1st Edition
Coaching Stories Navigating Storms, Triumphs, and Transformations in Sport
This inspiring text unveils the storms and triumphs of coaching in the form of case studies. It explores coaches’ stories from across the globe through a scientific lens and translates them back into coaching practice, offering essential guidance on how to support new and experienced coaches in their work and professional development.
A variety of stories from coaches of different genders, ages, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, religions, and experience levels, present readers with a comprehensive and diverse overview of coaching and its varied and complex demands. Each powerful case study helps readers see coaching through a different lens, prompting reflection, thoughtful discussion, and creative problem-solving. Designed to instruct, reveal, and inform, the authors provide key takeaways and warn against pitfalls, as they consider what makes (and breaks) a coach as a person and performer, and what contributes to long-term coaching performance. The cases are organized thematically into six parts, with each chapter including a story, guiding questions, relevant research literature, and practical considerations.
This book is essential reading for coaches and those working with them, including educators, coach developers, applied sport psychology practitioners, sport managers, medical staff, embedded sports scientists, and other professionals surrounding the coach. Students in sport psychology, sport coaching, sport management and other sport sciences will also benefit from these inspiring stories, and the lessons that can be taken from them.
Note to the reader
Coaching stories can make us better
Stiliani “Ani” Chroni, Göran Kenttä, Peter Olusoga, and Kristen Dieffenbach
Part 1. The Performance Context
1. Perusing a High-performance Coaching Career
Richard Tahtinen
2. A Female Coach in a Predominately Male Sport Environment
Frauke Kubischta
3. Breaking through Barriers to Coaching Para-sport Athletes
Amanda Leibovitz and Christine Palmquist
4. Breaking Barriers in English Football Coaching
Shameema M. Yousuf
5. Coach Developers in a multisport club: The Role of Systems Convener to Leverage Coaching Capability
Michel Milistetd, Diane Culver, Alexandre Bobato Tozetto, and Caio Corrêa Cortela
6. Emerging from the Shadows: From Supporting to Leading
Shigeki Sarodo
Part 2. Athlete focused Relationships
7. Establishing an athlete centered team culture through a shared leadership structure
Diane M. Culver, Sydney Graper, and Jennifer Boyd
8. Being on the same page! Reconciling the Coach-Athlete Relationship
Kristin McGinty-Minister, Laura Swettenham, and Amy Whitehead
9. Vulnerability: A Strength or a Weakness?
Lynda Bowers
10. Coaching from the Closet or Choosing not to
Cristina Fink
11. Tough Love and Compromised Care in the Dojo
Colum Cronin and Michael Jennings
Part 3. Managing Multiple Relationships
12. The Athlete-Coach-Physician Triangle in Return-to-play Decision-making Following a Para-Athlete’s Injury
Heinrich Grobbelaar, Suzanne Ferreira, Wayne Derman, and Wilbur Kraak
13. Working with Parents: Managing Communication and Relationship Challenges
Camilla J. Knight, Maita G. Furusa, and James Maurice
14. The Interdisciplinary team as a Support Service Provider in Elite Sport
Paul Wylleman
15. Coach Conflict with Senior Management
Christopher R.D. Wagstaff, Alessandro Quartiroli, and Stephen D. Mellalieu
Part 4. Coach’s own Performance and Skills
16. Pressure, Mindfulness and the Olympic Coach
Peter Haberl and MeiLan B. Haberl
17. The “Colorful” life of being a Coach requires a “Colorful” Skillset
Kristel Kiens
18. Anger Management: Mastering the Fire Without Getting Burned by it
Mitch Abrams
19. Reducing Emotional Dysregulation Improves Coach Performance and Well-being
Peter Hassmén and Emily Hindman
Part 5. Performing through Adversity and Uncertainty
20. Evaluated after a Losing Streak: Coaching under the gun
Donna O’Connor and James Barkell
21. Talking to Coaches about Emotional Abuse
Leslee A. Fisher, Victoria L. Bradshaw, Shane R. Thomson, and Savannah N. Miller
22. The Wonders of Power Gained through Challenging Adversity
Alina Isabela Gherghișan
23. Managing the Realities of Getting Fired: The Uncertain Career Foundation that can be Professional Coaching
Russell Medbery and Catherine Turcotte
24. Life and Death in Sport: Coaching Through Grief
Teresa B. Fletcher, Melanie J. Richburg, and Kriti Gaur
Part 6. Self-care, Well-being, and Ill-being
25. Enhancing coach self-care and psychological well-being
Faye F. Didymus and Luke A. Norris
26. The Dark Side of Excessive Commitment to the Job
Renee Appaneal and Jason Patchell
27. Burning for Success makes me Burnout as a Coach
Carolina Lundqvist
28. Coaching is like Riding a Bike: To keep your Balance, you have to keep Moving
Frank Eirik Abrahamsen
Note to the reader
Coaching Coaching
Kristen Dieffenbach, Peter Olusoga, Göran Kenttä, and Stiliani “Ani” Chroni
Biography
Stiliani “Ani” Chroni, is Professor in Sport Psychology and Sport Coaching at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences in Elverum, Norway.
Peter Olusoga is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
Kristen Dieffenbach is Professor in the School of Sport Sciences and Director of the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Sciences at West Virginia University, USA.
Göran Kenttä is Senior Lecturer at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences and Head of the Sport Psychology Discipline at the Swedish Sport Confederation in Stockholm, Sweden.
