BOOK REVIEW: Athlete-Centred Coaching

Developing Decision Makers

Kidman and Lombardo

More and more in the world of sport you hear of teams espousing the ‘holistic approach’ to coaching, taking into account a variety of different factors in understanding how athletes develop. The ‘Athlete Centred Approach’ puts the athlete at the front and centre of all focus of the coaching. This is an examination of the academic theory behind the approach, as well as a collection of interviews with coaches discussing their experiences implementing the approach.

One of the central tenets of the Athlete Centred Approach is that it is not the coach who develops the player, but rather the coach who facilitates the environment for the player to develop. The key precepts of developing this environment are:

• Use of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU)
• Use of questioning
• Development of culture

The first chapter is a discussion of the purposes of sports coaching, are we only looking to develop elite athletes given the likelihood of this happening? Lynn Kidman argues for a more ‘humanistic’ approach to coaching in sports, the reasoning being that people take part in sport for a variety of reasons, that people develop at different speeds and in different spheres. The above concepts are used to develop not just the sporting ability of the athlete, but the physical, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual qualities of people.

The ‘Athlete Centred Approach’ is in contrast to the ‘coach centred approach’ where the coach will tend to be the driving force behind teams and winning will tend to be the prime focus. Lynn Kidman in the opening chapter comments: “When winning is the only focus, the development of individuals involved tends to diminish”

The book also shares the experiences of coaches such as Mike Ruddock (formerly of Wales and Worcester Warriors) Lyn Gunson (New Zealand and England netball) Greg Chappell (Cricket Australia) and Don Tricker (New Zealand Softball) It details the experiences they have had in implementing the model, both challenges and successes. All providing useful insight into how the approach has been used, discussing the benefits and challenges of doing so.

The other chapters in the book come from academic figures detailing the theory behind the processes behind the use of TGfU, questioning and culture. Of particular interest is Ian Renshaw’s chapter on the use of Non Linear Pedagogy and the Constraints led approach and how Greg Chappell had implemented it at Cricket Australia. As is the frequency with which culture is discussed, the ideal culture being where “athletes take responsibility and maintain direction for the team” Wayne Smith is quoted stating that “People will rise to the challenge if it is their challenge”

The challenge for all of us as professionals is to continually review our work and see how we can improve. This book allows us to measure ourselves against peer reviewed research. It is essential reading for anyone in the field of coaching who is interested in improving their current practice.