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Athlete-centred coaching: developing inspired and inspiring people
Issue: Volume 28 Number 2
Athlete-centred Coaching: developing inspired and inspiring people
by Lynn Kidman
Innovative Print Communications Ltd
288 pages
RRP AUD$34.50 or NZ$37.45
The idea that a successful team culture and intelligent athletes can contribute to success is not new. Neither are terms like ‘empowerment’ and ‘leadership’. But in Athlete-centred Coaching, Lynn Kidman has drawn the concepts of team culture, query theory, empowerment, game sense and leadership into one book.
The structure is based around case studies (one each chapter) of a number of New Zealand teams, including those coached by Australians Mike McHugh and Ian Rutledge. Other chapters comprise interviews with coaches, more specifically designed to ‘pick their brains’, but using the same section headings as with the case studies. The author herself wrote the last couple of chapters, which, while excellent and covering topics that were raised in the case studies, seemed to be almost appendices rather than fitting into the flow of the whole book.
Each case study was interesting in itself and different from the others. The teams ranged from high school volleyball, to the triple world champion New Zealand men’s softball team, to Team SeaGate, an adventure race and multi-sport team. The only negative in the six case studies was the repetition of some of the themes.
By including the high school coach, the author illustrates that much of what the elite coaches are doing can be (and is) replicated at a lower level. And, most importantly, avoids the trap that some books which rely on elite case studies fall into: that it is ‘a great story, but not relevant to “my team”’.
I write any negatives with some hesitation, as I think the content of the book is fantastic. All coaches should read it! Those who have already read Ric Charlesworth’s Coach, and Stan Alves’ Sacked Coach (to name just two) will be familiar with many of the themes, but all the case studies have their own perspective on things.
When reading books like this is it difficult to see why anyone would coach any other way, until you realise that too many athletes (who have grown up to be coaches) have never experienced it. This book should give those coaches the basic concepts to work on, and the courage to change. It is for coaches who seek knowledge — just like most of the coaches who contributed to it. As the author says in her conclusion, the book ‘shares ideas so that coaches can take the ones that suit their philosophy and purpose and apply them to their sport’.
