Developmental consulting in a professional football academy: The 5Cs coaching efficacy program.

Reference:

Harwood, C. (2008). Developmental consulting in a professional football academy: The 5Cs coaching efficacy program. Sport Psychologist, 22(1), 109.

by Rachel Webb

The purpose of this article was to explore the implementation of the 5Cs coaching efficacy program into a professional football (soccer) academy in Great Britain. This program was inclusive to coaches, parents, and the athletes as well. The 5Cs of football include commitment, communication, concentration, control, and confidence. This study was done over a four-month period and the objective of this program was to enhance coach’s efficacy in shaping the positive psychological and interpersonal skills in the young players (Harwood, 2008). Harwood identifies the unique and untapped potential of sport psychology and through this program wanted to increase the overall awareness and application throughout the academy he was working with. Many people can attest that the specialization of sports is starting at younger ages due to the competitiveness and commitment necessary to build to an appropriate skill level, and this particular culture is extremely present within English football. Development of these young players is crucial due to the unique scenario that many players are being scouted and then signing for professional clubs as young as 8 years old. Another objective of this multidimensional program was to gear their focus to shaping the psychosocial competencies and performance-enhancement skills that are appropriate for each player’s stage of development. In agreement with Harwood, the impact this program has on positive youth development is one of the strongest takeaways from this study, as he points out that this industry has a much deeper and more profound role to play in youth sport (and youth-coach education) compare to other stages of life.

Throughout the study Harwood assesses both the players and coaches on their behavior, responses, and perceptions of efficacy. This was done before, during, and after the intervention, which entailed workshops, working strategies, and training of the 5C’s. Ultimately presented were methods by which coaches, players, and parents can be empowered toward achieving gains in this stage of development and increase their ability to use positive internal and external assets during the early stages of development. Results of this four-month program were reflected in the coaches’ enhanced belief behind their ability to have intentionality behind the employment of sport psychology with the youth they are working with. There was also an achievement of integrating psychological education and development into training sessions. This design of the program was purposely self-exploratory for coaches in the sense that by taking one C at a time and incorporating that, they could then fully understand the impact of each component. For instance, results revealed that with coaches’ implementation of commitment and communication, coaches then associated this with perceived elevations in players’ concentration levels, self-control, and self-confidence during those training sessions (Hardwood, 2008). Despite several limitations of this work it has been made obvious that working within an organization to impact the psychological and performance-enhancement skills of sport psychology vastly benefits all of the individuals involved. The final hopes of this study are to encourage the use of the 5 C’s training amongst other youths and for future practitioner to optimize the opportunity to work with young athletes psychological skill sets and the confidence of coaches in helping shape that development.

On May 30, 2016

Other-Initiated Motivational Climate and Youth Hockey Players’ Good and Poor Sport Behaviors

Davies, M. J., Babkes Stellino, M., Nichols, B. A., & Coleman, L. M. (2016). Other-Initiated Motivational Climate and Youth Hockey Players’ Good and Poor Sport Behaviors. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 28(1), 78-96.

Mentioned: Duda, J. L., Balaguer, I., Jowett, S., & Lavallee, D. (2007). Coach-created motivational climate. Social psychology in sport, 117-130.

by Rachel Webb

This study aims to examine the relationship between the motivational climate created by peer-, coach-, and parent- and how this perceived climate effects youth hockey players’ good and bad sports behavior (Davies, Stellino, Nichols, & Coleman, 2016). Hockey was specifically chosen because it has been shown that in high contact sports there can be a much larger gray area for what kind of behavior is condoned. With this research it is imperative to be able to draw the line for this potentially aggressive population that can be more susceptible to poor behavior in sport. Examples that demonstrate good behavior can be seen as adhering to the rules of the game, respecting others, or having positive social interactions with other. Poor behavior can be demonstrated through argumentative players, attempts at cheating, or overly aggressive acts. These poor behaviors not only affect the game and individuals involved with the sport but also have the potential to have adverse effects on the cognitive, social, and psychological development of youth players. The authors use Achievement Goal Theory, which provides an explanation for an athletes decision to play, expended effort toward, and persistence in the sport, to construct the personal motivation that an athlete may have (Duda & Beleaguer, 2007). However, at this young age specifically there is a greater influence from peers, parents, and coaches on the motivational climate that they encounter with their sport. Motivational climate is defined, and used as a guide to determine how each subject has an influence on the player. How these social outlets define and encourage success plays a large factor in what the player is willing to do (i.e. exhibit poor behavior) in order to win. The relationship between the perceived motivational climate from the previously discussed significant others, combined with the athletes goal orientation, perceived ability, and their resulting good or poor behavior is examined. Another factor taken into consideration was the level of play that the hockey players were involved in.
Although all athletes can come into a sport with their own personal intentions and personal orientations, the overarching theme provided through this study supported that the motivational climate initiated by significant others with a sport context can have an important influence on the behavior of the youth players (Davies et al, 2016). In order to increase the adaptive behaviors for youth players and foster their development coaches and parents must have an awareness and understanding of the role that they play. This study provides further perspective on the influences that social support and networks have on a youth hockey players good and poor behavior.

On June 13, 2016 

Changes in Motivation and Burnout Indices in High-Performance Coaches Over the Course of a Competitive Season

Bentzen, M., Lemyre, P. N., & Kenttä, G. (2016). Changes in Motivation and Burnout Indices in High-Performance Coaches Over the Course of a Competitive Season. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 28(1), 28-48.

by Rachel Webb

Looking at high-performance coaching has a very narrow field of research to support it and this study can be seen as a cornerstone for exploring the process influencing the burnout and well being of these coaches. Using the 4 step self determination theory over the course of a competitive season, it was ultimately discovered that there is a direct correlation with an increase rate in burnout and decreased well being for these high-performance coaches (Bentzen, Lemyre, & Kenttä, 2016). The types of stressors that were reviewed in this study include the stress of monitoring ones own coaching performance, along with having perceived control over the performance of their players. Player performance is often uncontrollable despite what coaches may aim to do, and this is dealt with along side the stressors that are brought on by the organizational side of the high-performance coaching position. These stressors can include areas such as administrative/leadership duties, perceived workload, and attempting a work-private life balance. In order to look at the longitude of this study to determine the effects of the multitude of potential stressors, the authors provided their questionnaires three weeks before the season and again three weeks before the season was about to end. Due to the previous studies focusing on a stress perspective, there has been little research in the field of the motivational perspective or self-determination theory. It has been suggested that burnout can only be experienced by those who have expectations or goals for their work and thus will experience burnout when they are not experiencing feelings of significance for their effort. In order to be a high-performance coach, dedication and passion are typically key in achieving access to this level of performance, so by using the SDT there is an attempt to understand the relationship between the individual’s interactions with the environment to the outcome actually experienced that caused this burnout.

Although the competitive season itself had no indication of affecting the level of burnout or well being of the high-performance coaches there was significant support for the changes in perceived environment, psychological need satisfaction, autonomous motivation, and finally change in burnout and well being (Bentzen, Lemyre, & Kenttä, 2016). The self-determination theory process model was successful in providing the framework for better understanding the how and why differences in burnout within the arena of professional work experience. With this study as an initial foundation, we can continue to understand how to identify and confront the prolonged exposure to high work-related demands that causes burnout, and conceptualize the necessary resources needed to increase coaches overall well being through a competitive season.

On June 13, 2016