Community coach development

Coach Development Model

The Coach Development Model represents each community coach’s personalised growth journey. It focuses on the environment the coach creates and the experience that results.

As the expectations of sport and society evolve, coaches need to be able to focus on new information to remain relevant and modern. Use the model to identify and improve in different areas as you continue to grow as a coach.

Environment

This is what you create as a coach. It is the vision, goals and plans you develop based on your knowledge, understanding and practical application.

What you know

This is your bank of accumulated knowledge from different sources and experiences. Seek education to fill gaps and expand your knowledge. This will improve your ability to develop and deliver quality, meaningful sessions.

Motivation

Understanding why your participants are involved in sport informs your approach and what your sessions include. Motivations change over time, so it is important to stay connected and check in regularly.

Sports

This includes knowledge of the sport, such as the rules, skills, gameplay and tactics and the equipment and space needed to train and play. You don’t need to be an expert in the sport, but you need a baseline of knowledge to plan and deliver quality sessions.

Bias and values

We all have different life experiences and values that influence how we approach things, including coaching. Be aware of your biases and ensure your words and actions foster a sense of belonging for all participants.

Background

This includes your education, previous and current employment, personal interests and coaching experience.

Participants

It is critical to know your participants. Take the time to learn about their background, how they socialise and interact, as well as their sporting experience, strengths, weaknesses, attitudes and goals.

What you do

This is about how you coach your sessions. Practical, in-person training helps you learn new methods and develops your skills in group management, communication and more.

Activities

Try a variety of approaches and methods to engage with your participants and help them develop, improve their skills and enjoy their sporting experence.

Knowledge transfer

This is about taking what you have learned and applying it in a real-world context. Consider your participant’s level of understanding, engagement and development when deciding how to share your knowledge.

Adaptability

It is important to recognise when something is not working or achieving the intended objective and adapt or modify the activity or session.

Group management

This is about managing the involvement of participants and stakeholders at training and in competition in a way that supports fun, inclusion and growth and where everyone is clear about their roles and responsibilities.

Communication

How you interact with your participants through verbal and non-verbal communication has a big impact on how engaged and committed they are.

Experience

If you create a fun, safe and inclusive environment, it is likely your participants will have a positive sporting experience and be intrinsically motivated to stay involved in sport.

What you think

Reflecting and being self-aware are core components of your development as a coach. Regularly review and assess all aspects of your coaching, so you can identify areas for improvement and make the changes needed to create optimal environments for your participants.

Self-care

Coaching can be challenging, regardless of the level. Make time to look after your own wellbeing and consider who can help with sessions, game day and any issues you are facing.

Engagement

Reflect on how much your participants enjoyed and were actively engaged throughout your session and what you can do to increase engagement.

Interaction

Consider how you interact with participants and stakeholders and notice how they respond. Which interactions are most effective in helping them gain and apply knowledge? Ensure your interactions are always positive, respectful and appropriate.

Time management

Reflect on how well you manage your time before, during and after sessions to maximise learning opportunities and fun activities.

Organisation

Consider how organised you are for each session and game. Being organised allows you to continually provide quality environments and in turn positive experiences for participants.

What others think

Seek feedback from participants and other stakeholders. Find out what they think and feel about the environment that has been created and the experiences they have had.

Support

Consider what supports each participant needs to learn, engage and enjoy their sport. Strive to provide this support or seek additional support if required.

Growth

Enable your participants to develop their physical, technical, social and behavioural skills.

Safety

It is a basic need for participants to feel both physically and psychologically safe in their sporting environments. Recognising and taking appropriate action when a participant is not feeling safe is an important part of your development as a coach.

Motivations

Knowing your participant’s motivations is one thing, effectively creating an environment that allows for these motivations to be met is a greater challenge. Work hard to create training and competitive environments that motivate every participant.

Inclusion

Every participant should feel as though they are part of the session and have your attention. Look for ways to make your sessions more inclusive through the language, behaviour and role modelling.