COACHING RELATIONSHIPS AND THE POWER DYNAMIC Coaching Insight

COACHING, RELATIONSHIPS AND THE POWER DYNAMIC Coaching Insight Series 1 st November 2012 Nottingham Dr. Hamish Telfer

THE COACH – PERFORMER RELATIONSHIP Some thoughts & premises Purpose? • Level of functioning? • Training age and level? • Altruism and/or self gratification? • Personal circumstances (family, income, friends) • The performers • Coach’s personal history • Level of personal investment – defining ‘the self’ •

THE COACH AS ‘THE OTHER’ Some reflections • You will coach the way that yourself have been coached • ‘Ambition’ has to be present • Intensity of involvement is essential with the performance end • Emotional investment is required • Constant learning – success and those ‘other’ moments. . . • Other sports contribute • Personal qualities are at the heart of things •

HOWEVER. . . The ‘personal-ness’ of the moment determines the nature of the coaching relationship. You cannot stand over an athlete prostrate on the track and demand another rep and get it, without there being a deep seated understanding, trust and personal relationship present. But it takes time to build and both have to operate as one unit over a number of years. Its a marriage!

THE ATHLETES Rona Livingstone (Woodward) • 400 m flat specialist (Scotland) • We started in 1978/79 (objective – Scottish Team, Brisbane Commonwealth Games, 1982) • Steve Watson • Endurance (10, 000 m/5, 000/Marathon/X-C) • We started 1987 (objective - British Universities 10, 000 m title and GB Team, Sheffield Universiade 1991) •

THEY TAUGHT ME - IT ONLY MAKES SENSE NOW ! For the students of coaching practice and the coaching process– some thoughts The two key factors linking everything were FUN and ACHIEVING – rewarding effort not always outcomes • Nature of the experiences as shaping, not just the experiences in themselves • Attachment patterns key • Self affirming experiences essential (self efficacy) • Nature of communication –always ‘we’. The coach and athlete as part of a shared experience •

ATTACHMENT PATTERNS Strong liking • High emotional involvement • Empathetic approach • Positive emotional experiences •

SELF EFFICACY Exchange theory – reciprocity • Coaching as transactional • Unwitting symbolic codes enhances self effective state • Affirming approach • Personal control • Success inducing practice but also practice at the limits – coping with performance at the extremes • Contageous effectiveness •

COMMUNICATION Task v socio-emotional? • Building cultures • Always ‘we’ and ‘us’ • One to ones • Direct ‘in the moment’ • Eye contact/proximity – spatial awareness • High emotional impact • Coach as the factor in the output greater than the input •

BIOGRAPHICAL • Football and athletics Athletics – National Squad (John Anderson) • Trained as a Teacher of Physical Education • Commenced coaching with Maryhill Ladies AC (now City of Glasgow AC) • All Coaching Awards – youngest Senior Coach in Scotland at 23 (Team Coach with Scottish Junior Women’s team) • Appointed National Coach with RLSS, 1976 • University Lecturer – resumed Track & Field coaching (NW based) •

COACHING Own squad developed (range – abilities and events!) • Active in athletics coach education • Appointed North of England Event Coach • Appointed Athletics Team Coach Auckland Commonwealth Games 1990 – Isle of Man • Post 1991 only retained 1 -2 athletes • Continued coach education work • Appointed GB Team Coach for GB Team, World Student Cross Country Championships (7 World Champs – 5 titles) • Appointed in role of coaching support for GB Junior Team, Wild Water Canoeing/Welsh U-21 Hockey • Retired from coaching 2004 • Written/writing ‘stuff’ about coaching! • Trying to retire from coach education! • Currently dug up out of retirement from coaching to resurrect an underperforming athlete •