Developing Champions 

by Kristen Dieffenbach, Daniel Gould, and Aaron Moffett 

Coaches play an important role in the lives of champions, particularly during the middle and elite phases of their careers.

These elite athletes describe their coaches as "like surrogate parents, had a good bond, provided an adult-to-adult relationship, and was a good friend." Overall, six main areas of coaching influence are noted by these champions that can help you develop champions in sport and in life. 

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Quality Coach-Athlete Relationship

The importance of a good coach-athlete relationship was stressed, particularly during the middle and elite career phases. A good relationship was characterized by mutual trust, confidence in each others abilities, good communication (especially good listening skills) and a sense of collaboration or working together. A coach's display of interest and respect for the athlete beyond his/her athletic identity was also important. Additionally, many participants indicated that a good fit between coach and athlete personality, need and style made the relationship work.

A main aspect of a good coach-athlete relationship was the coach's ability to understand each athlete as an individual and to individualize his/her coaching style to suit that athlete's needs. One coach stated, "I found my role was to give her an environment and understanding her well enough to give her what she needed to excel." Another said, "You have to look at athletes as in individuals; you have to recognize their strengths and weaknesses."

In coaching, the importance of individualization was demonstrated by two athletes discussing how their coaches help them deal with frustration after disappointing performances. One athlete indicated that her coach left her alone until she approached him, the other indicated that his coach spoke to him immediately. Though the coaches approached similar situations differently, both athletes indicated that their coach's response was right for them. Unfortunately, preliminary studies in this area indicated that many coaches lack skill in recognizing needs and moods of individual athletes, indicating that this is an important area for coach improvement.

Knowledge, Competent Coaching Style and Characteristics

The importance components of coaching style include a balance between strictness and kindness, personal dedication, passion for the sport and coaching, discipline, enthusiasm, organization, and displaying a profession coaching style with parents and athletes. Having and demonstrating knowledge of the sport, training aspects, and an understanding of competition, especially elite levels of competition, were also noted as significant coach characteristics.

Many of the Olympians considered coach credibility an important influencing factor; specifically, they though having a coach who had achieved an elite status by competing at national, world, or Olympic levels was an important aspect of his/her credibility. Several athletes indicated that having a former elite competitor take an interest in them played an important role in enhancing confidence in their own abilities and increased their motivation.

Multiple Coach Goals for Athletes

All sources interviewed indicated that coaches had definite goals for the athletes they coached. The three goal focus categories included fun, development and winning. Fun-based goals emphasized having fun and creating an enjoyable training environment. Development goals included focus on tactics, skill and technical development. Winning goals focused on performance outcomes.

Coaches' goals for athletes were an area where definitive differences were seen between early-year coaches and those who coached during the middle and later years. During the early years of athletes' careers, coaches centered mainly on fun and development goals. Mid-career coaches balanced performance and nonperformance objectives, such as fun and development as well as winning. During elite years winning was more often emphasized, but even during the elite years when winning was of utmost importance, athletes and coaches indicated that it was important to have fun.

Coach-Created, Individualized, Motivational Climate

In creating a motivational climate for athletes, coaches used many motivational techniques; one was exposing athletes to elite achievers. This allowed athletes to see these elite athletes as regular people and to recognize that the same status was possible for them. One athlete who was exposed to the Olympic trials and the participating athletes by her coach said, "He made me realize that normal, everyday people can go to the Olympics."

Other coaches created a motivational climate by pushing the athlete, providing a positive environment with opportunities and appropriate challenges. Another coach indicated that he was most effectively able to motivate athletes when he "challenges them in a fun way and let them rise to the challenge." It is important to note that the motivational techniques coaches used were successful because they were individualized to meet the needs of each particular athlete. The importance of remaining flexible and trying new ideas with different athletes was expressed by an elite level coach, "Something may work for one person, but it doesn't really work for another."

Coaching Support

While pushing athletes to excel, coaches simultaneously provided athletes with unconditional support that did not pressure them. Coaches demonstrated support by backing athletes' decisions and goals, showing pride in their athletes, being present at practice, expressing concern about athletes well-being after a loss, bragging about their athlete's accomplishments and "being there emotionally" for their athletes.

Coach Teaching

One of the most important things coaches did for athlete development was to teach, directly and indirectly, the various skills and characteristics that athletes' though were important to their achievement of elite accomplishments. Coaches emphasized high expectations and standards that athletes were expected to achieve and helped athletes realize that the expectations and standards were attainable.

The expectations and standards emphasized by coaches encompassed important aspects beyond athletic achievement such as school work, personal responsibility and good citizenship. They also emphasized and expected hard work and self-discipline in training. Athletes indicated that through emphasizing high expectations and standards, coaches taught skills such as training hard and focus in on performance improvements.

Athletes received positive and constructive feedback and criticism from their coaches on how to correct mistakes and improve skills. Coaches were also credited with teaching athletes how to keep academic and career goals with striving for personal accomplishment. Finally, coaches directly mentored athletes' development and indirectly modeled the positive skills and characteristics athletes need for success. Through their own hard work, passion, dedication and positive outlook, coaches demonstrated these skills. While mentoring athletes, they directly taught skills such as goal setting, imagery and time management skills.