Communication & Feedback Considerations for Coaches PDF

Communication & Feedback Considerations for Coaches Angela M. Walzak KP 300  Communication in Coaching Coaches must have effective communication skills for their interactions:  coach–athlete, coach–coach, coach–parent, coach–officials, coach-...

Communication & Feedback Considerations for Coaches Angela M. Walzak KP 300  Communication in Coaching Coaches must have effective communication skills for their interactions:  coach–athlete, coach–coach, coach–parent, coach–officials, coach- trainer, etc. Coaching philosophy will heavily impact the communication styles adapted by coaches. Optimal communication requires a coach that is able to self-reflect on their communication behaviours and self-discipline/control is vital. The coach-athlete relationship is an uneven power dynamic and coaches need to understand this. Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23 This book chapter is a review of research on the many factors in communication that coaches need to consider. Let’s take a look at some of them:  the gender of the coach and the gender of the athlete(s)  research has suggested that females tend to respond more to non-verbal communication than males  in another study on Japanese athletes this was demonstrated as well (female athletes responded more negatively and positively to negative and positive non- verbal communication respectively than did male athletes Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23  generational differences (i.e., older coaches / younger athletes)  what may be a preferred communication style for one generation may not be for the other  who has the coach learned from? communication styles in coaching tend to be passed down (i.e., assistant / head coach, player / coach/ parent, etc.)  cultural differences can also play a factor in optimal communication/understanding between coaches and athletes Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23  acknowledgement / understanding the difference between an athlete’s feelings and their behaviour  Being angry or upset is expected at times and is an involuntary feeling. It is not ok for a coach or an athlete to take this emotion and turn it into a negative behaviour directed at other athletes/coaches  Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23  consistency in the message displayed both verbally and non-verbally concurrently and over time Bing Videos What is paraverbal communication and why is it important to consider? Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23  was the intended communication received AND understood the way it was intended?  are there other factors or distractions getting in the way of the communication (emotions, noise, background movements, multi-tasking, etc.) Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23  listening is an important part of communication  asking athletes or coaches to repeat/summarize/show what they have heard demonstrates that what someone communicates is not necessarily what the other person(s) heard/understood  giving the person you are communicating with your full attention and allowing them to complete their thoughts before interruptions Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23 Negative vs. Positive communications  coach negativity after a loss can directly effect athletes’ feelings of unworthiness and incompetence  positive communications can increase athlete motivation and negative communication can decrease it  ‘old school’ verbal aggression serves no purpose – it does not enhance performance and decreases coach likeability/credibility; motivation, learning and satisfaction in athletes – it decreases trust in the coach-athlete relationship and impacts team dynamics Strategies and Communication Skills in Sports Coaching APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1, Chapter 23 Taking the time to get to know your athletes and understand what motivates them, what they need from you to excel and how they learn best is a great way to develop a strong coach-athlete bond, reaching the highest athletic potentials. It is interesting that this research review and other studies often site that coaches are less aware of their communication short- falls than they should be. Communication in Coaching Is it ok to use punishment of athletes as a form of communication? Types of punishment a coach might use: Communication in Coaching Giving feedback to athletes can be done:  verbally vs. non-verbal vs. paraverbal  in person vs. on-line  individual vs. team  video playback vs. real-time  with positive, negative or aggressive feedback  with corrective cues  with feedback on errors in execution/technique… The Effect of Different Corrective Feedback Methods on the Outcome and Self Confidence of Young Athletes Tzetzis et. Al 2008  In this study (n=48), the authors determined – complexity level of the skill might mediate which form of feedback improves performance of the skill in novice athletes.  Less complex skills may need different feedback than more complex skills for improvements in performance and athlete self-confidence Communication in Coaching When does coaching communication cross the line to be what we would consider abusive? The lines can become blurred, especially in high levels of competition. Bystanders (including parents) tend not to question coaching techniques. Why is this important?  acute effects on athlete mental health, self-efficacy, motivation, participation and happiness  can lead to long-term (chronic) mental health issues that lead to physical and psychological injuries/trauma Defining and Categorizing Emotional Abuse in Sport Stirling & Kerr (2008) In this qualitative study they looked at high level retired swimmers (n-14f) They recounted stories of coaches: 1) physical aggression (throwing objects, punching walls), order of 2) verbal aggression (yelling, cursing, belittling, name- how calling, degrading comments, humiliation, body much shaming), effect it had on 3) denying attention & support (ignoring athletes/not athletes talking to them, not making eye contact/looking in their direction, Defining and Categorizing Emotional Abuse in Sport Stirling & Kerr (2008) The authors suggested updating the current definition of emotional abuse to: “A pattern of deliberate non-contact behaviours by a person within a critical relationship role that has the potential to be harmful. Acts of emotional abuse include physical behaviours, verbal behaviours, and acts of denying attention and support. These acts have the potential to be spurning, terrorizing, isolating, exploiting/corrupting, or deny emotional responsiveness, and may be harmful to an individual’s affective, behavioural, cognitive or physical wellbeing. “ Your Coaching Philosophy? Revisit the coaching philosophy you developed. Are there any modifications/changes you want to make to it after this lecture?