevant to coaching.

Many theories of adult learning seen as a key in the process of learning and change that happened during the coaching process. (Andragogy, experimental learning, transformative learning.) these theories influence the coaching practices.

There are three key foci for coaching relationships structure, theories and approaches that bring insight explore the interaction richness of coach and coachee relationship. Cox see coaching should have all the three components from structure to the theories reaching to the approaches adapt. In fact, the coaching relationship is viewed as a vehicle for change. Coach has to focus on his/her relationship with the coachee not only on how to improve the performance. Coach should have many competencies such being active listener, excellent communicating skills that can build a trust with the coachee. Malybia et al (2014) present how should both coach and coachee have similar role in coaching process not only the coach. Coach with strong interpersonal capacity and a readiness to be a real helper and to engage as a dyadic partner can contribute to impactful coaching relationship more than in coaching team.

Forms of coaching

coaching is a growing HRD-related area that has many forms like internal or external workplace coaching, dyadic or group coaching, managerial or peer coaching. I will focus on managerial and peer coaching. As per Hagan and Peterson they claimed that managerial and executive coaching got more researchers attention than peer coaching similarly Dimas, Rebet and Lourenco confirmed.

Managerial coaching

Managerial Coaching is become increasingly popular in organizations. Managers, by acting as a coach, are taking more responsibility for helping employees succeed excellent performance. On the other hand, organisation is trying to develop its own competency from its own manager. Managerial coaching is developed to guide HRD practices, (Gallup Poll .2015) found that up to 70 percent of employee engagement is impacted by the relationship between employees and their manager. Because managers have such influence over how engaged their team members are. Hence, it’s important to skill managers with leadership skills.

Cognitive-behavioral approaches have proven successful in improve managers coaching skills, increasing rational beliefs, increasing their general fulfillment towards the teams they were coordinating, as well as the performance of these teams David, (O. A., & Matu, S. A. 2013).

Peer coaching

Experience transferring when there is no power of authority exist. Researchers have different point of view some see it as one to one (2 people relationship), while others refer it as a team activity or a group of two or more relationship.

Aspects of peer coaching seen as clear and specific goals. The goal of peer coaching

As per scholars’ point of view is skill acquisition while researchers said goals should be determinant and be a part of process. The greatest agreement appears to consider peer coaching as a process method or approach.

Implications of coaching for Human Resource Development: Peer coaching used as low-cost tool and when no power differential exists.

In organisations they use Whitmore’s GROW model which focus on coaching process through goals development, review of multiple options and sustained effort.

It is used and has obviously impact seen in nursing and medical context.

The peer coaching outcomes:

• Personal outcomes in term of development and growth
• Professional outcomes in term of performance improvement and skill sets
• Intended outcomes.

Managerial coaching used when power of hierarchy implemented. In each organisation there is a mission and vision determine its identity, and strategic goals designed to achieve them. HRD job is to improve the contribution of their employees to be aligned with the organisation goals. Since each employee has different learning style and in order to perform better, coaching practice should be design and choose according to employee learning style to make sure that best outcome will be the result of coaching process. From the point of view of HRD, “selecting and engaging coaches would mean careful consideration of the current learning and development agenda of the organization, knowledge of the main coaching orientations and genres, and consideration of matching between them.”

Best coaching practice

The diversity of coaching approaches allows coaches to apply the most appropriate model to meet organizational and employee’s needs, there is need to consider the issues facing the employee and the organization decide which model appears to drive the coaching learning and performance and select appropriate coaching approaches.

From my point of view, and depending on what the researchers has been done on coaching topic I found managerial coaching most effective. especially if the manager has high interpersonal and social skill. Although researchers argued that external coaching has more effective than internal but I relay on what Gallup mentioned about how employee influenced by their managers. Beside manager- employee is a long-term relationship, which has impact in long term as well. Any form of coaching can be effective if designed based on what suit coachee style of learning. Coaching is an effective tool to bridge the gap that employee has. Organisation should implement it in its developmental plan for its managerial level in order to improve the performance management system.

Conclusion

As has been mentioned, coaching is considered as a learning style in the organisations. Additionally, the coaching approach depend on the target of coaching, the client(employee) level of education and best way of learning that can help employee to achieve their coaching aim parallel to the needs of the organization. Human Resource Development (HRD) plays a very important role in improving the employees’ learning and performance. So, Coaching is an effective tool to help each employee in the organization to fully use their abilities, knowledge and skill. Coaching can be in different form can be as a peer or managerial or workplace coaching. Coaching helps in sustaining a relationship between the employees in an organization. It has positive effect on organisation outcome overall.

This report will intentionally explore the connection (if any) between Junior Football Coach practices and Coaching best practices. A current junior coach has been assessed by assisting to a training session and a ‘game day’, as well as been interviewed. The analysis of his character and actions versus the concept of ‘best practices’ showed a positive result in the goal to archive to comply with the definition. Route of this exploration helped by an evaluation model applied from the sports development and coaching and knowledge acquired on course at Holmesglen. The added textbooks and peer-reviewed lectures highlighted the analysis. As a result of the puzzling judgment, will conclude in the decision if the judgment of his coaching model/style compares to the theory of best coaching practice. The manifestation that a positive matching upshot will happen between the comparisons, it is assumed by the evaluation done in presence of the training session and ‘game’ day. Evaluations will describe a matching perspective the coach behavior, actions and activities to assess the best practice comparison. Recommendations and suggestions based on what viewed at training session/s have been made, with the only intention to help the coach to improve in future training sessions and archive a better outcome.

Introduction

A Junior Coach from Skye F.C was contacted via e-mail, and Eduardo Pineda replied an accepted attendance required for this report. Two training sessions of this junior sports team were attended in order to research and evaluate coaching methods versus ‘best practice’ coaching. Notes were taken throughout. Also, a short interview was conducted in regard to the experience and history in coaching. Eduardo Pineda is 24 years old and arrived in Australia a few months after leaving El Salvador, place he was born. The main influence during his childhood was his father, involving him in football, sport that he describes as ‘’his main love’’, Eduardo said. He played amateur football for many years until recently decided to follow the coaching pathway offered by the Football Federation of Australia. Early 2019 he completed the Football Coach course Part ‘B’ of the Licence ‘C’ offered by the State Football Federation. Also, he completed the AldiRoos Certificate, to gain experience in managing a team and mentoring kids. He has been in this role of Coaching since January 2019, coaching a total of eleven players, ranging from 5 to 7 years old. He arranged two training sessions during the week, and Saturdays mornings is ‘game day’, who he describes a fun game with many goals, but no scores.

Literature Review

Executive coaching is a growing as a career around the world, particularly for leadership development. More than 70% of formal leadership development programs in organizations use some sort of coaching (Zenger & Stinnett, 2006). A survey stated that coaches spend almost half of their time serving managers at all levels of the organization, not just top-level management (Sherpa Consulting, 2011). Coaching is also becoming increasingly important in Asia with its growing economic and business prominence on the global scene (Wright, Leong, Webb, & Chia, 2010). Different coaching models are in existence, and even more if sport-related. For the sport in analysis, the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) have been leading the way with a long term commitment to the continued support and education of coaches across Australia, visible in the long term ‘Whole of Football’ vision plan (FFA, 2019). The report analysis search for what makes a coaching process an effective one, and through recommendations based on the insights of the coaching model, will provide some useful details for the report. A key variable in the success of any coaching engagement is what training and practices coaches use with their teams. But what exactly are those practices? and what results it has? The report tries to compare the coach evaluated (Eduardo Pineda) versus ‘best practices’ in coaching.

Methodology

The definition of ‘best practices’ was done by ’A Descriptive Design’ method, seeking to label the current status of a variable (Eduardo Pineda). The tools for this research: Holmesglen Library and peer-reviewed content from articles and textbooks. Google scholar and Internet public articles in conjunction with many audio-visuals coaching styles provided by the Lecturer in-class guided the definition of best practice for this specific analysis. The report conclusion will be stated by a comparison of two variables: the coach and the coaching practices.

Background of the Coach Evaluated

Eduardo is a young and energetic coach. His Latin background shows in his passion for the game. The interaction with the children happens in a natural manner. He communicates loud and clear, and always finishes questioning back if the team understood. He said in the interview that he played the game of football since he was a kid, and adds up that his fist gift, was a football ball. He also affirmed during this chat, that the AldiRoos course provided free by the FFA, gave him the basic plus many more resources to guide him during training sessions and game day. ‘’At this age, it’s all about having fun… and the game is the teacher’’, he said. He knew there was an opportunity in the club by one the children parents, and applied in the club website for the available position.

Other Observations

His personality analysis looks ethical and fair, but strict and personal at the same time. Perception of him as a role model by the team it’s obvious to the assessment. The fact of been all his life attached to football, resemble a trustee feeling within the audience/parents. The permanent interaction with all kids/players encourages admiration as a leader by the parents. With the implementation of new online platforms, he wants to increase the participation numbers for next year. Building a supportive environment, during training, he appears to be in control of the football ecosystem surrounding him.

Defining ‘best practice’ coaching

To better understand the concept of ‘best practices’ coaching, the reports based on the definition of ‘best practices’ as: “Methods and techniques demonstrated and modeled by the executive coaching professional that has been deemed to be effective and practical when applied to specific coaching engagements and contexts.”(Francis, 2011). Assuming as ‘’context’’ in this case scenario, as the manipulation of the rules of the sport, to be played and enjoyed by children.

Defining ‘Coach’

The leadership techniques are well distinctive by the four leadership theories described by Bass and Avolio. As per context, by a long observation for this report, the ‘Transformational approach’ theory relates to a ‘leaders been charismatic’, which describes Eduardo’s leadership style the most. Accusing this theory, common similitudes, relate with extra identical ‘qualities’ and methods that work well for the coaching process, making this theory one of the more accommodating theories for coaching children of early age. Coaching at this age should facilitate the players discovery of the football objectives, plus basic player actions. All of these, in a fun, interactive, safe environment.

Coach Evaluation

During the training session the coach was well organized. The drills included several benefits thanks to the modified rules applied by the coach. Some examples showed ‘Positioning’ of the player in the pitch, first touch skills, running and striking with the ball and communicating within the team. At the age of these children, all these practices are fundamental to prepare the player functional game skills. The experience of the coach was demonstrated by the structure of the session. The session could be described as a fast paced, active, interactive and fun practice, but more important, with the modified practical methods and rules, they are playing football. Which for this case, this papers settles as the best approach for the ‘best practice’ coaching.

Coaching versus ‘best practice’ coaching and Recommendations

Coaching versus best practice coaching is very difficult to analyze as at such a young age, the best practice is to have the children playing and having fun, in a football environment. And for this evaluation strong argument show best practice been applied during training.

Three strong arguments to support the best practice have been applied with successful results noted can be described as:

• Idealized influence: Being admired, respected and trusted by the players proclaims him as a role model. Great example of many individuals representing the ‘Idealized influence’ of the coach demands.
• Inspirational motivation: Demonstrating passion and confidence always, an asset of this coach, controlling the players’ attention. Each training session consists of a different exercise or drill. Organization in planning the session gives him great results providing intellectual stimulation to all these young minds. Archiving the task proposed by the coach felt like a mutual achievement within the team, even chanting for/to each other’s to support the activity.
• Individual needs: Represented in modifying the activities to be practice by children of such a young age, but still developing motor skills for a possible future player. The individual interaction, the respect to the activity and many other examples relate individual needs been under special attention.

The coach evaluation shows high standards of knowledge and leadership for the position. The lack of an assistant coach could help the timing of the reset in between drills. Also, the possibility to assess the correct execution of the activity. Club resources cannot afford the addition of another coach, then the recommendation is subjective to more resources from the club, not the coach. The low participation numbers do not appear to be related to coach practices.

Conclusion

In this report, we described a coach evaluation in comparison to ‘best practice’ coaching. We argued the leadership type or style, discussed several approaches of the coach practices, ultimately resulting in a discussion about similarities between Eduardo Pineda model and best practice coaching. To conclude identifying his leadership with similar qualities and examples of a ‘Transformational’ leader; who are goal oriented, influence others towards the same objective. While empowers a plan with modified game rules, effectively build skills in his team/players. A strong charismatic character easily managed the young team attention toward playing for a mutual goal, while having fun. Impressive qualities and attitude, undeniably matching Eduardo with coaching best practices.

In addition, understanding what “success” in coaching looks like, and how to measure it, would greatly contribute to the research and practice of coaching. By understanding coaching best practices from the perspective of those who coach, this first step in the research will help other coaches to fine-tune their own approach and learn how to best coach, regardless of circumstance, level in the organization, or cultural context.

The field of coaching has much to gain from the application of theoretical knowledge to practice, including increased credibility and improved outcomes for stakeholders. This approach requires coaches to respond to the individual in front of them by integrating research evidence and personal expertise (Stober, Wildflower, & Drake, 2006), with the aim to effectively facilitate behaviour change via goal-directed self-regulation (Good, Yeganeh, & Yeganeh, 2013; Grant, 2012). Two perspectives that have clear theoretical relevance to achieving this aim are the cybernetic theory of self-regulation established by Carver and Scheier (1998) and the mindfulness theory proposed by Shapiro, Carlson, Astin and Freedman (2006). While each of these theories can be applied advantageously to coaching practice in their own right, applied together new insight can be gained into the potential value of their application to coaching.

Cybernetic Theory of Self-Regulation

Carver and Scheier (1998) conceptualise human behaviour as fundamentally goal-directed and feedback-controlled. This view has clear significance to coaching which is typically characterised as a goal-focused activity, where goals facilitate the movement from a current to more desirable state (Grant, 2012). In this context, self-regulation may be defined as the process by which a system maintains both stable and responsive functioning in order to achieve specific goals, despite environmental disturbances (Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000; Vancouver, 2000). An examination of Carver and Scheier (1998) offers insight into the process of attaining goals through elaboration of the central component of all cybernetic control systems – the feedback loop (Carver, Johnson, Joormann, & Scheier, 2015).

From this perspective, self-regulation consists of movement though a series of feedback loops that have four key elements: a reference value, an input function, a comparison process, and an output (Carver & Scheier, 2012). An example that is particularly relevant to coaching is the negative (discrepancy reducing) feedback process, which characterises the application of effort to reach a particular goal (Grant, 2012). Applied to an individual’s behaviour, this requires: knowledge (on some level) of a goal or desired state (reference value), a perception of what the current condition is (input function), the ability to evaluate whether the current condition matches the desired state or not (comparison processes), and finally, the ability to produce behaviour (output) that reduces discrepancies between current and desired state, in order to reduce the associated aversive emotion and create change in the direction of goal attainment (Carver & Scheier, 2012). This view of self-regulation offers the important insight that successful goal pursuit is not just about the ability to act, but that actions are formulated in direct response to an individual’s perception of their current conditions (input; Carver & Scheier, 2012; Powers, 1973). In the context of coaching, this understanding reveals possible sites of intervention to help facilitate behaviour change, for example, addressing distorted perceptions of current conditions by examining thinking errors and developing new thinking skills (Palmer & Szymanska, 2008).

The view of goals presented by Carver and Scheier (1998) is not monolithic, instead, goals are conceptualised as references values in the process of self-regulation that may be static or dynamic and that exist across many different dimensions (e.g. concrete-abstract). This is an important consideration in the context of coaching, because different types of goals may impact the performance and experience of coachee’s differently (Carver et al., 2015; Grant, 2012).

Mindfulness Theory

The mindfulness theory of Shapiro et al. (2006) was developed with the aim to illuminate the potential mechanisms that explain how mindfulness practice may effect positive change. The perhaps most commonly cited definition of mindfulness, “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4), embodies the core components of mindfulness postulated in their theory: intention (“on purpose”), attention (“paying attention”) and attitude (“in a particular way”; Shapiro et al., 2006, p. 375). These three building blocks, or axioms, of mindfulness interact dynamically and occur simultaneously in the moment-to-moment process of mindfulness (Shapiro et al., 2006). Intention, or why one is practicing mindfulness, may be dynamic and evolve over time (Shapiro et al., 2006). The inclusion of intentionality as an essential feature of mindfulness is significant to coaching practice, as research suggests that an emphasis on both the goal and the processes increases the likelihood of goal attainment (Gollwitzer & Oettingen, 2013). In the context of this theory, intention emphasises the process through a focus on the purpose and direction rather than the end point (Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000).

Attention, the observation of one’s moment-to-moment experience, is at the core of mindfulness practice (Shapiro et al., 2006). Increased attentional control is hypothesised to be an important outcome of mindfulness practice (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013) and significantly, from a coaching perspective, it is hypothesised that increased attentional control in turn increases self-regulation and enhances self-efficacy (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013; Shapiro et al., 2006). The qualities that are brought to the act of paying attention constitute the final essential component of mindfulness outlined by Shapiro and colleagues: attitude. Rather than viewing mindfulness as “bare” attention (Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007), Shapiro et al. (2006) suggest that individuals may learn to attend to their experience with attitudes such as non-judgement, acceptance, compassion and patience, by making these attitudes of attention explicit.

Together, these three core components of mindfulness form an overarching mechanism of mindfulness: a significant shift in perspective as a result of disidentification with the contents of one’s thoughts, which engenders greater clarity and objectivity in moment-to-moment experience – a process termed reperceiving (Shapiro et al., 2006). This increased capacity to view one’s experiences with greater objectivity is arguably not only the hallmark of mindfulness, but also a fundamental aspect of the process of development (Kegan, 1982).

Applications to Coaching Practice

The major contribution of Carver and Scheier (1998) from the perspective of coaching, is a conceptualisation of the way self-regulation directly impacts goal attainment. The centrality of this understanding to coaching practice is well established (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013). Rather than examining the mindfulness theory of Shapiro et al. (2006) as an alternative perspective, perhaps the greatest value can be gained by examining how these theoretical approaches might be applied together in coaching practice. Specifically, by examining how mindfulness theory may be used to enhance the application of the cybernetic theory of self-regulation in the coaching context.

First, Carver and Scheier (1998) offer the insight that to successfully facilitate goal attainment, the coach’s time would be well spent developing the coachee’s ability to monitor and compare their current behavioural patterns to their desired state, as well as facilitating the modification of action plans or goals, where necessary (Grant, 2012). However, the theory seems to assume behaviour change occurs ‘automatically’ in response to discrepancies, without exploration of the need for deliberate attentional control to sustain goal focus in the face of outside disturbances that impact goal attainment – a significant concern given the increasing distractions present in modern life (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013). If a coachee struggles with the process of self-regulation, no specific insight is offered by Carver and Scheier (1998) as to how this may be improved. Mindfulness practice is one tool which may be used to improve the coachee’s capacity to access the material contained within the negative feedback loop through non-judgemental attention (Shapiro et al., 2006). In this way, mindfulness actually enhances the self-regulation process. This includes access to aspects of experience that may have been previously avoided by the coachee due to negative emotion (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002). Therefore, the application of mindfulness as a part of the movement towards goal attainment might be particularly significant for coachee’s experiencing negative affective states, such as anxiety (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013).

In addition, through the process of mindfulness, the mechanism of reperceiving may also help the coachee clarify their values, such that they are able to select more self-concordant (autonomous) goals (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013; Shapiro et al., 2006). Research would suggest that this in turn improves goal striving, wellbeing and ultimately goal attainment (Deci & Ryan, 2001). Thus, where the cybernetic approach of Carver and Scheier (1998) offers the coach insight into the structure of effective self-regulated goal-oriented behaviour change that can be applied to direct a coachee’s goal attainment, the mindfulness approach of Shapiro et al. (2006) provides the coach with a potential mechanism for developing the content of those goals.

Third, the cybernetic approach of Carver and Scheier (1998) can be applied neatly to performance coaching, but by combining this approach with mindfulness practice, the coach may better support the developmental aspirations of a coachee, through the mechanism of reperceiving (Shapiro et al., 2006), while working to facilitate change at a performance level.

Finally, as the coach uses their theoretical knowledge of Carver and Scheier (1998) to effectively facilitate behaviour change through goal-directed self-regulation, how they go about doing this may be enhanced by their own participation in mindfulness practice. For example, by using mindfulness practice to create appropriate mental space prior to coaching, maintain focus and presence during coaching, and enhance self-monitoring of their own emotional state throughout (Passmore, 2017).

Future Directions

While the two theoretical perspectives outlined here are clearly significant in the context of coaching, neither one offers a panacea. While the focus in the section above has been on how a mindfulness approach may be used to enhance the application of the cybernetic theory of self-regulation in the coaching context, the mindfulness theory of Shapiro et al. (2006), is not without limitation itself. For example, their proposed mechanisms of mindfulness are yet to be systematically tested. Further research is needed in order to empirically validate these hypotheses. Based on the literature it seems evident that both theories have considerable applicability to coaching practice, yet while there are a number of outcome studies examining the effect of self-regulation on goal attainment in the coaching context (Grant, 2012), mindfulness has rarely been examined in the coaching context (Passmore, 2017). More mindfulness-based coaching outcome studies are needed which contain a clear definition of mindfulness, including its underlying mechanisms (Cavanagh & Spence, 2013).

Coaching Psychology Is a type of service that people can access and get professional help for if they feel that they may need the help to have a happier and healthier lifestyle. Coaching Psychology focuses on the positive aspects of ones life, and is based on ones positive and strengths and looks at ways that you can utilise these strengths to make an individuals feel more content about life, achieve goals and become more prosperous. Within Coaching

Psychology there are also different approaches, such as the humanistic, solution focused and motivational interviewing approaches. This essay will discuss why these three different coaching psychology approaches exist. The humanistic coaching approach focuses on the assumption that people can grow and develop. Motivational Coaching looks at trying to increase the intrinsic motivation for the coachee which in turn hopefully will help with behavioural motivation. And the solution focused approach, as in its name suggests, helping the individual to find a solution to the problem rather than focusing on the problem too much.

The Solution Focused approach as mentioned above will help the coachee find a solution and will put emphasis on focusing on the strengths of an individual rather than the weaknesses. Rather than trying to resolve the problem directly, the coach will put importance on the coaches skills, knowledge and experiences. The role of the coach is to make the coachee feel empowered and confident in oneself, which will In turn help the coachee find and execute solutions which will help them. The coach will try and help the client by teaching them techniques hoping that the coachee will use these techniques to their own benefit. There is an emphasis on ‘‘Solution Seeking’ rather than ‘Problem Solving’’ The historical influences of the solution focused approach include, John Weakland, Alfred Adler, and Milton Erikson. There does not appear to be a single founder where this approach originates from, however it did originate from Family therapy. Developed by a group of therapists working in a therapy centre in the USA in the 1980s, the leaders of this group were Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg. Family members would often argue about problems and who was to blame for the problems, this would then in turn make family members defensive about themselves, which would lead to the members of the family incompetent and unable to make the personal changes needed to sort the problems. Because of this the team of therapists decided to do a different technique and make the family members focus on what the solutions and the situation would look like if things improved. It was discovered that when the families were asked to focus on the more positive aspect, a better progress was made, so as the family focused more on the solutions, more problems were actually solved. From then, solution focused coaching has a vast following and is used by many practitioners for their individuals and groups including: education, mental health, and sexual trauma.

On a whole solution focused coaching is a very minimalist and simple principle. It follows Occam’s principle which states that ‘it is vain to do with more what can be achieved with fewer’. A strategy built upon this will be more likely to be helpful to the coachee than bringing about something that may seem foreign to the individual, as SFC is focused on the own individual’s strengths and qualities. Some of the assumptions in SFC coaching are: Helping the clients establish solutions with little or no analysis of the problems. People have competencies and resources that they are sometimes not aware of. Clients already have many ideas about their preferred futures, and are also carrying out helpful actions in the present day. The focus is on the present and the preferred future, although the past is important as this is where we have learnt from our mistakes and successes. It is also not essential to understand the causes of problems although sometimes it can be helpful –

Looking for a reason behind the problem can lead to searching for something or someone to blame which is what this approach wants to avoid. Through the eye of the coach, the tasks of a SF coach does not assume that they know exactly how to fix the coachee’s problems, instead of doing this they will help their coachee on learning how to succeed when things have gone right, this will be done by focusing and building upon the coachees existing set of strategies they use to solve problems rather than introducing something that the coachee is not familiar with. The coach understands that ‘one size fits all’ does not work for most people. The coach must also have a positive outlook and explore the different paths for a preferred future is essential, this also means that the coach should be cost and time efficient. The coach’s role is not to provide solutions to help the coachee but more so being a facilitator who asks questions instead of providing answers. The questions that SF coaches ask are open ended which requires the coachee to give a detailed answer which then the coach can ask further questions. An example of a question would be ‘what are the differences that it would make to you when you achieve your goals’.

The key tasks for a solution focused coaching psychologist is to ask the client, or the coachee to focus on changing their short term goals into long term goals, managing to make exceptions for problems, looking at what resources they have (skills, strengths etc), the steps they need to take in order to succeed, strategies that need to be used to achieve progress. Coaches in this field see the coachee as the expert for their own lives.

Random act of kindness

After undergoing research relating to the different ways in which I could carry out a random act of kindness , I decided that personally , for me , completing the gratitude letter would prove itself more fulfilling . The way in which results are presented when a random act of kindness is completed differ for each person . The levels of happiness we feel can change over time once completing the random act of kindness or in some cases it may stay the same for awhile and then die down once the initial rush of adrenaline has faded . For me , I felt that a gratitude letter would work the best choice for me . In doing this I felt I could really reflect on the words I was writing on the piece of paper I was sending to the unsuspecting person who would receive it . Along with this I felt it was a good way in utilising my strengths and what I feel was important for me to gain happiness. As I chose to do this anonymously, I felt myself being brutally honest in what I was writing as I had no restraints or no fear of being laughed at or judged for my feelings . The paper felt like a metaphor to me , as I wrote how I felt and how grateful I was for this person I felt lighter in myself and once I sent the letter it felt like I had gotten so much off my chest that didn’t know I had buried inside myself . A gratitude letter is usually done to boost character strength and increase happiness in both people involved .

After completing the exercise, I felt an initial rush of gratitude for the person I chose to send it to, but I also found myself reflecting on how grateful I am for other people in my life and how they have impacted my life for the better . If I had chosen to send this letter in person and not anonymously like I did , I feel there would be a huge improvement in the relationship myself and the person share , perhaps they would have returned their gratitude they have for me , thus increasing my happiness even further and for a longer period of time . I found this exercise to be extremely beneficial yet the happiness and reminiscing only lasted for about a week or less . I feel it would be unrealistic to say I would repeat this exercise a couple of times a month to boost my happiness and the happiness of others , but what I would recommend would be to keep a gratitude journal . This journal would be personal and each night or even one a week one could write their own private gratitude letter or simply what they feel grateful that week or that day .

One research study that stood out to me when I was choosing which exercise to conduct was the study conducted by Chan, D.W., 2010. . The study’s aim was to see if and how gratitude can influence humility and happiness in school teachers , which in turn wold be extremely helpful for clients seeking coaching who need a fast boost of happiness in their lives . The teachers involved were asked to keep a weekly diary and write down or mention three good things that happened to them during the week and what they felt grateful for and record them using a count‐your‐blessings form. Results were astonishing as teachers were said to feel less symptoms of a burnout due to all the stress and work they had to deal with in the class room and at home .When the more grateful teachers who were involved in this experiment were compared with less grateful teachers who acted as the placebo for the experiment , the more grateful teachers said that meaning and gratitude were seen as vitally important for happiness . The teachers who took part in the gratitude exercise were also said to have a greater sense of achievement than the less grateful teachers. One could defiantly apply this to their own lives like I did in preparation for this assignment and take on their own happiness intervention . The results that are achieved speak for themselves .

How does gratitude contribute to coaching?

I would like to discuss something I feel has helped me in my search for gratitude and happiness . The law of attraction is an ancient law which simply helps one to have everything they want in life , given they have the correct tools and mindset to do so .From reading the book “the secret” , “ it shows us how to apply this powerful knowledge to your life in every area from health to wealth, to success and relationships.”

The Secret is everything you have dreamed of and wanted in life… and now it’s in your hands. Using this along with my strengths in gratitude I found myself looking at life in a much different way . Success is something we must attract not something that can just come to us . I feel that using gratitude and the law of attraction in psychology coaching we can fully charge our energy field with positivity that will help you to attract all the positivity that we desire . Our happiness is linked to what we are striving to become not what we can get out of it , that comes naturally with the changes we must start making to ourselves and that’s where psychology coaching can play a part . Coaching is helping one learn their potential in life to be or to get what they want , teaching someone to do this does not apply here, coaching psychologists are specialists in behaviour change they are not used to tell you or force you to change , coaches are the support behind it all .We can work on using gratitude to meet new people and make new friends as well as work towards making current friendships and family relationships better .Gratitude interventions or exercises similar to the one I carried out for this project can be used to apologize, fix or help solve other problems people may be experiencing in their lives , as well as give us a greater meaning to life. We cannot use gratitude in a selfish way , for example we cannot tell someone we are grateful for them or try to fix a situation to make ourselves feel better or to receive something in return such as compliments or gifts .We must use gratitude in the correct way to benefit from its powers and advantages.

When we look at gratitude and how this may be linked to the law of attraction or furthermore how it can be useful in coaching , we clearly see how clients can use this law as a tool to achieve happiness . The closer we are to the source of happiness and love the more we receive , gratitude comes into play here , counting our blessings and being grateful for what we have in life can attract more of this love and positivity into our lives . positive and happy Thoughts and actions help our brains in releasing chemicals in the body which in turn become positive or negative emotions. As someone who has been practicing the law of attraction for two years, I have found that when I actively and religiously announce why I am grateful and how lucky I am for the blessings in life , the more luck I receive . When we are releasing our positivity , kindness and love into the universe we attract positive energy back into our lives , it is key to be on the same wave length as the positivity we thrive to obtain in our lives . The more grateful we are the more good things we will receive and over time more rapidly.

Studies show that the use of gratitude in peoples lives contribute to overall happiness and success. Adolescents and young adults who report higher life satisfaction or positive affect earn significantly higher levels of income in later life or sometimes even in just a 10-year span of time . “The study’s results are robust to the inclusion of controls such as education, , physical health, gratitude, self-esteem, and later happiness.”( De Neve, J.E. and Oswald, A.J., 2012. ) . In coaching when one needs to be pushed in the right direction , promoting gratitude and happiness is the key to success , being disheartened and disappointed with your life will not help in achieving later success.

It is said to have a major impact in mental health and well-being. In the signature strengths exercise I chose to develop on my strength of gratitude and humility which helped me in completing the gratitude letter but another way in which you could incorporate gratitude into coaching is using the signature strengths exercise developed by Seligman to promote happiness . Martin Seligman who created the VIA strength test to identify our signature strengths so that we can work on this strength and use them more in our live . Gratitude is one of the strengths listed in the VIA test . When we have identified our strengths and use them more daily, we can see more flow in our day to day lives and the more situations we use our strengths in the more our life the happier and more content we feel . This test is used a lot in coaching and helps so many people in identifying what they are good at rather than what they are bad at and find difficult . We waste so much time on fixing strengths we do not have or that we are not good at , instead of working on what comes naturally to us and makes us happier . In Seligman’s VIA , we can see that the strength that is closely linked with happiness is gratitude . Seligman, Martin E.P. (1991). Research has found several important links between these character strengths and valued outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction, achievement).

Gratitude not only benefits our mental health in several ways, but our physical health is also improved . If this is the case , gratitude exercise and the use of gratitude should most definitely be integrated into coaching .

Upon my research regarding coaching forums and online websites which offer coaching classes I came across ways in which gratitude may benefit the profession and the person seeking the coaching

• Gratitude helps one cope with stress and trauma
• Steers us towards becoming a better person
• Strengthens relationships
• Promotes self-worth and self esteem
• Less likely to compare yourself to others
• And many more examples. (Stewart , 2019)

When one seeks out coaching , gratitude is seen to be one of the factors which we need to take on to make fundamental changes in our lives , When we are feeling low and in some cases depressed and anxious it may be extremely difficult to turn around and list what we are grateful for , but starting small and simple will be the start in a new found happiness . Turning situations which bring us hurt and rage or frustration into something we are grateful for could be the start of a new intervention . For example , if an individual was having a particularly hard day and to top it off, they got caught in the rain , they should turn this into a positive where they should be grateful, they can feel the rain water on their skin and grateful they are able to walk the streets and be around nature . Not everyone is lucky enough to feel and experience these things . As we do this simple step every day, we begin to feel the emotions linked with this gratitude .

In a recent study which teaches us about effective ways to incorporate gratitude into coaching is a study conducted by (Emmons and McCullough, 2003) .One group in this experiment kept a gratitude journal and wrote in it every day for several weeks . Compared to another group which also kept a journal , they wrote things that annoyed them everyday . Results showed that those who kept he gratitude journal felt an inner joy , expressed happier feelings , succeeded in their goals , attracted good things and felt much more vibrant than the other group. They felt so much less energised and in turn unhappy which made them tired and unmotivated . Gratitude does not work when we compare ourselves to others . Just like in coaching you are working towards a better you , not a you who you are comparing to others .

Using the wheel of life which is a wheel made up of categories such as career , family , attitude , relationships etc , and incorporating it into gratitude may also be an option in achieving happiness and goals . We cannot make changes in our lives and look for more and more blessings in life until we can understand and be grateful for what we have . Using the wheel of life, we can identify what we are grateful for and only then , think of ways to expand our desires in each area . This is a very easy and helps us understand that balance can be good, and we do not need to thrive for perfection in each category . Alternatively, a wheel of gratitude may be needed before we turn to a wheel of life when one may find it difficult to identify their blessings. Along with all these points’ gratitude can be linked to happiness thus lengthening one’s lifespan and reducing chances of danger . Those who are more content and happier I their lives are more likely to avoid risky behaviour . An example of this would be from a study conducted by (Goudie et al, 2012) . Happier more grateful drivers are more likely to wear a seat belt whilst in the car , Goudie argued that risky behaviour in drivers is all due to an underlying sense of happiness in the individual themselves .

Gratitude is not just an action , it is a positive emotion we all have within us and when used properly it becomes important in serving us a purpose which brings us positivity.

In conclusion I would recommend using gratitude in positive psychology coaching . I have experienced its effects and benefits myself and there is so much research to back up its powers . Despite all these things , if we do not hold the correct mind set and optimism it is very difficult in believing the factors, I have discussed will help in achieving happiness . In a study which examines the “extent to which people believe Seligman’s analysis and which individual difference factors are related to these beliefs” , it shows us how different people with different characteristics may react to change . (Furnham, A., 2015) . It is interesting to see how different mindsets including a growth mindset may react to certain situations . This is a vital step I feel in coaching psychology as this may be a huge barrier for an individual who is seeking out help. The conclusion which was identified from this study was that “lay people” did not believe or agree with Seligman’s ideas and theory that characteristics we have could be changed by some sort of intervention like therapy or coaching . These beliefs that the lay people had were related to various characteristics and beliefs deeply ingrained into them. Questions were asked ranging from childhood trauma , Homosexuals cannot become heterosexual., Our moods, which can wreak havoc with our physical health, are readily controlled etc etc . This was an important area of study for Seligman as these individuals’ beliefs and thoughts about change and coaching/ therapy were related to pathways to help-seeking and advice giving . (Furnham, A., 2015)

Bibliography

1. Stewart, J. (2019). Positive Psychology Coaching: 10 Amazing Discoveries About Gratitude. [online] Schoolofcoachingmastery.com. Available at: https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coaching-blog/bid/110298/Positive-Psychology-Coaching-10-Amazing-Discoveries-About-Gratitude [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019].
2. Emmons, R.A., McCullough, M.E. and Tsang, J.A., 2003. The assessment of gratitude.
3. Goudie, R.J., Mukherjee, S., De Neve, J.E., Oswald, A.J. and Wu, S., 2014. Happiness as a driver of risk‐avoiding behaviour: Theory and an empirical study of seatbelt wearing and automobile accidents. Economica, 81(324), pp.674-697.
4. De Neve, J.E. and Oswald, A.J., 2012. Estimating the influence of life satisfaction and positive affect on later income using sibling fixed effects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(49), pp.19953-19958.
5. Seligman, Martin E.P. (1991). Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York, NY: Pocket Books.
6. Video – Martin Seligman talks about positive psychology
7. Forgeard, M.J.C. and Seligman, M.E.P., 2012. Seeing the glass half full: A review of the causes and consequences of optimism. Pratiques psychologiques, 18(2), pp.107-120.
8. Furnham, A., 2015. What you can and can’t change: Lay perspectives on Seligman’s Guide. Psychology, 6(12), p.1450.

Introduction

Exercise Physiology has broad medical advantages by emphatically influencing all organ frameworks of an athlete’s body. The secrets of human physiology and the versatile reaction to intense and interminable exercise preparing, to a great extent, have been clarified through exercise science.1 Physiology has a rich history of revealing a portion of the constraints of activity execution in both wellbeing and illness. Exercise physiologists have considered a physiological reaction to physical action, exercise, sport, and athletic rivalry, though clinical exercise physiologists use practice preparing/remedy in the avoidance and recovery of acute and ceaseless infection. For some, the idea that “activity works” to improve the practical work limit and metabolic wellbeing are plainly evident. Exercise physiology is a clinically demonstrated, perception, essential mediation that can delay, and much of the time forestall, the wellbeing troubles related to metabolic disarranges.1 Along these lines, the pessimists may address, “Why do we have to know more?” Clearly, a similar methodology could be taken to the investigation of stoutness the realization that limiting nourishment admission forestalls heftiness, so “for what reason do people have to know more?” actually ailments, for example, cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes are expanding, and all in all these ailments represent an incredible risk to current society. While pharmacological medicines do battle metabolic maladies are deficient, numerous clinical result estimates initiated by long haul practice programs are of a comparable or more prominent extent to those applied by medication or insulin treatment.2 While one can securely say practice keeps you fit and abstaining from excessive food intake keeps you thin, there stay numerous questions in our comprehension of the unpredictable science behind assorted variety in the versatile reaction to these systems among people and populaces. Portraying the method, by which ordinary exercise preparing modifies human physiology among people and contrasting populaces will prompt the recognizable proof of atoms, pathways, and at last new medications that give the advantages of activity to improve insulin affectability, protect mitochondrial energetics, and constrict loss of solidarity and force with maturing.1 With this perspective, we will layout a portion of the notable disclosures in the field of activity physiology and how early endeavours and key revelations have formed present-day investigate questions intended to comprehend the restrictions of human execution. We will likewise talk about current endeavours to explain the wellbeing advancing advantages of activity and how propels in sub-atomic medication may present increasingly customized ways to deal with clinical exercise physiology. The field of physiological science has developed from observational field studies to refined robotic investigations joining physiology, natural chemistry, and sub-atomic science. The absolute most squeezing research addresses today have their underlying foundations in important early disclosures all through the most recent hundred years.3

Long Term Adaptations that Occur in the Cardiovascular, Respiratory and the Muscular Systems

The cardiovascular structure gives the association between pneumonic ventilation and oxygen usage at the cell level. During exercise, powerful transport of oxygen to working skeletal and heart muscles is fundamental for the upkeep of ATP creation. The equine cardiovascular response to extended enthusiasm for oxygen movement during exercise adds, all things considered, to more than 35-cover augments in oxygen take-up that occur during a submaximal workout.4 Cardiovascular yield during exercise increases extraordinarily inferable from the, for the most part, high heartbeats that are practiced during exercise. Heartbeat increases proportionately with an exceptional job that needs to be done until beats close to maximal are cultivated. It is essential that action beats six to various occasions resting values are not related to a fall in stroke volume, which is kept up by splenic pressure, extended venous return, and extended myocardial contractibility. Notwithstanding the unprecedented changes in cardiovascular yield, augments in beat during exercise are kept up inside reasonably more diminutive cut off focuses, as both pneumonic and fundamental vascular insurance from the circulation system is diminished.1

Redistribution of the circulatory system to the working muscles during exercise in like manner contributes massively to the compelling transport of oxygen to goals of most unmistakable need. Higher work rates and oxygen take-up at submaximal beats in the wake of getting ready to recommend an alteration due to setting up that engages dynamically capable oxygen movement to work the muscle. Such a change could be in either the circulatory system or arteriovenous oxygen content complexity. Cardiovascular yield during submaximal practice doesn’t increase in the wake of getting ready, anyway looks at using quick treadmills and estimation of heart yield at maximal heartbeats may reveal overhauls in maximal oxygen take-up in light of extended stroke volumes, as occurs in individuals. Improvements in haemoglobin centres in blood during exercise in the wake of planning are seen, yet at maximal exercise, hypoxemia may decrease vein oxygen content.5 Logically convincing redistribution of heart respect muscles by extended CA pillarization and progressively viable oxygen scattering to cells may moreover, be huge techniques for growing oxygen take-up in the wake of planning.

Extreme exercise prompts alterations in the cardiovascular system. Human assessments during the 1960s and ahead indicated that serious exercise achieves increases in heart yield, extended vascular conductance, a progressively conspicuous perfusion breaking point of the muscle, and increasingly imperative oxygen extraction, with a subsequent augmentation in energetic power. The muscle biopsy framework was furthermore beginning to be used in individuals mulling over decisions of periphery changes in the readied skeletal muscle and revealing an extended oxidative breaking point and extended restricted thickness in arranged muscle.6 During the 1980s, Bengt Saltin and accomplices developed the single-leg knee extensor model and used it to blend in with the thermo debilitating framework to overview skeletal muscle circulatory system and give extra confirmation to the speculation of a central obstacle in oxygen transport limit. Since this time period and not entirely with the use of these strategies, endless examinations have tended with the effects of extraordinary exercise on modifications in the cardiovascular system and the basic instruments. Such assessments have given information unequivocally into the dimensional and valuable upgrades in the heart and how vascular limit and the full scale and littler scope vascular improvement is impacted by extreme exercise. To the extent instruments, it has obviously been demonstrated that shear pressure is a central factor in vascular acclimations to getting ready.

Shear pressure, which is the force that the blood applies to the endothelial cells as it travels through the vein, is improved during high-impact practice, when perfusion in the muscle is extended many-cover. Shear pressure is recognised by mechanosensory on the endothelial cells provoking a serious augmentation in vascular conductance regardless, more fundamentally, it in like manner impacts the announcement of proteins in the vascular mass of centrality for vascular limit and vascular advancement.7 The two changes in vein estimations and the advancement of arterioles and vessels are acknowledged to be uncommonly affected by shear pressure. The present article discusses verification for alterations in the cardiovascular system considering extraordinary exercise and takes the examined through changes and related segments in heart muscle, blood, vein structure, and the microvasculature in skeletal muscle yet furthermore rapidly addresses modifications in tissues other than the dynamic muscle. The review has an accentuation on individuals yet moreover, joins data from animal considers.

Central Adaptations to Exercise Training

At the beginning of activity, pulse and stroke volume increment, so heart yield intently coordinates the metabolic interest of the working skeletal muscles. Cardiovascular yield, the result of pulse and stroke volume, may increment in first-class female and male competitors, separately, during maximal exercise drawing in huge bulk.3 This articulated impact of activity preparing on maximal cardiovascular yield would be relied upon to involve a basically and practically improved heart in the prepared state. This cardiovascular preparation adjustment was first portrayed over 100 years prior by Henschen, utilizing just an essential physical assessment with cautious percussion to distinguish the development of the heart because of athletic movement in cross-country skiers.8 Henschen reasoned that dilatation and hypertrophy of the left and right half of the heart were available in prepared people. The utilization of chest radiography and advancement and mechanical refinement of echocardiography all through the 1970s and 1980s have given the technique to a definite assessment of preparing initiated morphologic and useful changes in the prepared heart.

Additionally, expanded end-diastolic components of the right (RV) and left ventricle (LV), LV hypertrophy, expanded LV mass, and expanded volume of the left chamber (LA) are currently settled signs of what has been characterized as the athlete’s heart. As to the components of the heart, it ought to be noticed that body size affects heart size, and when looking at outright measurements between subjects, one should consider this variable.9 Hence, ladies, when all is said in done, have less cardiovascular measurements contrasted with men. The expansion in the pulse is answerable for most cardiovascular yield growth during exercise. Nonetheless, the maximal pulse is generally unaltered with practice preparing, with some proof demonstrating that pulse might be decreased during maximal exercise with preparing.10 Therefore, the enormous increment in heart yield related to practice preparing is the aftereffect of a bigger stroke volume.11 Stroke volume ascends during exercise because of increments in LV end-diastolic volume and, to a lesser degree, thoughtfully interceded decrease in end-systolic volume.12 LV end-diastolic volume is dictated by diastolic filling, which is controlled by a mind-boggling transaction between pulse, inborn myocardial unwinding, ventricular consistency, ventricular filling pressures, atrial withdrawal, and pericardial and aspiratory imperatives.13 An expansion in stroke volume with practice preparing could, in this manner, conceivably be a consequence of changes in at least one of these factors.14

Blood Volume Response to Exercise Training

During exercise, plasma volume is seriously decreased as for metabolic just as warm demands and the ensuing mishap in plasma volume is joined by extended electrolyte obsessions and osmolality that prompts commencement of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone course and in the end renal water upkeep.15 Exercise planning prompts an expansion of blood volume (hypervolemia) by methods for an aldosterone-sodium upkeep framework nearby additions in plasma egg whites content. Cross-sectional data have shown that movement getting ready is connected with a 20% to 25% greater blood volume in arranged individuals, and roughly half greater blood volume in five-star contenders appeared differently in relation to lacking individuals.12 The brisk rate at which hypervolemia happens, is appeared by one single exercise meeting, can fabricate blood volume by 10% to 12% inside twenty-four hours.16 The hypervolemia appears to show up at a level at around 10 to 14 days of getting ready, and in every practical sense, the total of this extension in blood volume is a direct result of extended plasma volume as erythrocyte mass doesn’t change out and out inside this time distribution.17 As getting ready continues, erythrocyte volume augmentation is viewed and augments (with most of the effect saw inside 30 days) until plasma, and erythrocyte volume is 8% to 10% over the pretraining level.13 The result is a haematocrit that benefits to a solitary slighter lower level than before planning initiation.5 An unassumingly lower haematocrit with planning is in matching with cross-sectional data displaying that contenders have 1% lower haematocrit than stationary controls.19 Despite the fact that the control of erythropoiesis in hypoxia and pale hypoxia is without a doubt known, the signs strengthening erythropoiesis in the wake of planning in normoxia are cloudy, yet may incorporate an action prompted an increase in androgens that energize erythropoietin (EPO) release and an extension in catecholamine and cortisol that vitalize the appearance of reticulocytes (adolescent erythrocytes) from bone marrow and maybe EPO release.20

Conclusion

Endurance exercise activity can realize critical adjustments in the cardiovascular system going from improved heart and vein estimations and work as well as an extended number of microcirculatory vessels in skeletal and cardiovascular muscle. Such changes are huge for an improvement in high-sway power and execution anyway can in like manner on a very basic level improve cardiovascular prosperity in latent individuals. Innumerable examinations have depicted the valuable changes that occur with exceptional exercise in strong, energetic, and developed individuals and in individuals with lifestyle-related disorders. In any case, less is known concerning the cell and nuclear frameworks fundamental to the cardiovascular changes with standard physical activity.

References

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19. Shibata S, Fujimoto N, Hastings J, Carrick-Ranson G, Bhella P, Hearon C et al. The effect of lifelong exercise frequency on arterial stiffness. The Journal of Physiology. 2018;596(14):2783-2795.
20. Palmer D, Boyd K, Carrick-Ranson G, Fujimoto N, Shibata S, Livingston S et al. Blood Volume Changes with Endurance Training in Older Men. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011;43(Suppl 1):520.

When being a sport coach, there are some coaching consideration for different sports and gender. For example, coaching individual and team sports differently, coaching gender affects athlete’s performance, coaching male and female athletes differently, and also coaching different level of athletes differently. In my point of view, I do believe coaching male or female athletes requires a change of coaching and communication methods based on the reason of the body structure, coachability, plus confidence differently.

First, coach requires a change of coaching when coaching male and female based on the body structure difference. Bio-psycho-social model of human development is a tool to understand the difference between male players and female players (Engel, 1977). Difference from coaching male and female are primarily intervened by the activity of major sex hormones, testosterone and oestrogen. These hormones create a more noteworthy generally muscle mass in men and a more noteworthy rate of body fat in ladies. In expansion, men’s bones tend to be longer; this makes a mechanical advantage in certain sports. In outright terms, these variables include up to a woman’s quality of approximately 66% of a weight-matched man. Among trained individuals, this distinction between men and women’s make the world record execution in running and swimming was diminished to around 10%. Moreover, about the risk of injury, particularly to the ACL, female has a high chance of getting hurt, as the Q- angle of female is larger than male. Female players have a slower speed in fatigue when comparing to the male in both running and weightlifting, plus also female has a faster recovery rate. So, when designing the training programme deliver to male and female, should be based on their body structure to design, to fulfill their needs, and minimize the accident rate.

Second, coach requires a change of coaching when coaching male and female based on the coachability. On the whole, teaching female is more easy and in control than teaching male, female is more willing to learn new skills and technique, if the exercise can benefit to their sports performance. Female has more respect to their coach, they will listen to the coach and follow their instruction, rather than giving judgment or making their coaches prove they are credible (Janssen, 2008). Sometimes, male like saying something to against coach, to get people attention or even based on their aggressive attitude especially face to face training. So coach feel hard to handle those boys as boys do not love obey and respect to the head, when comparing to the female athletes.

Third, coach requires a change of coaching when coaching male and female based on the confidence differently. Female players mostly feel lack of confidence no matter in training or competition. For example, soccer superstar Mia Hamm, a few ladies tend to not allow themselves sufficient credit for the things they are great at. They trait their abilities and triumphs to luckiness instead of to their ability and difficult work. As some coaches have succinctly paraphrased, many women need to feel good in order to play well in sports. So, when you are teaching girls, you have to use a soft way, and give more praise to them, thus girls will have positive feeling and more confidence to play better in the game. On the other hand, based on the male hormones, male can gain confidence easily so as to excitation potential. Boys are able to stand out leading the team to a positive atmosphere. So the communication way of talking to male and female players should be different.

References

1. Engel GL (1977) The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science196, pp.129-136.
2. Deaner, R.O., Carter, R.E., Joyner, M.J. and Hunter, S.K., 2015. Men are more likely than women to slow in the marathon. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 47(3), p.607.
3. Häkkinen, K., 1993. Neuromuscular fatigue and recovery in male and female athletes during heavy resistance exercise. International journal of sports medicine, 14(02), pp.53-59.
4. Janssen Jeff. (2008). SPECIAL REPORT: Discover the 8 Differences Between Coaching Men and Women – Part 1. Retrieved from https://www.championshipcoachesnetwork.com/public/375.cfm

Introduction

In the field of Sports Coaching, disconnect between the core values professed on a coach profile and the reality expressed in the field is one of the major influences of the performance of soccer teams in the UK. The discrepancy in the confessed values of soccer coaches and the perceived values are known to influence the outcomes of soccer matches and therefore determine the performance of soccer team. A systematic research using a case study approach on the influence of perceived discrepancy on a coach’s words and their actual actions on the field will provide improve physical literary and influence policy with the aim of improving team and coach motivation. For instance, a soccer coach that describe themselves to endear the core values of team cohesion but practices alienation among team members can demotivate players and affect the performance of a soccer team. Further, a soccer coach who describes themselves as empowering to players but discourages autonomy can undermine the performance of a rather skillful team. Incorporating coaching practices that support the physiological and psychological needs of soccer players generates synergy between the coach and the players. Soccer coaches that possess the skill and knowledge that bridge the disconnect between professed values and practices in the field have the potential to have a fruitful and successful coaching career. Further, an understanding of the impact of the disconnect between professed values and real practices can provide knowledge that can form the basis of coaching educational programs in addition to providing coach interns with best practice cases in action.

Despite many English professional coaches possessing the experience and educational qualification for professional soccer coaches in the UK, there is limited empirical research work on there is lack of a theorized model to reconcile the coaches perceived values and their performance in practical sport settings. Further, existing empirical work has not underpinned the gap between perception and practice in the conceptual development of soccer coaching. The aim of this study was to investigate the discrepancy between perceived core values, knowledge and skills and actions in practice environment of a professional English soccer coach. The current study fills this research gap by examining the behavior of an English soccer coach. To conceal the real name of the coach and the soccer club in which they currently coach, the pseudonym James and Sharks Soccer Academy will be used to achieved confidentiality of the two identities.

The choice of James for the case study was informed by his 10-year experience as a coach with 2 years as the head coach. Further, the selected coach profile describes several core values that are intended to foster cohesion, competence and autonomy among soccer players he coaches. A case study will involve an interview to gather qualitative data about perceived knowledge, core values and skills of the coach followed by six sessions observations in a coaching environment. According to the self-determination theory, a sports coach can create a motivating climate for players by focusing on three key areas of personal development. The need for soccer player to have autonomy, the need for players to improve their skills and the need to feel critical to the team are key drivers of high performance for any soccer team. Players that are intrinsically motivated when the coach is also highly motivated. This coincides with the adage that success breeds success. For a soccer coach to enhance the autonomy, competence and cohesion of individual players in a team, the coach has to acquire, profess and practice the best coaching skills on a regular basis. Understanding how the professed skills of soccer coaches match with the actions of coaches in the coaching settings is significant in influencing policy regarding internship programs intended to impact young coaches with experienced and competent coaches. Further, the research will inform pedagogy by providing guidelines for soccer coaches to improve their coaching experience by incorporating values that foster autonomy, competence and cohesion among individual team players.

Methodology

Participants

The study involved a qualified and experience soccer male coach. In keeping with other similar studies such as Vallerand and Lalande (2011), on sports coaching, a mini-biography or profile of the participant coach was captured. Bouffard (2017), emphasized that studies on the coaching behavior should be based on a non-random selection of coaches. In this study, purposive sampling method was used to identify the participant coach from a group of 12 coaches with closely related professional profiles. Further, the description of the profiles of the coach should be provided to make it possible for the study to be replicated in a different sporting context. Further, the researcher recommended the used of mixed data collection approaches to validate each other and improve understanding of the observed behavior regarding the objective of the study (Roberts & Fairclough, 2012). The professional profile of James is described in the following paragraph. James: James has over 10 years’ experience as a professional soccer coach in the UK. He is described himself as a highly skilled and competent coach with the highest national coaching qualification in the UK. He believes in fostering competences, autonomy and cohesion as a strategy to achieve results in the team he coaches. He is also a qualified physical education trainer and has worked for several years as a Football Association regional coach. James has also coached for 3 years at the international level. He worked as youth coach in Argentina before becoming a head coach in one of the leading soccer clubs in the United Kingdom. He strives to improve the tactical and technical capabilities of soccer players by establishing and maintaining a supportive environment. James describes his primary role to educate team members. He insists that to develop the competence of any player, it is necessary to respect players, the values, cultural diversity and support them to perform better. Prior to participation in the study, the selected soccer coach was informed about the objective of the study to ensure that consent was obtained. As part of the ethical approval, the participant was also informed that participation was voluntary and that pseudonyms would be used to conceal their identity and ensure confidentiality. The data collected would only be used for the purpose of the study and improving pedagogy, policy and practice in sports coaching.

Instrument

The instruments used to collect data from the participant was interview and observation during six consecutive training sessions. The interview session with the participant captured perceived core values, skills and competences which were recorded in a research journal. A semi-structured interview guide was used to obtain information about the coach’s core values and experience. Since the responses were anticipated to be subjective in nature, a semi-structure interview guide provided the researcher with the opportunity to gather more information and clarifications from the participants in addition to what was captured in the guide. The interview questions were based on a sample by Hanrahan (2015), and captured information about the impact the coach has had on the team. Related interview questions were grouped together to ensure sequential pattern of the interview session. The training session observation involved recording observation based on the Arizona State University Observation Instrument (ASUOI). The instrument was recommended by McKay, Buchanan and Chang (2018), and has been widely used in recording information on the observable behavior of sport coaches while in the context of training sessions. To reduce the level of measurement error, the internal reliability of the observer and the instrument was determined by establishing the variability of the records measured by the researcher at various times. The researcher analyzed different time stamped recorded video training sessions and compared the result in order to determine the observation error. The agreement percentage for each observation was established to be 92 percent which is greater than the generally accepted level of 85 percent. The behavior themes captured in the instrument are presented in Appendix I. The researcher kept a journal for each of the six sessions. The instrument was chosen because it provides a tool to systematically record observations of coaching behavior and also provides opportunity for extension with other themes. To ensure the validity of the tool, the test-retest method was used where a pilot was conducted with another coach. The results of the pilot were used to improve the structure of the interview questions. The outcomes of the pilot test did not form part of the final study results.

Procedure

Prior to the interview, an information sheet was presented to the participant explaining the purpose of the interview. The participant’s consent was obtained by signing an agreement form. The interview session was conducted in the participant’s home which was chosen because it was a relaxing and comfortable environment (Roberts & Fairclough, 2012). The interview lasted for 35 minutes and the recorded by the researcher verbatim. Since the soccer coach was highly trained and possessed vast experience both at the national and international levels, the potential risk of misinterpretation of soccer and sports coaching jargon was almost null. The observation data in the training session was collected by visiting 6 consecutive sessions where the coach was training the team. The researcher obtained the training schedule and sought permission from the facility managers to access the facility during the training sessions. The observations were recorded in a journal for future processing.

Analysis of the Case Study

Qualitative data reflecting on the participating coach’s impact on soccer player’s motivation, competence, autonomy and core values was collected through the interview and observations. The data was organized inductively into coaching behavior and the impact on competition motivation and training motivation examined. The analysis of the findings from the case study are organized in the theme of physical literacy, pedagogy and policy and applied sports science.

Physical Literacy

Educating soccer players on the important of physical education was identified as an important part of coaching philosophy. During the interview sessions, the coach emphasized the need for players to understand the underlying principles in physical exercise. The study shows that providing rationale for physical training of soccer players impacts on their motivation to achieve competence and become more competitive (Cooke, 2003). Soccer player’s motivation was observed to be affected by the trust that players had in the physical training prescription of their coach. However, the trust and confidence in a physical training program took place over a long time and required the coach to be actively involved in the program. Coaches that prescribed a physical training program that the couch did not take part in was less likely to be trusted by players. Consistency in the physical training of players was also observed to be important in sustaining the player’s knowledge and skills in various physical activities to achieve different outcomes. According to Koka and Hein (2003), positive modelling by the soccer coach was observed to be a critical factor in developing and maintaining long term coach-player relationships.

Pedagogy and Policy

The cognitive evaluation theory (CET) a coach behavior can motivate players by meeting their intrinsic psychological needs. The coach profile described him as a person that supported and empowered players to achieve their very best in professional soccer career. Since the statement concurred with the coaching behavior of the participant, it was observed that players had confidence in him evidenced by the support they sought from the coach whenever they faced a challenge (Paul & Andy, 2014) The findings can inform pedagogy by enabling influencing upcoming coaches to inspire confidence and allow players to believe in them. The study findings also revealed that autonomy supportive coaching behaviors positively impact on the motivation of soccer players. This was observed through the coaching style of the coach which emphasized on the core values and work ethics of both the coach and the players. The findings can inform policy by establishing coach training programs that inspire players to have a good attitude by becoming dependable to players. Further, policy can be used to create a criterion for selection of coaches to include recognition of initiative-taking activities that inspire coaches to be autonomous.

The study findings showed that the coach can improve team motivation by using reassurance. Studies that have previously investigated on the role of reassurance as a coaching behavior have focused on the role of reassurance in improving self-efficacy (Raven, 2008). However, during the interview, the participant revealed that reassuring players was one of the tools that the coach used to enhance the motivation of players. The emphasis of role theory is evident in sports coaching. The study findings revealed that the coach extensively applied role theory to demonstrate the roles of different players at different situations such as attacks and defense during a game. Coaching training programs can argument role theory by emphasizing its practice to influence the behavior of different players in a soccer team.

Applied Sports Science

The empirical evidence of the study is not only beneficial to formal coaching educational but also to practicing soccer coaches. The study revealed the coach used scolding behavior which according to Bean, Rocchi and Forneris (2019). is founded on the believe that a coach can use coercive power to punish players. According to Koka and Hein (2003), scolding behavior makes a coach alienated from players and therefore is largely considered dysfunctional. Further, it is inconsistent with the core values and personal coaching philosophy of the coach which were described supportive. The coach described his objective as that of creating a positive working environment that would enable players to build their competence and skills. However, scolding is inconsistent with this aim and instead creates an atmosphere of resentment between the players and the coach (Gilbert & Trudel, 2004). The findings can influence sports science practice by providing a foundation for further research on the motivational theories that can specifically address the challenges of coaches in a fast-paced performance intensive field such as soccer. Further, the study findings showed that coach behavior influence players behavior. For instance, a coach that respects players are in turn respected by the players (Gale, 2017). This finding can be applied in sports science by encouraging coaches to avoid overusing negative words when giving instructions to players. The use of instruction, which was widely cited in studies such as Vansteenkiste, Lens and Deci (2006), was observed during the coaching sessions as one of the coaching behavior of the participant. Instruction is consistent with observational research in football and should therefore be encourage in applied sports science.

Conclusion

Evaluating the biography of soccer coaches with their coaching practices in the fields is critical to improving coaches learning as an integrated whole. The study showed that coaches that make use of coaching behaviors they believe in are likely to consistently describe them in their profiles and also practice these behaviors during training sessions. Coaching behaviors such as regular physical training for players, use of scolding and praise for the purpose of motivate were noted as critical to the coaching outcome of the participant. Appropriate use of motivational behavior and consistence in practicing coaching principles that coaches subscribe to can significantly enable coaches to consistently produce skillful and compete players. The findings have the potential to influence teaching programs for sports coaches such as incorporating motivational theories and initiative-taking activities Further, the findings can significantly alter policy on what is acceptable and not acceptable behavior in the relationship between coaches and players.

References

1. Vallerand, R., & Lalande, D. (2011). The MPIC Model: The Perspective of the Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. Psychological Inquiry, 22(1), 45-51.
2. Bouffard, L. (2017). Self-determination theory. Basic psychological needs in motivation, development and wellness. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Revue Québécoise De Psychologie, 38(3), 231.
3. Hanrahan, S. (2015). Psychological Skills Training for Athletes with Disabilities. Australian Psychologist, 50(2), 102-105.
4. McKay, D., Buchanan, G., & Chang, S. (2018). It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it: Design guidelines to better support online browsing. Proceedings of The Association for Information Science and Technology, 55(1), 347-356.
5. Bean, C., Rocchi, M., & Forneris, T. (2019). Using the Learning Climate Questionnaire to Assess Basic Psychological Needs Support in Youth Sport. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-40.
6. Koka, A., & Hein, V. (2003). Perceptions of teacher’s feedback and learning environment as predictors of intrinsic motivation in physical education. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 4(4), 333-346.
7. Carr, P., & Walton, G. (2014). Cues of working together fuel intrinsic motivation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 53, 169-184.
8. Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., & Deci, E. (2006). Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Goal Contents in Self-Determination Theory: Another Look at the Quality of Academic Motivation. Educational Psychologist, 41(1), 19-31.
9. Chen, Y., & Starobin, S. (2017). Measuring and Examining General Self-Efficacy Among Community College Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 42(3), 171-189.
10. Partington, M., & Cushion, C. (2011). An investigation of the practice activities and coaching behaviors of professional top-level youth soccer coaches. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 23(3), 374-382.
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20. Gale, L. (2017). Sport coaching concepts: a framework for coaching practice (2nd ed). Sports Coaching Review, 1-5.

In the academic literature, researchers are defining the coaching philosophy in different ways, and not a single definition is similar with other ones. To enumerate some, Wilcox and Trudel define the philosophy as: “A coaching philosophy is a set of values and behaviors that serve to guide the actions of a coach.” or “A coaching philosophy is a personal statement that is based on the values and beliefs that direct one’s coaching.” as defined by Kidman and Hanrahan 1997. Lyle define the coaching philosophy as “A coaching philosophy is a comprehensive statement about the beliefs that . . . characterize a coach’s practice.” (Nelson, 2018)

As can be seen, the definitions are complementary, but it cannot be said that any two are identical. If take all them together, we can understand that core of a coaching philosophy is created around values, behaviours and beliefs all having impact in the coaching process.

Often misunderstood and misinterpreted by coaches (Horsley et al., 2015), the term of Coaching Philosophy, as Philosophy itself, has a vague meaning. (Cushion and Partington, 2016b) Mostly the coaching philosophy is confused with technical tactical strategy and vision of one’s about a certain sport. While a coach technical tactical model is constructed around a coach’s game knowledge and previous experiences and can be interpreted by his strategy and his objectives, the coaching philosophy itself is a restricted set of values related to the coach’s behaviour and practice.

The interest in studying the coaching philosophy came more from the researchers then from practitioners. Coaches being already involved in the process of coaching, and not seeing philosophy as something tangible, tend to focus more on developing certain skills or certain techniques than to develop their coaching philosophy. (Cushion & Partington, 2016)

Even though researchers have suggested that coaches with a strong philosophy tend to be more consistent in their actions, coaches prefer to focus their attention on tangible issues that have an immediate impact.

In a study about coaching education courses, Nelson and Cushion (2006), found all these education programs put a great accent on the development of a healthy coaching philosophy. In the initial courses, educators are aware that every single coach that take part comes with a philosophy, but also they are aware that most of them do not posed a well-developed philosophy.

In the UK, all National Governing Bodies developed the education courses in a way that help the practitioners to reflect on their core values and beliefs in order to develop their coaching philosophy as the base of their coaching development. (Nelson and Cushion, 2006a)

Why a coaching philosophy is important

A lot of coaches tend to believe that having a coaching philosophy is not important and they seem to not understand the impact that philosophy has in the training process. (Mergelsberg, 2007)

In the academic literature, some researchers (e.g. McCallister et al., 2000 Voight & Carroll, 2006) are assuming that readers have already an understanding of the definition and what constitutes a coaching philosophy. Based on that perception the authors omit to provide a clear point of view of what are the components of coaching philosophy and what it’s definition is. (Cushion and Partington, 2016)

As Mergelsberg(2007) described, even they are not aware, each and every coach possess its own philosophy. From his point of view, the philosophy is described by a person’s everyday behaviour applied in the training environment. Same as in real life, in football coaching, two persons can have different views or approaches, so is the same with philosophies, they differ for every person. Even though every philosophy is different, certain elements as positivity, passion for the game, setting achievable goals, prioritise the development of players or focus on developing the athlete not just as a player but as a person are a vital part of healthy coaching philosophy. (Mergelsberg, 2007)

Prioritizing the development of the players was one of the core value found in the philosophy of elite American Football coaches at High School level. (Gould et al., 2007)

In order to create a proper environment where the development of the players is the main objective, winning should be put on a second plan and should come as result of a proper development. To allow a proper development, the coaching philosophy should be guided around the possibility to allow proper participation and to facilitate the transfer of values from coaches to players. The coach in his relationship with the athlete has to interpret multiple roles. A coach should be a teacher, a mentor, a role model and even a friend for the athlete.

In team sports, in all categories, from youth to adults, winning was always seen as a matter of success and reflected in the eyes of the audience the ability of the coach. According to Cumming et al. (2007) in youth sports, winning is not always the important thing for the players as some of them are practicing the sport for enjoyment, but failing to do so can be perceived as coach’s lack of knowledge or ability or poor game understanding for players.

In a study by Smith et al. (1978) players, perception on coaches’ abilities based on the game success was analysed. It was suggested that even the success during the games does not have a great impact on the enjoyment of players, players that were more goal oriented were assessing their coachability based on their ability to win games. (Cumming et al., 2007)

Usually, when seen as a role model, the coach core values can be transmitted to players and assimilated in their personal life philosophy. In an attempt to understand how life skills can be transferred from coaches to youth athletes, Collins et al. (2009), found out that for this process to happen a strong athlete-coach relationship, based on communication and trust, should be present and coaches should treat youth players as young adults. Being treated as young adults in conversions and allowing the freedom to think maturely can help the athlete to develop his leadership skills. (Gould et al., 2007)

In chapter five of his book “Coaching Science”, Gordon (2009) describes the motivational climate as the environment in which athletes can accumulate information and improve their performance. Considered a requirement in the athlete drive to improve, the motivational climate is often impacted by coach’s philosophy and conduct. Training is mostly impacted by coaches’ beliefs and understanding of the game alongside their coaching manner and style, which can have an influence on the player’s development. The motivational climate is described as having two types of environments, Goal-Oriented environments and Task-Oriented environments.

A Goal-Oriented environment is an environment where players are usually driven by their extrinsic motivation and where the coach is putting more focus on winning than enjoyment and development, where players are treated based on their skills and where the rivalries are encouraged.

On the other hand, in a Task-Oriented environment, coaches tend to encourage peer collaboration, to put accent on both individual and group improvement. In this type of environment, coaches use to tolerate the errors and use them as learning tools. This type of environment is recommended to be used by specialists as it allows players to be influenced by their internal emotions and desire. (Gordon, 2009)

What constitutes a coaching philosophy? (e.g. personal values, beliefs, skills)

When interviewing coaches at several elite academies in Europe, Nesti and Sulley (2014) concluded that some coaches described their philosophy as an extension to their beliefs about the most important things in life and their role is to prepare future professional athletes to become better human beings. These beliefs have roots in their youth development period and were inherited from their previous inspirational coaches.

It was also observed that players learn better when their coaches use their coaching philosophy to make players believe that their progress matters the same for the coaches as it matters for them personally. (Nesti and Sulley, 2014)

The idea of coaching philosophy is not often clear in the coach’s head. Van Mullem and Brunner (2013) are suggesting that beliefs and values should be resumed into a so called ‘mission statement’ in order to get a clear idea of your personal philosophy. Having a mission statement, allows the coaches to have a better view of how their values and beliefs can have impact on their actions during training and games.

The process of creating a successful working mission statement is a long term process and based on trails and error and reflection over personal values and beliefs. (Van Mullem and Brunner, 2013)

Reflecting on values and beliefs is has been studied and debated a lot in the academic literature. It had been demonstrated by researchers that reflective practice helps the coaches in the process of learning and developing their coaching philosophy. The process of reflection can provide a link between knowledge gained from professional practice, observations, coaching theory, and education. (Nelson and Cushion, 2006)

According to Ghaye and Lillyman (2004) negative scenarios are forcing coaches to reflect on their behaviour and actions in order to find improvements and avoid those scenarios to happen again.

In order to help youth coaches to reflect on coaching philosophy and help them to find out if their values and are appropriate for the youth football environment, Martens (2004) propose a list of questions for self-reflection. His suggestion is that coaches should self-reflect on their reasons for coaching, on what goals they have as a coach, on what are the goals of their teams and on what characteristics a youth coach should have. Also is suggested to reflect on the existing values and on what his message for the players is. (Martens, 2004)

Values are seen to be the way of how individuals are assessing day to day experience and how they relate them to life and the way that people tend to prioritise things. Compared to beliefs and opinions, values tend to be more secure and is a small chance to get changed over time. (Lyle, 2005)

Example of values can include hard work, respect, winning, or discipline. It was suggested that players tend to perform well and develop better if they are involved in an environment where everyone is treated equally and with respect. (Nesti and Sulley, 2014)

Coaches that are valorising the hard work, will appreciate and prise more the players that are giving their everything during matches and games. (Van Mullem and Brunner, 2013)

Sometimes coaches with not well-defined philosophy tend to alter their values and believes due to a wrong perception of demands from the club or the peer coaches. Often, coaches are used to motivate the existence of a certain value in their philosophy by saying that it is a must to have it, although they are aware that they cannot acquire this characteristic. So for these coaches, philosophy tends to become more of a statement than a set of principles and this can negatively impact their training process. (Lyle, 2005)

How a coaching philosophy could potentially alter or adapt within different levels?

Developing a coaching philosophy is a long term process and cannot be done overnight. Usually philosophy has to be flexible and adaptable to different working environments. A well-developed coaching philosophy will have a good impact on the coaching process and can offer stability in the coach-player relationship and in the coaching environment. If players are aware of coach’s coaching philosophy, they might be more receptive and can understand and get over a decision that might affect them directly. (Roberts, 2012)

In a study about European’s top club’s academy coaches, Nesti et al. discovered that youth coaches had a great passion about their current role and they that long term commitment is the key to becoming successful in these positions. Many of them were not seeing the youth coaching as a stepping stone to adult football, and they were aware that their vocation is to guide youth athletes and develop them both as a player and as a person.

Clubs like Ajax or Bayern Munich tend to employ former successful club players and offer them the possibility to work with the younger age groups in their top performance academies. This approach is beneficial for everyone, but mostly the young players are the one that get the most out of this. Firstly, is beneficial for the coach as he can continue his journey in a football environment after a successful career. Working in a club that allowed them to achieve success, can drive them to be great examples for the players and offer back something to the club. Secondly, is rewarding for the club as it allows them to continue their tradition and maintain their philosophy. Last but not least, is a great advantage for the players, as having the chance to be coached by their idols or their parent’s idols can motivate them in their process of development and learning. (Nesti and Sulley, 2014)

Danish (2002) underlined that sport is not just a fun activity and enjoyment for youth players but can contribute to the personal development of youth athletes. Youth coaches can have a huge impact not only over the sports development, but also over their life development.

Also, the coach plays an important role in the players engagement in sports. If a proper environment is developed and everyone is treated fair and engaged in all trainings, regardless the ability, players will feel included and can develop themselves. If those are not happening, players may experiment a loss of interest and could lost their drive to develop and they can even give up practicing sport. (Danish, 2002)

Nesti and Sulley found out that successful elite coaches had a good understanding of their personal philosophy and ideology on how should act like a coach. When they were asked about their coaching philosophy, each one defined his philosophy in his own way and most of the times different than other coaches, but in all the answers some common key topics could be found. The most commonly trait was about putting the development of the player on the first place. (Nesti and Sulley, 2014)

While in youth sports is more about enjoyment, participation, and life skills development, in adult sports, there is a much more accent on performance and winning. (Lyle, 2005)

Experienced coaches tend to reflect more often on their coaching philosophy as a tool of monitoring their coaching process. They are also willing to experiment new things in their trainings and have the necessary knowledge to adapt or change completely the practice if the new tested method is not working properly. (Nash, Sproule and Horton, 2008)

In a research done by Bennie and O’Connor (2010) over professional players and coaches, was found that a well developed philosophy is critical in providing the team with direction and investing players and staff with different duties. Coaching philosophy influence the way that the coach crate the environment, how the communication inside the team is and how the team is lead. Everyone in the team, from players to staff should be totally aware of the philosophy and should guide their work under it. (Bennie and O’Connor, 2010)

How coaching philosophy could potentially impact or effect coaching behaviour (e.g. what could happen if a personal coaching philosophy is threatened or challenged?)

One of the few researchers that assumed that behaviour is affected by coaching philosophy, Lyle (1999), emphasize on the fact that coaching practice is not objective, due to his beliefs that coaches are not able to allow values to impact their behaviour. He considers that coaching philosophy is a set of personal beliefs inherited from past experiences and education programmes. These beliefs can suffer changes if external pressured factors are applied on one’s coaching philosophy. (Cassidy, Jones and Potrac, 2009)

In certain cases, even a coach has a predefined set of beliefs and principles and an already defined coaching philosophies, they are unable to put it into practices as the club they are working with poses its own philosophy and its own values. In order to satisfy the demands and the philosophy of the current club, or in their pursuit for a better coaching position, coaches are willing to compromise their personal beliefs and philosophy. (Cassidy, Jones and Potrac, 2009) Is often possible that there can be differences between coaches publicly promoted values and their personal values as well as between coaching values and core values.

Even with slightly differences in vision and values, conflicts may occur and consent has to be negotiated through good practice. Differences between coaching values and organisational values or between coach’s philosophy and sports general notions can be a main cause of conflicts to appear. (Lyle, 2005)