Athlete-centred coaching is proposed to enhance performance (Lyle, 2002), develop life skills (Kidman & Lombardo, 2010), and prevent athlete maltreatment (Kerr & Stirling, 2008). Despite the consistent recommendation, very little is known empirically about athlete-centred coaching, the extent to which it is implemented, or athletes’ experiences with this style of coaching. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine recently retired elite athletes’ perspectives on their most athlete-centred coach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight male and female recently retired Olympians. The findings of this study provided mixed evidence for coaching behaviours characterized as athlete-centred coaching as defined within the literature. Specifically, at least half of the coaches did not use stimulating questions, one of the most central athlete-centred tenets. Explanations for the mixed findings are discussed and a continuum of athlete-centred coaching is proposed. Lastly, suggestions for future research and practical implications are presented.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:OTU.1807/43304 |
| Date | 10 December 2013 |
| Creators | Preston, Cassidy |
| Contributors | Kerr, Gretchen |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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