Coaching objectives

• Showing dedication to the team
  
• Use of Feedback
  
• Resolving Conflict

Tonight’s session could have been cancelled as I was invited to a dinner to meet an important guest, however, I knew that if I let the players down this might have an effect on them letting me down in reply. In the introduction to the session I stressed on who I turned down to meet, the guys reactions were obvious, as their naivety took over, they could not believe how I turned down to meet, I emphasized that the reason I turned down the offer was because I didn’t want to let them down and be dedicated to them, this is only the fifth week that I have known these players, although they say I have their respect it is still early days and remains to be seen Sabock noted during research in the Seventies that earning the Respect of the players is an essential quality of being a coach, Sabock further noted that dedication to your players relates to qualities of being a coach (Sabock, 1973). Sabock went on to define dedication as doing the best possible job year round, making the sport the best it can be for the performers (Sabock, 2004). The research that has been taken place here suggests that the dedication shown by myself tonight will make an improvement in the performance of not only the player’s but me as a coach.

Sunday’s game ended in a 2-0 win against arch rivals Walker Central, it was important to give terminal feedback on the game, this plays an important role linking back to goal setting that was emphasised last week. In the feedback it was important to identify the two components of feedback, the knowledge of results is crucial in team goal setting , Nadler (1979) noted that team feedback provides motivational effects which result in a increase rate of effort shown by the players (Nadler, 1979). The players showed a great effort in all three drills tonight, this result seems to suggest a relation to these findings. I also emphasized the positives from Sunday’s performance, relating to the end result being 2-0 it was important to make the feedback of their performance relative to the goal that was set in previous weeks( O’Neil, 1994). In the context of the feedback it was important to highlight individual feedback relating to performance and goals, as if individual holds specific goal their performance tends to be higher to that of when these goals are absent (Locke et al, 1981). Researching in the eighties Ilgen cited in Motivation: Theory and Research by Harold. F. O’Neil described the importance of feedback relating to performance and goals, it could result in the feeling of accomplishment and other effects seen as being beneficial to the performer (Ilgen et al, 1987). Feedback can act as source of effecting a performers behaviour, comparing the difference between the team goal and team performance feedback, suggestions may conclude that this could be influential on the team, effecting the individual performers cognitive processes (O’Leary – Kelly, undated), O’Leary – Kelly goes on to further suggest that individual team members may interpret their own implications on team feed back which is something that I do not want to happen as it part of the coaches role implement these goals for action to take place. It was important to install quality feedback to the players and refrain repeating myself and focus on being precise, it was fantastic to see the players who crossed the white line perform to meet the demands of the goals set, however it was important to direct the attention to the part of the performance that could be improved, this was converting our creating chance to finishing chances ratio, although we won by 2 goals, I stressed that on another day, the chances missed could have a significant effect if opposition was to a better standard, my only worries of that part of my feed back was that I hope that suddenly changing the positives to a slight negative may have installed some anxiety to some of the players.

The final drill of the night was competitive, it was set in a 40x40 yard area, the area was split in half and goals were added, the aim of the drill was to encourage the players to have a shot on goal at the first opportunity as quick skill acquisition gives the attacking player the advantage making it harder on the defenders cognitive process (Reilly, 2003). The players were highly competitive, some I felt were above their state of arousal addressed bye Yerkes and Dodson (1908), this resulted in a conflict between team members as tackles were flying in left right and centre, previous to this I intervened in the session to just instruct the players to calm down. It was obvious that competition for places was taking it toll on some of the players in their aim to impress me. One ridiculous challenge resulted in the player who was tackled confronting the other player during the drill using a threatening manner, I stopped the drill and warned the players about their behaviour, expressing that on a Sunday by all means go in for strong tackles but in training there is no need to be harming a team mate, after the drill and the debrief I pulled the two conflicting players aside to reflect on what happened, the idea being that confronting the conflict would be the best method to find the solution to the problem (Foster, 2004), it was important to listen to both players views on what happened and then determined what both players wanted individually and for the team, balancing their demands had to be made essential (Foster, 2004), so there was no favouritism shown by myself as a coach, this may have enhanced the respect for myself from the two players, treating them the same is suggested by Holbrook (1979) as a way of gaining respect of the players. Although it would have been easier to use a passive method of resolving this conflict which is the most common method used (Foster, 2004), allowing the players to resolve the problem them selves, this would have allowed the players to develop their own experience but may not have provided a solution to the problem as I did not want this to create a dysfunctional outcome for the team and the team’s goals. It was pleasing to see the two players collaborating to reach a solution, relating to the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode instrumented by K.W. Thomas and Kilmann (1974) this result displayed my assertiveness to a high standard in order to get to the bottom of this problem. I also felt it was important to install my leadership qualities to the two players as I had already confronted them when the problem was raised, I felt it was important to motivate the two players to pursue the goals of the team (Martens, 2004) , they were in agreement, here the installation of values gave the players an idea of where the line is in the drills and that conflict was not the solution to achieving these goals.






Foster, T.S. (2004). Managing Quality: An Integrative Approach. Pearson Education, Inc., 2. pp. 325-329

Holbrook & Barr (1979) Respect May be gained. [online] http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/FunSchool-6095-DrChung-Coaching-Process-Skills-Qualities-CoachSabock-1973-Management-Monitoring-Athletes-drchung-ppt-powerpoint/ Accessed 6/11/07.

Ilgen. (1987). Cited in: O’Neil, H.F. Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and Research. Lawrence Erlbaum Publications. P 161

Locke. (1981). Cited in: O’Neil, H.F. Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and Research. Lawrence Erlbaum Publications. P 161

Martens, R, (2004). Successful Coaching

Nadler. (1979). Cited in: O’Neil, H.F. Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and Research. Lawrence Erlbaum Publications. P 161

O’Leary – Kelly. (Undated). Cited in: O’Neil, H.F. Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and Research. Lawrence Erlbaum Publications. P 161

O’Neil, H.F. Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and Research. Lawrence Erlbaum Publications. P 161

Reilly, T.A, Williams, M. (2003). Science and Soccer. Routledge Publishings. Liverpool

Sabock, R.J, (1973) The Coach. The University of Michigan

Sabock, R. J. (2004). Coaching: A Realistic Perspective. Coaching (Athletics) Vocational Guidance. P79

Thomas, K.W., and R.H. Kilmann. (1974) Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Sterling Forest, NY: Xicom, Inc.

Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 18, 459-482


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