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A Better
Coaching Environment
for Optimal
Decision Making
A Better Coaching Environment
for Optimal Decision Making
When we talk about making good decisions in relation to outdoor
and action sports coaching we are very often thinking of how to
optimize safety, progression and the all important feeling of being
stoked or plain old having fun. What can we do to set up the
coaching environment to support optimal decision making?
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Decisions, decisions, decisions!
•
Decisions: The selection of a belief, “a commitment to a course of action that is
intended to yield satisficing results”, (Yates, 2002 ).
•
Decision making in outdoor action sports is intimately connected to the desired
result or goal of the coaching process.
•
The goal making process is driven by the motivation of the coaches and athletes
involved to reach the desired results.
•
The motivational climate created by the coach will affect the goal making
process, the kind of motivation, from intrinsic to extrinsic, exhibited by the
athletes and, as a result, will directly affect the decision making processes of
both the coach and athlete involved in the coaching process.
•
Let’s look at how an autonomy supportive motivational climate and the underlying
learning from Self Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan,2000, 2001) might have
a positive effect on the decision making processes of coaches and athletes in
outdoor action sports in the areas of safety, progression and getting stoked!
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Decision making in the
coaching environment
Optimal Safety – decisions on the
what to do where and when, coaching
interventions, reflection in action
(coach and athlete), and emergency
situations are supported when people
have a level of autonomy are able to
take responsibility for their part in the
decision making process.
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Decision making in the
coaching environment
Optimal Progression/learning –
decisions on the what to do where
and when, coaching interventions,
reflection in action (coach and athlete),
and goal setting are supported when
people have positive feelings of
competence as well as autonomy..
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Decision making in the coaching
environment
•
Optimal Stoke for all involved – It has been found that feelings of connectedness
to others increases the likely-hood that people will have high levels of intrinsic
motivation which is the research way of saying stoked. When feelings of
connectedness are teamed with feelings of autonomy and competence people
are more likely to reach their goals, more likely to have a high level of well being
and more likely to have more intrinsic motivation – the drive to do things for their
own reasons. In this way, the stoke promotes good decision making by
supporting a positive environment for progression/learning and safety.
•
Self Determination Theory from Deci and Ryan and the resulting Autonomy
Supportive coaching behaviors as outlined by Mageau and Vallerande should
therefore support a good decision making environment for outdoor action sports.
•
Before we look at the research let’s look at what this looks like in real life!
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“Stoked!”
“By far the best and most memorable and productive
times I have had on a snowboard was when the
atmosphere was fun and relaxed and I was learning
new tricks with good friends”
– Jenny Jones, Olympic Bronze medal winner, ladies snowboard slopestyle, Sochi 2014.
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Personal Stories of the Stoke
Think back to your first memory of adrenaline or
being really excited by what you were doing in
terms of your sport.
Who were you with? what were you doing or trying
to do? Why were you there? How did it feel?
Think back to a memorable breakthrough or ‘ureka’
moment in your sport.
Who were you with? what were you doing or trying
to do? Why were you there? How did it feel?
Are there similarities in the environments and if so
what are they?
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Personal Stories of the Stoke
Who were you with? what were you doing or trying to do?
Why were you there? How did it feel?
Who? - friends, family, club, school etc..
What? - having fun, trying something new, learning a new
move/trick/route etc..
Why? - fun, passion, motivation, drive, caught the bug, wanted to learn,
connection to others or outdoors, challenge, personal growth etc..
How did it make you feel? – Fun, motivated, stoked, proud etc…
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Stomping your tricks with a smile –
Go large and be in charge!
“By far the best and most memorable and productive times I have had on a
snowboard was when the atmosphere was fun and relaxed and I was learning new
tricks with good friends.”
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Stomping your tricks with a smile –
Go large and be in charge!
“By far the best and most memorable and productive times I have had on a
snowboard was when the atmosphere was fun and relaxed and I was learning new
tricks with good friends.”
The best coaching environment for me is when I am in charge of the tricks I am
learning, when I am riding with people who are fun to ride with and who are also
stoked on learning new tricks of their own and when I feel I have an equal
relationship with the person coaching me.”
- Jenny Jones
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Connectedness and what that looks like
“Riding with people who are fun to ride with and who are also stoked
on learning new tricks of their own” - Jenny Jones
Shared values, common goals, cultural family or community, respect,
equality, feelings of belonging.
An understanding of the value of ‘the goods of participation’
(Alistair MacIntosh,1985)
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Stories of stomping it –
what do we mean by competency?
“In the Olympic final everyone was just going for it.
We had worked up to that day for so long and all had our dream runs in our heads.
We were all supporting one another and egging each other on to try something new.
I knew it was now or never and if I did not try the flat cab 1440
then I would live to regret it for the rest of my life whether I won a medal or not! “
– Jamie Nicholls 5th Men’s Olympic Snowboard Slopestyle, Sochi 2014.
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Stories of stomping it –
what do we mean by competency?
•
In the men’s Olympic Snowboard Slopestyle final at least half of the field in the
finals attempted to land tricks or combinations of tricks they had never landed
before in a contest final.
•
It was as important to those riders that they try and land something progressive
and new than win the Olympic gold.
•
They all believed they could land those tricks and that the feeling of competency
they would get from stomping them would be the most valuable thing they could
get from the day with the added bonus of a possible Olympic medal!
•
The goal setting process for these athletes is based on task mastery, in this
case, learning new tricks. The added bonus for them is that if they land big, new
tricks they will also win the contest.
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What the research says
The driving force behind the growth process is intrinsic motivation, or doing
something as an end in its self because it is considered to be rewarding in its
own right, without the need for rewards or controls. Self determined (intrinsic)
motivation is likely to be high when the individual needs for autonomy,
competence and connectedness are met.
- Self Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000, 2002)
Adopting a pedagogical approach to coaching based on autonomy supportive
coaching behaviours will support the satisfaction of the three basic needs and the
self-determined (intrinsic) motivation of athletes. This will lead to positive cognitions,
affect and behaviours.
- Autonomy Supportive Coaching Behaviours (Mageau & Vallerande ,2003)
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7 Key autonomy supportive coaching
behaviours
1. Provide choices for athletes,
2. Provide rationale for tasks,
3. Acknowledge feelings and perspectives of athletes,
4. Provide opportunities for initiative and independent work,
5. Provide information/feedback on competence,
6. Avoid controlling behaviours, and
7. Create a task focused rather than ego focused
goal orientation (Mageau & Vallerande 2003).
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Where does that leave us?
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“Stoked!”
“By far the best and most memorable and productive
times I have had on a snowboard was when the
atmosphere was fun and relaxed and I was learning
new tricks with good friends”
– Jenny Jones, Olympic Bronze medal winner, ladies snowboard slopestyle, Sochi 2014.
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References
Adie, J. W., Duda, J.L. & Ntoumanis, N. (2006) Autonomy Support, Basic Need Satisfaction and the Optimal Functioning of
Adult Male and Female Sport Participants:A Test of Basic Needs Theory. University of Birmingham, UK.
Ahlberg, M., Mallett, C.J. & Tinning, R. (2008) Developing autonomy supportive coaching behaviours: An action research
approach to coach development. International Journal of Coaching Science, 2 (2), pp.2-20.
Amoura, S., Baldes, B., Gillet, N. & Vallerand, R.J. (2010) Influence of coaches’autonomy support on athletes' motivation and
sport performance: A test of the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11,
pp. 155-161.
Biddle, S.J.H., Chatzisarantis, N.L.D., Spray, C.M. & Wang, C.K.J. (2006) Understanding motivation in sport: An experimental
test of achievement goal and selfdetermination theories. European Journal of Sport Science, 6(1), pp. 43-51.
Deci, E. & Ryan, R.M. (2000) The “What” and “Why” of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behaviour.
Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), pp. 227-268.
Ryan, R. & Deci, E.L. (2002) Overview of Self-Determination Theory: An Organismic Dialectical Perspective. In, Deci, E.L. &
Ryan, R. eds. Handbook of Self-Determination Research. New York. University of Rochester Press. pp. 3-37.
Ryan, R. (2009) Self-Determination Theory and Wellbeing. WeD Research Review, 1.
Lonsdale, C., Hodge, K. & Rose, E. (2008) The Behavioural Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ): Instrument
Development and Initial Validity Evidence. Journalof Sports Exercise Psychology, 30, pp. 323-355.
Mageau, G.A. & Vallerand, R.J. (2003) The coach–athlete relationship: a motivational model. Journal of Sports Sciences,
21,pp. 883–904.
MacIntyre, A. (1985) After Virtue. 3rd Ed. London. Bloomsbury
Mallett, C.J. (2005) Self-Determination Theory: A Case Study of Evidence-Based Coaching. The Sport Psychologist, 19, pp.
417-429..
Mallett, C.J. & Hanrahan, S. J. (2004) Elite athletes: Why Does the Fire Burn So Brightly? Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 5,
pp. 183-200.
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