Coach education, coaching behaviours and the implications for athlete and coach development

The research investigates coach education, how this education and learning is applied in practice and athlete perception of coaching behaviours. A mixed methods approach was used throughout the research which initially examined coaches' academic and coach education backgrounds through an online survey followed by a semi-structured interview. The next phase of this research examined how high performance coaches applied their learning through observation of the coach in both training and competition over the course of one season. Coaching behaviour was both quantitatively and qualitatively analysed to examine the total number and rate of instructions per minute and questioning by the coach. Furthermore, data were also collected to analyse the athletes’ perceptions of the coaching behaviour at three different time-points over the course of the same season. The results showed coaches preferred an informal rather than formal coach learning situation and that the current coach education system does not meet the demands of all coaching levels. These findings have enhanced the understanding of coach education and preferred learning environments and may contribute to future coach education courses. Furthermore, the findings revealed significant changes in athletes’ perceptions of coaching behaviour at different time-points providing evidence of coaches adapting their methods to address the different contexts and challenges faced over the course of the season. Taken together the implications for this research indicate that additional content on how to coach should be included in the coach education process. Such a focus should enable a shift away from what to coach towards a more coach and athlete centred environment that will enhance both coach and athlete development.