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COACHING |

Vol. 9 No. 2 January 2006 www.ausport.gov.au

AUSTRALIA

The coach and respect for officials David Parkin, coach educator and AFL coaching ambassador

I N T HIS ed iti on

With few exceptions, we all understand the roles and responsibilities of coaches in Australian sport. At all levels of involvement, they use their personal attributes and professional competencies to assist the development of their athletes to achieve their best possible results individually and collectively. From any viewpoint, it is a very challenging task.

3 Coach Profile: Dr Cliff Mallett 4 Defying defeat 6 Just do it! 6 Play by the Rules 8 State Coaching and Officiating Centre Coordinators

However, these days coaches have a much broader range of responsibilities than just teaching skills and managing the physical conditioning of their athletes. They are often called on to be psychologists, counsellors, dietitians, physiologists, biomechanists and more. In most cases, coaches can access experts in all these areas to deal with specific issues, but there is one area where coaches need to take primary responsibility for development of their athletes — in the area of respect.

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All athletes, at all levels, in all sports, need to develop respect for the officials who manage their sport. Coaches, I believe, are in a unique position to influence their athletes to do so. While most now believe in athlete-centred coaching, with empowerment and ownership being critical elements of the process of optimising talent, we all understand the significant influence of coach values, attitudes and behaviours. It continues to frustrate and disappoint me that coaches refuse to accept this aspect of their role. Coaches are the first people that athletes, parents and administrators listen to during and after competition. How often do they lead the ‘cheap shots’, tirades of abuse and the biased, unwarranted and ignorant criticism? A reasonable, balanced approach from the coach has a massive,

positive influence on bringing about similar responses from their athletes. Coaches, whether they like it or not, are powerful role models (for better or worse). If athletes see them exhibiting poor attitudes or behaviour towards officials, it is highly likely that they will adopt similar attitudes and behaviours. Culturally, in a number of Australian sports, we have struggled with respect for officialdom. Sport certainly cannot survive, let alone thrive, without its officials. My sport, Australian football, faces many challenges in the immediate future. At the elite level it becomes a very difficult game to play and coach, but not nearly as demanding as it is to umpire. For players, coaches, spectators and the media, it has become commonplace to have a ‘free hit’ at the officialdom, particularly when someone needs a scapegoat. The end result is that few are encouraged to take up the umpiring role and fewer survive the constant barrage of abuse and criticism. We need a radical change in thinking, massive community education and strong reinforcers of acceptable behaviour by governing bodies before we can arrest the situation. But it starts, and could very well finish, with the coaches. We set the standards in all attitudes and behaviour related to officials. It is our responsibility to show respect, positive and supportive behaviour, and a balanced attitude in our relationships and communication with officialdom — regardless of their performance on any given day. Make the change now! As Leigh Matthews said back in April 2003, ‘… let’s bury the anti-umpire culture … because we need to elevate them from the state of national enemy and treat them as the respected and integral part of the game they should be’. One thing is certain — sport without an independent umpire would be a disaster. What about it, coaches?

COACHING AUSTRALIA VOL. 9 NO. 2

Coach’s Corner: Eddie Jones

Opportunity’s knocking: are you ready?

Coaching Australia, issued six-monthly, is published by the Australian Sports Commission. To receive an electronic version of Coaching Australia, email [email protected]. For more information on enrolling in a coaching course, checking your National Coaching Accreditation Scheme status, updating your contact details, or general information on coaching in Australia, visit www.ausport.gov. au/coach/index.asp. The Australian Sports Commission is the Australian Government body responsible for the delivery of funding and development of Australian sport through the implementation of the Government’s sport policy, Building Australian Communities through Sport. It was established by, and operates under, the Australian Sports Commission Act 1989. Its national leadership role is achieved through four operational areas: Australian Institute of Sport, Sport Performance and Development, Corporate Services, and Commercial and Facilities. The Australian Sports Commission forms part of the Communications, Information Technology and the Arts portfolio. For general enquiries: Tel: (02) 6214 1111 Fax: (02) 6251 2680 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.ausport.gov.au For a complete listing of Australian Sports Commission publications, visit www.ausport. gov.au/publications/catalogue/index.asp. © Australian Sports Commission 2006 This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the Australian Sports Commission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction should be addressed to [email protected] ISSN 1448-3742 Unless otherwise specified, all images are the property of the Australian Sports Commission Produced by Australian Sports Commission Publishing staff Printed by Union Offset Printers

Much has been written about coaches progressing through the ranks to the pinnacle of their career. Just what the pinnacle is will often be determined by the coach — for some it might be coaching at the Olympic Games or the world championships or world cup. For others, the ultimate goal might be achieving the role of a head club coach and/or winning the local premiership. For me, the goal is to coach better every day. There are many factors that contribute to a coach being able to reach their goal, whatever it might be. Many experts have written on the importance of coaches ensuring that they have the experience and knowledge necessary to enable them to move through the ranks and be effective coaches. There can be no denying that experience and knowledge are vital components of successful progression in coaching. However, are experience and knowledge the only factors that determine whether a coach is ready to take the next step? It has been suggested that no matter how experienced or educated some coaches are, they may not be ready to seize an opportunity for advancement when it occurs. A variety of factors beyond experience and knowledge contribute to being ready to move to the next level. Let us look at a situation that could easily occur. A vacancy has come up in the national program of your sport. It is the area you have always wanted to work in and you have the relevant qualifications and have done your ‘apprenticeship’ working part time in the state program, in addition to your day job. It would seem that this vacancy has your name all over it. All you have to do is say yes. However, it may not be that simple. For example, you or your partner may be pregnant and you may have just bought a home. The coaching position may pay a bit less than your current day job and may require you to move to another city. With a baby on the way and a new mortgage, could you really afford to take this position, as much as you want it?

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There may be other factors as well. You may have just taken on coaching a couple of youngsters who are showing enormous potential and you would really like to see them through to at least state championship level — something that would not be feasible if you took this new position. There may be someone in your family who really needs your support at this time in their life and taking the position may impact on your ability to provide that support. There is no easy solution. Each coach needs to weigh up the pros and cons of each opportunity as it presents in order to make an appropriate decision. At least being aware of the other factors that may influence the decision can help in analysing whether you really are ready for the next opportunity in your coaching ‘career’. And rest assured, if you are not ready now, there is quite likely another opportunity waiting around the corner. There are always opportunities for good coaches. Coaches should always focus on coaching better every day, then opportunities will continue to present. Work hard to improve yourself — learn, listen and observe. Do not coach to get a better job. Coaches who do this have short careers. Focus on the process of coaching and good opportunities will look after themselves. Eddie Jones Appointed 2007 Queensland Reds Super 14 Coach

COACHING AUSTRALIA VOL. 9 NO. 2

Coach profile: Dr Cliff Mallett

Obsession is not a dirty word By Sharon Phillips

For Dr Cliff Mallett, coaching success requires a coach to have a healthy degree of obsessive behaviour. Perhaps this is the secret ingredient behind Mallett’s success with Australia’s two men’s track and field relay teams at the Athens Olympic Games. The men’s 4 x 400-metre team was the first Australian men’s relay team to win an Olympic medal, placing second. The men’s 4 x 100-metre team became the first Australian team to make an Olympic men’s 4 x 100-metre final, finishing sixth. ‘The men’s 4 x 100-metre and 4 x 400-metre team [results] were a highlight of my career in coaching. To witness a 4 x 100-metre team execute the exchange of a baton sprinting at 35 kilometres an hour or faster in a highly contested and crowded environment in a heightened atmosphere is just fantastic,’ he says. ‘The men’s 4 x 400-metre team, similar to the men’s 4 x 100-metre team, ran their race almost to perfection. Both teams ran times that were targeted and hence produced their potential. The execution of the 4 x 400-metre team in the final was a reflection of the solid preparation that they undertook in understanding the requirements of their event, the strengths of the team, and the commitment to their team-mates to realise their dream.’

1994 and coaches at the University of Queensland track. He also lectures in the University’s School of Human Movement Studies, specialising in coaching and sport psychology. He has recently been conducting research in Canada on the work of elite coaches. Mallett believes this type of research and the concept of continuous improvement are vital for his own professional growth. More than that though, he says challenging the orthodoxy of what is current practice is the only way the coaching profession can evolve. Mallett has long advocated that Australia needs to produce more tertiary-educated coaches with strong field experience if it is to remain at the forefront of international sport. ‘Tertiary education provides a sound foundation of knowledge in a number of disciplines but most importantly, it teaches coaches to think critically about what they read, what they coach and how they coach,’ Mallett says. ‘The Coles Report in 1975 criticised the standard of coaching in Australia, which led to the development of the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport. Two key recommendations [the report made] were for a national system of coaching accreditation and coaching education at the tertiary level,’ he says.

‘The National Coaching Accreditation Scheme has been successfully established but Australia has been slow to respond to the need for developing coach education at the tertiary level. ‘I have spent the past five years working with the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport in developing a suite of programs specifically aimed at developing high performance coaches in Australia. This program prepares the Australian Institute of Sport scholarship coaches and complements their work in the field.’ At the recent 11th World Congress in Sport Psychology in Sydney, Mallett argued for greater use of tools such as the coaching assessment instrument called the Coach Behaviour Scale for Sport. The tool, developed in Canada, helps evaluate the quality of work undertaken by coaches from the points of view of athletes and players. This is then used with other key performance indicators to help coaches review and improve the quality of their work. It is something that Mallett would like to see introduced to evaluate the quality of high performance coaches’ work in the Australian Institute of Sport and state and territory institutes and academies of sport network. He sees a future where a strong applied research program in coaching informs the development of the next generation of high performance coaches and transforms coach development at all levels of participation in Australia. ‘It’s essential to continually explore ways to improve the quality of your work so that you can provide the athletes you coach with the best preparation and guidance possible,’ he says. ‘Coaching is dynamic and continually evolving.’

You get the impression that Mallett ran every second of the race with these athletes, but it was not the result that gave him the most pleasure, rather that each athlete produced his optimal performance.

Mallett has been an international coach for more than 12 years. He has been the national coach for sprints and relays since

Getty Images/Australian Sports Commission 04115-21

‘To see an athlete execute a race tactically and technically well at important competition is just intrinsically rewarding. I coached an athlete who overcame serious injury to perform well at the Olympics (ninth) in the sprints and demonstrated amazing mental toughness. Other athletes I coached over extended times have enabled me to witness the development of the athlete, and as a person, and to know that you contributed to that development in a significant way is very powerful.’ Clinton Hill of the Australian relay team competes in the men’s 4 x 400-metre relay final, Athens Olympic Games, 2004. The team was coached by Dr Cliff Mallett.

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COACHING AUSTRALIA VOL. 9 NO. 2

Defying defeat Interview with Steven Folkes, Coach of the National Rugby League team, the Bulldogs

The cliché ‘it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game’ may have some real value, but nothing hurts like the pain of defeat and it is the fear of defeat that motivates many towards victory. All sportspeople have suffered the agony of loss, but it is the psychological battle post-contest that may impact most on a defeated athlete the next time they walk on the playing field. Steven Folkes, coach of the Bulldogs, shares his experience and coaching philosophy on defying defeat. Q: Everybody has heard players stating that defeat in a previous encounter was motivation enough to go out and win. Is this necessarily the right motivation to be taking into competition? A: It varies from individual to individual and from club to club, but I guess whatever an individual finds motivating is good enough. It can definitely be one element, but I wouldn’t hang my hat on it as a coach. If you have a defeat it all depends on the reasons. If they played poorly and weren’t motivated and weren’t committed then perhaps that’s certainly worth mentioning. It’s more about their own performance and lifting the standard of that. Q: Does the preparation for the next game differ when coming off a loss? A: No, I don’t think so, not greatly. Obviously, winning is what it’s all about, so as a team you become more focused to win and maybe that’s not a good thing. You should probably be more focused on the processes of getting the two points rather than the actual win itself. But different situations call for different approaches, if you’ve lost five in a row, obviously winning the next game is going to be fairly important to you as a player and as a team. Q: What tips or suggestions would you have for coaches and players coming off a loss? A: Your players lost because they didn’t do certain things as well as the

opposition. They really need to get those processes right, and hopefully if they do all that right, the outcome will look after itself. Folkes raises the issue of getting the ‘processes’ right. Skills training and fitness training are important, but in game conditions the effects of poor nutrition and dehydration can affect mental and physical fitness. Choices made in a game can be severely affected if the body is under stress. In tight games, one bad decision by each player from being unfocused and lacking concentration can lead to defeat. Fueling the body before and during a game will stave off physical and mental fatigue — helping the mind stay fresh and alert, keeping eyes peeled for opportunities for success — helping the body maintain peak performance for longer, taking those opportunities and turning them into success. Fueling the body after a game will also ensure faster recovery for the next round. Of course, using the home ground advantage where possible to boost team spirit is also an effective tool to defy defeat. Supporters like nothing better than to cheer their team to victory, especially after a disappointing loss. Q: If an individual player in a team sport makes an error that costs the team victory, what does a coach say? A: I think you have to make sure they understand the reasons behind the error. If players start to dwell on mistakes, then obviously they will continue to make similar sorts of errors. Understanding why they did it, what they should have done and

why they didn’t do it is key to getting over mistakes and trying to learn from them. That’s something I certainly learnt as a player. When mistakes are made by players early on in the season there are many chances to make up for their follies. Swallowing the defeat, going back and working through the team’s errors and seeing where it all went wrong is essential. But what about major defeats in finals or grandfinals, where a loss can have a long-lasting psychological effect on a player or team? Running through the mistakes and failed techniques over the off-season will do nothing for the player’s troubled psyche. The off-season should be a time for relaxation and recovery, and a renewed vigour to work better and harder in the coming season. Sports psychology is an important asset for coaches. When Steven Folkes played rugby league, sports psychologists were not used regularly. He remembers that there were certainly a few around, but he realises that sports psychology has become far more of a science and that increasingly it is the role of the sports psychologist and the coach to help athletes rationalise and cope with a major defeat. The mistakes that lead to defeat may well be borne from anxiety and an inability to deal with intense pressure that team sports can bring. It has been suggested that an athlete with strong self-esteem will always cope better with defeat and that this strong self-esteem makes the player less likely to crumble in the face of extreme pressure. If uncharacteristic mistakes begin to regularly occur for a player under pressure, and skills, fitness, nutrition and hydration issues can be discounted, sessions with a sports psychologist may be valuable in revealing an underlying anxiety. With time, the problem can be treated, fortifying the athletes with skills to fight against future attacks. If it is revealed that the athlete’s poor performance is more psychological than physical, a sport psychologist can

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‘Your players lost because they didn’t do certain things as well as the opposition. They really need to get those processes right, and hopefully if they do all that right, the outcome will look after itself.’

Indeed, it could be the case that sports psychology may well be helping to reinforce the resolve of today’s sportspeople who, if left unassisted, may well have fallen to pieces in the heat of competition and would never have reached the highs enjoyed by champion athletes.

This article is reproduced with the permission of the editorial team at Coaches’ Edge, a free web-based newsletter that publishes the latest research in hydration, nutrition, training, injury management, and mental preparation among others. To join Coaches’ Edge log on to www.coachesedge.com.au.

Practical tips • After a loss, do not leave it too long before addressing the team’s disappointment. • Encourage team players to find and implement solutions together to improve morale and focus on what they can achieve and do better, rather than what they did wrong. • If an individual player is at fault, find time to take them aside to discuss the issues privately and determine solutions and a strategy to implement these goals. • Consider the player’s/team’s fitness and skills training regime and review their nutrition and hydration strategies before, during and after training and competition. • Determine if sessions with a sports psychologist will help and make the referral personally. • Take a good look at your own attitude as a coach — help your players rise to the occasion to achieve both personal and team success and you too will feel the satisfaction that success brings.

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assist the athlete in rationalising the loss and work with the athlete to resolve the issues that prevent peak performance.

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COACHING AUSTRALIA VOL. 9 NO. 2

Play by the Rules Being a coach is very rewarding but can also be very demanding — keeping up with new rules and regulations, making sure you have the necessary skills and knowledge to coach capably and professionally, balancing the desire to win with the need for enjoyment and of course trying to keep everyone happy. If you can do all of that you can probably run a multinational corporation! An increasingly important legal (and ethical) requirement for coaches is to provide a sporting environment for those they coach that is fun, safe and fair. This helps coaches protect players (especially children) and themselves from any behaviour that is inappropriate, undesirable and potentially unlawful. The good news is that there are practical resources that can assist you to meet your roles and responsibilities as a coach. Play by the Rules (www.playbytherules.net. au) is an excellent web site that has free information, tailored for coaches, on child protection and how to prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment including: • free, short online learning courses that use easy-to-understand and relevant examples and case scenarios

to explain the law, coaches rights and responsibilities and provide useful strategies • practical information and guidelines to assist coaches working with players, particularly children • additional information to assist understanding on issues such as maintaining appropriate relationships and boundaries, understanding the difference between discipline and abuse, how to deal with complaints and so on.

www.playbytherules.net.au

Play by the Rules is supported by the Australian Sports Commission, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and all state and territory government sport and recreation and anti-discrimination agencies.

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COACHING AUSTRALIA VOL. 9 NO. 2

Just do it!:

thinking hinders competition performance, but does it help training? By Jörg Schorer, Institute for Sport and Sport Science, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Germany

Tag lines such as ‘Just do it!’ and Hollywood movies such as Tin Cup illustrate what research actually means for athletes and coaches. In the movie Tin Cup, Kevin Costner plays a talented driving range pro that finally makes it into the US Open in order to impress a woman. On his first training session he loses his drive while standing next to the real professional golfers. His caddy helps him to get back on track by advising him to move his change from the left to the right pocket, and turn his hat from the front to the back. Basically, he makes him look like an idiot. But the idea behind this strange advice is to stop Costner thinking about his play and, as a result, he improves. So the question that needs to be asked is — is this just a Hollywood tale or is it empirical and practical evidence of the benefits of distracting a performer’s attention away from their game, and if so, are there differences between experts and novices when they use different focuses of attention during competition?

Schorer tested six experts (German team champions) and six novices (sports students) under seven conditions in dart throwing. The first condition was a baseline condition without any instructions. The following six conditions consisted of three different focuses of attention conditions: • concentrate on the return phase of the arm — Internal (Int1) • concentrate on the release of the dart — Internal (Int 2) • concentrate on the bulls-eye — External (Ext). They also varied the feedback to the subjects using occlusion goggles. The goggles have the ability to either allow the person to see the result of each throw or they black out the goggles after the dart has been thrown. Therefore the subjects have knowledge of results (KR) (feedback provided) or no knowledge of results (no-KR) and so no feedback. The results show changes in throwing outcomes (see Figure 1). As expected, there were differences between experts and novices in dart throwing. Comparing the focus of attention conditions, the external condition outperforms internal conditions 1 and 2. Most remarkably, however, none of the conditions outperformed the baseline.

Figure 1: Mean amplitude radial error in cm (+ standard deviation) for experts (n = 6) and novices (n = 6) across seven conditions 12

Experts Novices

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Radial error

8 6 4 2 0

Baseline

Int1/KR

Int1/no-KR

Int2/KR Test conditions

Int2/no-KR

Ext/KR

Ext/no-KR

Practical implications • It might be harmful to make your athlete think about their technique. The best strategy might be to ‘just do it!’ If necessary, make the athlete think about something totally different. Arnold Palmer used to think about the tension in his little toe rather than concentrating on the golf club. Another example was Jonny Wilkinson’s place kicks at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where he would only concentrate on where on the ball he wished to make contact. There was no technique thinking in terms of body position, wind direction, just looking at the contact point on the ball. • Secondly, it might be helpful if the athlete closed their eyes during a series of shots. The idea behind this is that it will help them to avoid technique changes and thinking. Examples of sports where athletes could close their eyes while executing a particular skill include softball or baseball pitching, basketball free throws, or bowls.

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COACHING AUSTRALIA VOL. 9 NO. 2

State coaching and officiating centre coordinators as of JANUARY 2006

Australian Capital Territory

Tasmania

Queensland

Rebecca Kelley Sport and Recreation ACT Coaching and Officiating Centre PO Box 147 Civic Square ACT 2608 Tel: (02) 6207 4389 Fax: (02) 6207 2071 Email: [email protected]

Kate Mirowski Education and Development Consultant Sport and Recreation Tasmania Department of Economic Development GPO Box 646 Hobart TAS 7001 Tel: (03) 6233 5616 Fax: (03) 6233 5800 Email: Kate.Mirowski@development. tas.gov.au

Paul Knight Sport and Recreation Queensland PO Box 187 (Albert Street) Brisbane QLD 4002 Tel: (07) 3237 9835 Email: [email protected]

New South Wales Phil Riddington Sport Education Unit NSW Tourism, Sport and Recreation Locked Bag 1422 Silverwater NSW 2128 Tel: (02) 9006 3763 Fax: (02) 9006 3884 Mobile: 0421 526 408 Email: [email protected]

South Australia Russell D’Costa State Coaching and Officiating Centre Support Officer Office for Recreation and Sport PO Box 219 Brooklyn Park SA 5032 Tel: (08) 8416 6605 Fax: (08) 8416 6753 Email: [email protected]

Northern Territory Racheal Curtain Office of Sport and Recreation Division of Department Community Development Sport and Cultural Affairs PO Box 1095 Alice Springs NT 0870 Tel: (08) 8951 6433 Fax: (08) 8951 6430 Email: [email protected]

Victoria Les Bee Sport Education Victoria C/- Victorian Institute of Sport PO Box 12608 Melbourne VIC 8006 Tel: (03) 9425 0057 Fax: (03) 9425 0100 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.vis.org.au/sported

Western Australia Ian Crawford Consultant — Coaching Department of Sport and Recreation PO Box 66 Wembley WA 6913 Tel: (08) 9492 9723 Mobile: 0419 043 484 Fax: (08) 9492 9711 Email: [email protected] Liane Tooth Officiating Consultant Department of Sport and Recreation PO Box 66 Wembley WA 6913 Tel: (08) 9492 9724 Mobile: 0417 936 904 Fax: (08) 9492 9711 Email: [email protected]