Strategies and Methods
Strategies
To provide leadership in the design and implementation of educational initiatives focusing on best practice, based on sound theoretical principle (praxis), including key features such as:
- Providing leadership training opportunities through youth volunteerism
- Mentoring youth in leadership roles
- Development of women in youth sport coaching settings
- Moving away from a coach-centered model toward an athlete-centered approach based on “engaged learning” through experience.
- Adopting a competency-based approach to adult teaching and learning of leadership, in which the best measures of effectiveness are observable behaviors and actions
Methods
- Meet with representatives of interested youth sport organizations committed to youth development through sport and physical activity in order to define their core values
- Develop understanding of how these organizations currently function:
- Characteristics of current athlete population
- Characteristics of current coach population
- Characteristics of current coach training and education, if any
- Openness to observation of current coaches at work
- Openness to giving and receiving feedback on current coaching practices
- Identify key leaders in the organization who are interested in learning about and implementing intentional training and education for coaches working in the organization
- Work to establish a commitment to design and deliver sustainable coach development processes integrating the key values of the organization
- Collaborate with key leaders in the organization to design and deliver appropriate coach education and training, aimed at developing long-term improvement in coaching performance
- Adopt an athlete-centered model of coaching, aimed at helping all participants improve their performance over time
- Establish the coach development cycle based on observation of performance, followed by giving and receiving feedback and support to all participants
- Focus coaches’ attention on the development of heightened self-awareness, the ability to self-correct, and the acceptance of personal responsibility for learning
- Assist coaches to understand an appropriate athlete development model for their particular sport or activity
- Assist coaches to plan and deliver effective practices, based on establishing suitable performance objectives for their participants, ensuring a sound organization, and practicing appropriate methods of communication