Other people providing support, but not qualified as coaches, are less exposed to this training and therefore are less p
Getting People Active: the potential of coaching and coaches
May 2016
sports coach UK Research Team Discussion Paper
The aim of these papers is to put forward ideas that drive forward discussion and knowledge in key areas. These papers are designed to raise questions and debate rather than guide users. 2,400 words, 11 minutes reading time.
Author: John McIlroy, Information Manager, sports coach UK
[email protected] Views expressed in this paper are from the author and are not position statements from sports coach UK.
Getting people active: the potential of coaching and coaches
This paper outlines how coaching creates high levels of customer satisfaction in sport and how this expertise can be expanded to reflect emerging trends in participation. Headlines
Coaching delivers high levels of satisfaction that are above results in similar sectors of society. Coach education has provided the platform on which customer satisfaction is based. Coaching has a significant role to play by using technology to increase participation in sport. New models of coaching can appeal to new audiences and increase overall satisfaction in sport.
Coaching is a strong product At the end of 2015 sports coach UK surveyed just under 3,000 sport participants. The purpose of the research was to examine the link between support received by participants (from coaches, instructors, team-mates, friends and family) and their overall sporting experience.
‘Overall satisfaction among participants who are supported in sport was 83%. With those who use a regular coach it was even higher at 86%’ The results showed that those who receive support are very satisfied with their overall sport experience. The overall satisfaction rating was 83%, which is especially impressive when you consider that the average customer satisfaction rating within the Leisure Sector in the UK is 81% (source: The Institute of Customer Service 2015, The State of Customer Service in the UK). Even more interesting is that people who receive support from a coach rated their experience higher still at 86%. This research focussed on those who receive support but there is additional evidence that demonstrates the advantages of being coached as compared to not coached. During a four year study of coached and non-coached participants we found being coached increases the likelihood of maintaining involvement in sport and physical activity. Crucially the relationship between the participant and coach helped overcome barriers to participation at key life transitions involving changes to family circumstances, employment, education, and health. Such results are consistent with a recognised body of academic literature that the athletecoach relationship impacts on the quality of personal experiences in sport.
A competent workforce is key to better overall sporting experiences One of the key findings to emerge from our research was how competence was the most important feature participants look for in the support they receive. No matter how you split the data, either by where people play, why they play, or who they are we found the statement that ‘they know what they are doing’ was always the most important. In a way this is an obvious finding. Why would you look to someone for support unless you suspected they knew what they were doing? But what is interesting is how it is consistently the most important feature. With further analysis we identified three themes most closely related to this notion of competence. The analysis showed that competence involved: 1. Creating the right environment and motivating participants. 2. Knowing what they are doing, understanding their sport and being able to explain it all to participants. 3. Achieving results in improvement, confidence or both. In less formal settings (typically those outside traditional sport club structures) we found that participants are more demanding. Along with the above we also found a strong relationship between competence and making them feel good, catering to different abilities, being patient, and making them more active. Although these are additional requirements it could just as easily be argued they still fall within the framework suggested above. Themes such as feeling good and catering to all exist within the environment created by the coach while being more active is linked to getting results. Coach learning is critical to effective coaching and satisfied customers These findings closely align to what previous academic research has identified. In 2009 Jean Cote and Wade Gilbert suggested a model of coaching effectiveness and expertise that closely resembles these results. They stated that effective coaching is: The consistent application of integrated professional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal knowledge to improve athletes’ competence, confidence, connection, and character in specific coaching contexts. Professional knowledge is about knowing what to do and how to explain it. Interpersonal and intrapersonal knowledge is about creating the right environment, motivating people, being patient and making people feel good. Finally improving athletes, whatever the context, is about getting results in improvement, confidence and activity levels.
‘…the training and development coaches receive is based on theories of coach effectiveness which in turn link to what participants want.’ So there appears to be a link between what participants expect from the person in charge of a sport or physical activity session and definitions of coach effectiveness. Furthermore those who use a coach report higher levels of satisfaction than those who are supported more
informally by friends, family or teammates. We suggest this is because the training and development coaches receive is based on theories of coach effectiveness which in turn link to what participants want.
‘…leaving customer satisfaction in the hands of serendipity is an unwise strategy.’ Other people providing support, but not qualified as coaches, are less exposed to this training and therefore are less prepared for what participants want. While it is certainly the case that many of these people will innately possess some of these skills, leaving customer satisfaction in the hands of serendipity is an unwise strategy. There is a need to evolve the coaching offer to reach new audiences An obvious conclusion to take from these results is that providing more participants with access to quality (effective) coaching will increase overall satisfaction in sport and maintain involvement. If something is so obvious then why has it not happened before? Our latest research suggests two significant obstacles that are preventing this from happening. Overcoming these obstacles represents an opportunity to increase customer satisfaction with sport and physical activity. This can be achieved by: 1. Using technology to make coaching more attractive to participants who are motivated by fitness and health. 2. Adapting coaching to fit into a desire for flexibility among participants. Using technology to make coaching more attractive to people motivated by fitness and health The evidence shows that participants who work with a coach have a better overall sporting experience than those who are supported more informally by friends or team-mates (basically anyone who has not been trained in coaching). Therefore it follows that we should be encouraging more participants towards activities with trained coaches. But there is a problem with this theory. Two of the most common reason why people take part in sport and physical activity are fitness and health (accounting for just over a third of participants in our survey). However our latest research showed that people who are motivated by fitness and health are more likely to look for a sport or fitness instructor and significantly less likely to look for a coach. So how do you make coaching more attractive to participants who are motivated by fitness and health? Our suggested solution is a technological one. When we asked participants who aren’t supported in sport what they would be interested in, those motivated by fitness and heath were the only group to place Apps and online resources as their number one choice. Indeed additional research with 500 sport participants showed that over 50% of people engaged in fitness activities are using or thinking about using some form of technology. So there is a market for Apps and exercise technology among people who traditionally would not use a coach. But can technology replicate effective coaching?
In 1950 the British Mathematician Alan Turing created a test for Artificial Intelligence in machines. In this Turing Test if someone could not distinguish between a human and a machine in conversation then the latter had displayed signs of intelligence. In other words a test of computer intelligence was the ability to mimic a human. If we apply a similar style of testing to our question on Apps, then to pass the Coaching Test an App would need to mimic effective coaching. In other words it would need to: create the right environment; motivate people; understand the sport and coaching practice; explain to users what they need to do; and get results.
‘..the first way in which technology and coaching can come together to engage with the fitness and health market is by working with App designers.’ While Apps can do some this, they cannot do all. For all the advances in technology (sophisticated algorithms, GPS, wearables etc) computers still cannot relate to humour, empathy or body language (interpersonal skills) in the way a human or skilled coach could – no computer has yet passed the Turing Test. However a good App will still get people active (66% of non-active participants would consider using technology) and creating a best fit between coaching Apps and effective coaching would have a significant benefit on public health. This is the first way in which technology and coaching can come together to engage with the fitness and health market – by working with App designers. Taking this argument a step further coaching can use technology to reach new participants by offering to help people understand how to get the best out of their technology. This Coach Plus option incorporates the best of both worlds. The technology which is attractive to those motivated by health and fitness along with the extra benefits of human interaction and professional and interpersonal knowledge of coaches. New research we commissioned from Liverpool John Moores University suggested this strategy is especially appealing for those currently not active in sport.
‘..there is demand for, and value in, a coaching offer which utilises technology to meet the needs of participants who are motivated by fitness and health.’ A final role for technology and coaching is to act as a stepping-stone into face-to-face coaching. In our recent research 28% of all participants said that using exercise technology would encourage them to actively seek face-to-face coaching. While 28% may not sound like a large percentage, when viewed in actual terms this could be up to an additional 1.6 million adults receiving face-to-face coaching – and with it the benefits of high customer satisfaction and better prospects for maintaining involvement1. We believe this shows there is demand for, and value in, a coaching offer which utilises technology to meet the needs of participants who are motivated by fitness and health.
1
This figure is based on the number of adults who currently take part in sport and physical activity for health or fitness reasons and are not currently receiving coaching (7m).
Continued research will be used to scope what this offer might look like in practice and whether participants, once engaged, do transition into face-to-face coaching. Moving forward with technology and coaching
Based on what we know so far there are several themes worth developing to help combine technology and coaching: 1. Coaching should share its expertise in developing effective coaches with people who design exercise technology solutions. 2. Coaches can become guides to help participants understand and use the technology, especially among people thinking about taking up exercise. 3. The potential for exercise technology to recruit more people into face-to-face coaching should be explored in more detail.
Make coaching fit into a desire for flexibility among participants Technology is not the only solution as it is also important to take advantage of coaches and their ability to deliver high levels of satisfaction. However many participants are unaware that people with such skills exist or would respond better if they were applied differently. Our research found that participants are most likely to look for flexibility, ease of access (and to a lesser degree value for money) when they chose an activity. Participants who use a coach feel it represents better value for money than other types of support but on the crucial issue of flexibility participants are less likely to think of a regular coach (although they would consider seeing a coach from time-to-time). This is understandable given the weekly commitment most people associate with coaching. So the second question is how do you make coaching fit with the desire for flexibility? Our suggestion is a new model of On-demand Coaching.
‘On-demand Coaching allows participants to miss a week without feeling that they have fallen behind.’ The On-demand Coaching Model was developed after evaluating a number of adult recreational sport projects. This research found that although coaching was not part of the session (these were simply turn up and play sessions or modified versions of sports), it often occurred on an ad-hoc basis. One of the most interesting concepts to emerge from this research was how the coaching was initiated by the participant rather than coach. In other words, from week to week a participant is happy to merely take part in the activities but then, for whatever reason, they will ask for coaching. By giving participants control over their own development this On-demand Coaching Model allows them to miss a week without feeling that they have fallen behind and may provide a feeling of flexibility.
At present the On-Demand Coaching Model is still a theory but further research and testing is planned for this year. It appears a model worth investigating to see how far coaching can adopt new solutions to appeal to different audiences. The opportunities for coaching This paper started by showing how participants who use a coach experience high levels of satisfaction and are more likely to maintain their involvement in sport or physical activity. Having analysed the data we suggest this is because coaches represent a better mix of personal, professional and intrapersonal knowledge and skills that have been developed through experience and coach education.
‘Coaches represent a more consistent level of knowledge and skills because they sit within an accredited system of training and continuous development.’ Undoubtedly there are friends, team-mates etc who also possess these skills without training or guidance but to accept this as an alternative solution involves trusting to luck that participants will meet this person in their sporting journey. Coaches represent a more consistent level of knowledge and skills because they sit within an accredited system of training and continuous development. The results of our latest research represent an opportunity for coaching and for sport and physical activity in general. Broadening the scope of what coaches do in new areas or sharing the expertise from coach education and development with others should increase overall satisfaction with sport and physical activity. However this requires a recognition within coaching that it will also have to adapt to address the different needs of participants and embrace new technologies.
Further information The main inspiration for this paper was research sports coach UK conducted in 2016 with 3,000 sport participants. This research examined where people took part in sport and physical activity, what motivated them, who supported them and how they rated this support. For more information see
http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/particpant-satisfaction-coaching
Additional information on the role of coaches in maintaining involvement in sport can be found at:
http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/impact-coaching-participants-0 http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/role-psychological-factors-recreational-sportparticipation
For the technology section of the paper we have relied heavily on a piece of research we commissioned from Liverpool John Moores University. This looked at the use of, and future interest in, technology in sport and exercise. For more information see
http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/coaching-and-new-technology
