Week 4: The coach as The Performer

As discussed by Keith in todays lecture. Pedagogy has four interlinked elements: 

•Coaches

•Learners

•Knowledge

•Learning environment 

(Kathleen Armour, 2004, p.97)

These elements are all intertwined and are mutually beneficial when they work together in fluid motion.

I quite enjoyed Keith's lecture today on the 'performing' role the coach plays. In particular I found this quote stood out amoung the rest and one of much interest when analysing coaching pedagogy: 

“Although the recognition that coaching may have much in common with education, in so far as both should develop the totality of the individual, has surfaced, the link towards seeing pedagogic theory as a means to inform coaching has remained undiscovered.”

Robyn Jones (2006), p.9 The Sports Coach as Educator.

I felt that the main theme of this weeks lecture and tute was the coaches role as not only a performer but more importantly as the observer. As discussed in this weeks tute, the expert coach can often oversee the need to observe, listen and understand their athletes at the personal level. The knowledge of your athletes at an individual level is what distinguishes a one coach from an coaching pedegogue. Each of the quotes during this lecture highlights the need for knowledge of individuality, personality, personal principles and values. going beyond the boundary of the traditional strict and authoratative methods of coaching to a more welcoming, personal level will allow the coach to gain greater respect from their subjects. 

As explored in this weeks tutorial, in simply asking your participants five personal questions will allow the coach to gain greater knowledge and respect both from and of their participants at a more personal level. For instance yoy may ask them to state where they grew up, what their aspirations, goal or objective may be for the season, their favourite food, their friends, their strengths in the game, their feelings and thoughts towards the previous season, what they get up to during that particular day/week. this method allows the coach to understand their players in the light of good coaching pedagogy.

This photo from flickr depicts an observing coach 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinaphotography/5117766856/