Oct 31

Two Questions - What Drives Winning by Brett Ledbetter

In this video Brett talks about What are the top three things that could get in the way of your team maximizing its ability? What's your biggest personal struggle that not many people know about?

WHAT MAKES A GREAT ATHLETE? 4 INSIGHTS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE COACHING

by The Online Master of Science in Sport Management from University of Florida

While the conventional wisdom may say that someone is a born athlete, a close look at coaches’ role in their players’ development reveals that athletes are also made. High performance coaching is a method for developing players’ emotional wellness alongside their physical prowess. Whether teaching a complex football pattern or mentoring interpersonal skills like empathy, trustworthiness and dedication, effective coaches invest themselves in their players, and in return, the players give their best to the team.

The result of these relationships is players who are often better-adjusted to daily life and driven toward success. It’s difficult to say for sure whether strong coaching bonds make someone excel at sports, but one study of Canadian Olympic athletes concluded (based on self-reports) that the “top two contributors to medal winning or personal best performances were the quality of the coach-athlete relationship and the athlete’s self-awareness.” This speaks to a need for qualified coaches with a combination of real-world experience and research-supported strategy for seeing their players succeed.

The need for high school, college and professional coaches means you can specialize in the level that aligns best with your interests. If you’re a mid-career coach considering further education to advance in your field, a degree from a cutting edge, evidence-driven master’s program can set you apart from other job candidates. Graduates of the University of Florida’s MS in Sport Management pursue rewarding roles helping athletes in all areas of their lives.

FOUR INSIGHTS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE COACHING

If you’re considering an advanced degree in a sports-related discipline, University of Florida’s specialization in High Performance Coaching as part of the online Master of Science in Sport Management can qualify you for a frontline role in athletes’ development. Understanding what goes into high-performance coaching can help you make a well-informed decision about continuing education. Here are some insights into four fundamental ways that winning coaches help their players:

Emotional intelligence “contributes to the arsenal of leadership qualities necessary for a coach to produce consistent high-performance in self and others.”— Jonathan Chan and Clifford Mallett, sport science researchers

1. Develop a Sophisticated Understanding of Human Behavior

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify one’s own feelings and desires and empathize with others’ experiences. Sport science researchers Jonathan Chan and Clifford Mallett posit that EI “contributes to the arsenal of leadership qualities necessary for a coach to produce consistent high-performance in self and others.”The University of Florida’s M.S. in Sport Management with a specialization in High Performance Coaching prepares coaches to develop their players’ skills using the DISC model, which includes dominance, influence, steadiness, conscientiousness.

Dominance refers to how individuals contend with problems (i.e., facing them directly or indirectly, using certain skills, etc.) Coaches can instill dominance by encouraging players to be curious about the world and analytical about the problems they face in it, whether that’s at a track meet or in daily traffic.

Influence is a measure of someone’s level of introversion versus extroversion, meaning it gauges whether people draw influence from being around others or from being alone. High-influence people may appear more outgoing and sociable. However, introverts also thrive on connections, they just need to recharge by being alone.

Steadiness is the pace at which someone completes a task or progresses toward a goal. This trait is crucial for learning athletes because it teaches them to take losses in stride and continue making measurable progress toward predefined goals.

Conscientiousness gauges the extent to which someone prefers rules and structure. Players low in conscientiousness, for example, may need more one-on-one attention from their coach to keep focused.

The DISC model rates individuals on a scale and categorizes the scores as high or low. This means someone who, for example, is high in dominance, will likely be more assertive about what they want and take greater risks in pursuit of their goals. High performance coaches help their players identify important traits like these and apply them in their lives.

2. Encourage Athletes to Exhibit Good Behavior

Frequent controversies over athletes’ off-the-field actions show how important it is for coaches to reinforce positive behavior, such as being humble, respecting others and contributing to the greater good. All of these traits constitute good character, which is an essential quality for successful athletes, according to respondents in a 2019 survey of college coaches. Self-awareness helps athletes understand what drives them and make consistent progress toward the goals they hold important.

Self-awareness starts with knowing what you do best and where you can improve. Awareness can progress to understanding what resources you need to excel at your goals, how you can respond to setbacks and what effect your improvement efforts have on yourself and others. Developing this awareness allows athletes to nurture teamwork through mutual respect and weather losses without feeling emotionally defeated.

Coaches foster this ability in their players by having a strong foundation for it in their own lives. Earning an advanced degree in sport management from UF helps aspiring coaches develop interpersonal awareness through a blend of hands-on experience and in-depth research. Graduates go on to an array of careers providing critical guidance and support for athletes at all stages of development.

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3. Establish an Environment Conducive to High Achievement

Besides devising the lessons and understanding the best methods for learning, high performance coaches also have to set the stage for their athletes. Creating a productive learning environment includes tangible measures like providing the right equipment, plus making sure players feel supported, get the rest and nutrition they need, and so on.

A well-structured learning environment lets coaches set standards and expectations, then observe how effective their lessons are. In a July 2022 article, Paul Larkin et al. state that maintaining a solid learning environment means “knowing your athletes’ capabilities and their needs and deciding what to prioritize in the upcoming practice session.” High performance coaches understand the need to apply this concept beyond practice sessions; they maintain the right conditions for learning in their personal interactions, at public events and any other scenario where they’re modeling behavior for their players.

4. Teach Athletes to Motivate and Push Themselves

For times when their coach is not nearby blowing a whistle and providing instruction, athletes need to be able to think on their feet and make positive decisions.

There will inevitably be times when players are on their own and must apply their coach’s lessons without their direct involvement. High performance coaches do their best to equip their players with technical know-how while also fostering their self-sufficiency to encourage positive decisions in any circumstance.

Intrinsic motivation, or the self-guided drive to succeed, is a critical trait for high performance coaches to instill in their players. For times when their coach is not nearby blowing a whistle and providing instruction, athletes need to be able to think on their feet and make positive decisions. Psychologists Stefano Di Domenico and Richard Ryan note the positive connection of intrinsic motivation to flow, or “experiential states of total absorption, optimal challenge, and non-self-conscious enjoyment of an activity.” Since flow also correlates to improved performance, the implications for intrinsic motivation is clear—it helps players win.

These are just a few of the tactics high-performance coaches focus on for shaping champions. The principals that tie them all together, such as commitment, integrity, and perseverance, plus expert knowledge of the game, are some of the qualities coaches learn about and master in an M.S. in Sport Management with a specialization in High Performance Coaching.

The New Post Game Routine That’s Trendingby myPerforma

myPerforma Mindset Performance Indicators (or MPIs) serve as game-to-game, routine evaluation feedback that aligns athletes, coaches and directors from consistent review for communicating information immediately following a game or competition.

The intersection of sports and technology present day provides an opportunity for athletes and coaches to become more intentional about how they perform. Any team that does not use an application that provides performance review will soon be left behind. Every team that does, gains a slight edge over the competition.

Reflective Evaluation Conversation About Performance (RECAP)The dialogue (conversation) between player/athlete and coach is one of the most important aspects of developing impactful relationships in sports. Athletes must develop a post-game habit of reflection in order to assess performance quality and effectiveness and realistically compete with intent. In doing so, it supports developing individual and team accountability, self-awareness and focus to improve performance.

Click Here To Download PDF

Questions to Ponder

What do all if not the majority of coaches do post game?

Are post game speeches really effective or counter-productive?

Why don’t the majority of coaches in sports today have a consistent conversation about performance with every athlete game-to-game instead of telling them how they did, as a basic practice?

Do the programs and teams I oversee have a similar practice that we use?

How could having athletes assess their performance after every game improve, individuals and the team?

A Mindset Performance Indicator (MPI) is a performance review that athletes complete after each game. The Mindset Performance Indicator (MPI) establishes a feedback loop and regular cadence of communication that defines perception and highlights the gap between a coaches perspective, down to the individual.

This ongoing conversation about performance routinely asks the questions:

How do you (the athlete) think you did overall?

What do you (the athlete) think you did well (Strengths)?

What are your (the athlete) areas to improve (AIMs)?

What other insights and observations did you (the athlete) learn based on the game/competition?

If the game/competition is the test for team, athlete and coach — how do you define success and failure with performance? Stats? Wins — Losses?

Success and Failure is based on how YOU define it but the root of it all should be the effort you aim at the result you pursue.

Listen to Brett Ledbetter talk about what society values in sports performance and “What Drives Winning”.

The Frequency of Communication

myPerforma’s performance self-assessment for athletes is designed for use game-to-game and creates a competition review index composed of quality ratings, strengths, areas to improve and hindsight notes.

Three important things, whether in sports or life is mindset, discipline and habits. Self-reflection and self-evaluation communicates mindset. Doing it after every game requires discipline. Developing the habit of consistent self-assessment fosters greater self-discovery for the individual.

myPerforma’s provides three-fold objective is to serve the athletic community as: 1) a post-game routine evaluation practice (REP), 2) a multi-sport coaching tool that focuses on developing character/culture/identity and 3) a system for communicating sport performance information.

Games are the test for athletes/players and coaches. In contrast, a student always knows where they are in class because of a grade but how do athletes understand performance? On the flip side, how do coaches communicate progress for the team down to the individual? Because sports performance is such a moving target, myPerforma provides a universal scale for communicating success and failure. It is a qualitative measure that communicates mindset, highlights the need of the individual and showcases collective growth.

Coaching By Objectives

Standard (S) + Expectations (E) + Priorities (P) = Objectives (O)

Standards are the same person to person. Standards are consistent. Standards don’t change. Example: In basketball, a coach expects his point guard to rebound like his center from a technique standpoint.

Expectations are different from person to person as well game to game. Factors dictate expectations for how to perform. Using the example above, a coach might not expect his point guard to rebound as much as his/her center simply because of height, and position.

Priorities are different from person to person as well game to game. Opponents change. The game plan changes to adjust to strategy based on talent, athleticism or body type of personnel. Again, using the example above, the priorities for a point guard are vastly different in comparison to a center.

In team sports, teams must learn to work towards a common goal by organizing the skills, talents and abilities of the individuals. However, players must work to achieve both team and individual goals. How do teams work to achieve a common goal and balance individual objectives?

It is the responsibility of a head coach (or coaching staff) to coordinate individual efforts for collective success. In order to do this, the most successful coaches must effectively communicate S + E + P = O.

7 Keys For Coaching Success

Define your standards for the team.

Communicate expectations for individuals, ongoing.

Set priorities (Keys To the Game or KTGs) before every “test”.

Enable and Encourage athletes to complete a RECAP before sharing post-game thoughts.

Coaches compare & contrast (your expectations and the athletes against the outcome) and close the feedback loop with a response to every athlete’s MPI.

Give a post-game wrap up speech - AFTER - all players/athletes have completed their MPI (or RECAP) and use team and individual indices to hold them accountable for completing the objectives throughout the entire season.

Compete and repeat after every game.

Revisiting Growth Mindset as a Core Capacity of Sport Psychology

via Association for Applied Sport Psychology by Jim Davis | Good Athlete Project

Perspective Drives Performance

by Inky Johnson

Coaches’ Motivational Style and Athletes’ Fear of Failure

via Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 May; 16(9): 1563.

Published online 2019 May 4. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16091563

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between coaches’ interpersonal style and fear of failure in athletes. Methods: A sample of 340 athletes at the Federation Level with a mean age of 18.96 years (SD = 5.69 years.) comprised the sample. Athletes completed questionnaires related to fear of failure in sports as well as their perceptions of the extent to which their coaches provided support for athlete autonomy and control. Results: The results revealed a significant and positive relationship between coaches’ controlling style and athletes’ fear of failure whereas coach autonomy support was associated with reduced fear of failure. Through the use of cluster analysis, two athlete profiles emerged. One profile indicated moderate levels of fear of failure among those athletes who perceived a controlling coaching style. The second profile revealed a cluster of athletes with low levels of fear of failure and favorable perceptions of coach support for athlete autonomy. Conclusions: These findings provide further evidence for the role of coaches as social influences capable of contributing to both adaptive and maladaptive psychological outcomes for athletes in sports.

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