What are the responsibilities of a sports coach?
their sport.
· Mentor – When athletes attend training sessions you are responsible, to their parents and family, for ensuring that they are safe and secure. You have to monitor their health and safety whilst training and support them should they have any problems or sustain any injuries.
· Motivator – Maintain the motivation of all the athletes the whole year round.
· Organizer and planner – Preparation of training plans for each athlete and organize attendance at meetings and coaching clinics.
· Supporter – Competition can be a very nerve racking experience for some athletes and often they like you to be around to help support them through the pressures. Role of a “friend” and perhaps “Counselor” could come in under supporter too.
Coach/Athlete training roles
The roles of a coach and athlete in determining training requirements will change over the time an athlete is with a coach.
· When an athlete first starts in a sport/event the coach’s role is to direct the athlete in all aspects of training (autocratic role).
· As the athlete develops and demonstrates a sound technical understanding of the sport/event then gradually the coach’s role changes to one where the coach and athlete discuss and agree appropriate training requirements (democratic role).
· As the athlete matures and demonstrates a sound understanding of training principals then the athlete will determine the training requirements. The coach’s role becomes one of a mentor providing advice and support as and when required.
Is coaching an art or a science?
Science:
To support the coach there is a wealth of scientific information based on research conducted with athletes. Information is available to support the coach and athlete in all areas of training and development including nutrition, biomechanics, psychology, physiology and medicine. There are a number of scientific methods to measure and analyze the athlete’s performance e.g. computer aided analysis of VO2 max, lacate levels, running technique etc.
Art:
The art of coaching comes when the coach has to analyze the scientific data and convert it into coaching and training programmes to help develop the athlete. This analysis process relies heavily on the coach’s experience and knowledge of the event/sport and the athlete concerned.
By understanding the science, which is the foundation of training, a well-designed training program can be delivered that will help an athlete reach their full potential. The art is understanding the science and then applying it.