Influence of Coaching Behaviors on Athletes

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Influence of Coaching Behaviors on Athletes
Achievement Outcomes in Sport

• Tony Amorose, Ph.D.
• Illinois State University

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Effective vs. Ineffective Coaching/Leadership

• What are the outcomes associated with effective
  leaders/coaches?
• How do we evaluate whether a coach or leader is
  effective or ineffective?

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Outcomes Associated with Effective
Coaches/Leaders

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Questions?

• Who are these coaches/leaders?
• What attributes do these effective
  coaches/leaders posses?
• What types of behavior do these effective
  coaches/leaders exhibit?
• How do they differ from ineffective
  coaches/leaders?

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Effective Coaches Effective Coaches Ineffective Coaches Ineffective Coaches
attributes behavior attributes behavior

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Questions?

• Are there occasions or situations where these
  "effective" attributes and behaviors are actually
  "ineffective"?
• If so, when and under what conditions?

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Horns (2002) Model of Coaching Effectiveness

• integrates other coaching/leadership models
• Multidimensional Model of Leadership
• Mediational Model of Leadership
• helps organize research on coaching behavior

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Examples of Research on Coaching

• feedback and reinforcement
• general leadership styles
• expectation effects

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Principles of Reinforcement and Performance
Feedback

• Behavioral Coaching
• Basic Premise

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if positive consequence ?
if negative consequence ?
consequences of behavior involve either the
presentation, the nonoccurrence, or the removal
of a positive or aversive stimulus
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present remove
positive stimuli
aversive stimuli
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Positive vs. Aversive Control

• positive approach (i.e., positive control)

negative approach (i.e., aversive control)
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Important Point

• The negative approach is a very successful at
  modifying behavior!

However, there are undesirable consequences of
this approach



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Keys to Effective Behavioral Coaching Using the
Positive Approach

• 1. identify the desired behaviors

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• 2. monitor and reinforce the desired behaviors

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• 3. evaluate the effectiveness of the behavior
  modification program

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Coaching Effectiveness Training Studies

• research by Smith, Smoll, and colleagues
• based on the Mediational Model of Leadership

Phase 1 development of the Coaching Behavior
Assessment System (CBAS) through systematic
observation of youth sport coaches
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Phase II

• Are specific coaching behaviors are related to
  the athletes sport experiences?

• Basic Results
• Behaviors positively related to post-season
  evaluations
• Behaviors negatively related to post-season
  evaluations

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• Findings used to develop a series of coaching
  guidelines labeled the Positive Approach to
  coaching

• General Guidelines

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Philosophy of Positive Approach

• 1. Winning isnt everything, nor is it the only
  thing.

2. Failure is not the same thing as losing.
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• 3. Success is not equivalent to winning.

4. Athletes should be taught that success is
found in striving for victory (i.e., success is
related to commitment and effort).
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Phase III

• Used the guidelines of the Positive Approach to
  train coaches

• Summary of Results
• Athletes from trained coaches

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Important Point

• using the positive approach guidelines generally
  results in positive outcomes
• However
• it is not enough to just provide high frequencies
  of these coaching behaviors
• effective feedback must also be given

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• Contingent

Appropriate
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Why?

• non-contingent and inappropriate feedback have
  been shown to have negative consequences for
  athletes

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Horn (1985)

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Explanation of Results

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Key Point

• It is not necessarily the quantity of feedback
  that is important, rather the quality of the
  feedback!

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Guidelines for Effective Feedback

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General Leadership Styles

• Price and Weiss (2000)
• Research Questions
• Do coaches who vary in burnout differ in the
  behaviors athletes perceive they exhibit?
• Are coaching behaviors related to athletes
  psychological responses?

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Burnout

• What are possible signs or symptoms of burnout?
• Burnout Defined

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Results

• coaches burnout and behavior
• coaching behaviors and athletes psychological
  responses

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How Can We Reduce Burnout?

• 1. suggestions by athletes
• 2. other suggestions

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Expectation Effects

• expectations that a coach forms about the
  abilities of an athlete can serve as prophecies
  that dictate or determine the level of
  achievement that athlete will ultimately reach
• Important Points

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Step 1

• coach form expectations

Person Cues
Performance Cues

• Important Points

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Step 2

• coachs expectations affect his/her behavior

Differential treatment of athlete include 1.
the frequency and quality of the coach-athlete
interactions
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• 2. the quantity and quality of instruction

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3. the type and frequency of verbal feedback
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Important Points

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Step 3

• coachs behavior affects the athletes
  performance, behavior, and psychological
  responses

Step 4
athletes performance conforms to the coachs
expectation
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Important Point

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Conclusions

• Coaches should

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Take home Message

• coaches can have a significant impact on
  athletes behaviors, cognitions, and affective
  responses
• effective coaching behaviors will depend on
  personal and situational factors, but should be
  pursued at all costs!