Advanced Sports Coaching Essay

…………………………………………………18 References 19 Introduction Sports coaching is a process that involves training and instructing individuals who take part in sports (Australian & Australian, 1984). This process is carried out with professional sportsmen, as well as with schools' and communities' sports teams. Coaching is done to improve the skills, physical fitness, and performance of those taking part in sports. In order to ensure that athletes give their best performance, coaches have to motivate them (Nash, 2015). Different coaches use different methods to motivate and train their athletes, depending on the goal that they have in mind. Cerutty was given 6 months convalescence time during which he started walking small distances at a time until he could run again (Turner, 82). He also changed his diet and became a vegetarian, and stopped eating cooked and processed foods (Turner, 83).

When Cerutty was recovering from his illness, he walked in nature and changed his diet which resulted in total recovery. Cerutty used the same methods he used to recover in training his athletes successfully. Percy Cerutty coaching methods Percy Cerutty used what most people term as eccentric and unorthodox methods to train athletes. Many thought that weight training would result in a lot of unnecessary bulk on an athlete (Sims, 2003). Weight training increases the tensile strength of an athlete's muscles as well as increasing bulk. This bulk makes athletes heavy, and therefore reduces their speed. However, Cerutty's way of weight training involved intensive low repetition lifting of maximum weight rather than extensive high repetition lifting of minimum weight (Pentland, 1963). His training program involved five lifts which were sit-ups, cheat curls, deadlifts, one-arm swings, and bench press (Cerutty, 1969).

Pace-varying When training for long distance races Cerutty emphasized on varying the pace throughout races. He believed that energy for running varies during the race, therefore, an athlete ought to vary themselves according to how energized they feel (Magness, 2016). Varying the pace in running ensures that athletes maximize their energy when levels are at peak (Cerutty, 1959). Varying also may help athletes recover and regain energy after energy levels decrease. During training, Cerutty focused on developing a big aerobic foundation by advising a high build up of mileage of 60 to 100 miles in one week (Magness, 2016). Food contains nutrients that are needed for normal body function, and high performance in athletes. Consuming unhealthy foods like processed foods weakens the body because such foods lack the nutrients that the body requires for proper functioning.

Therefore, eating healthy ensures that athletes are strong enough to benefit maximally from training and perform excellently. Natural running For his athletes' running training, he advised them to run natural and avoid the track (Magness, 2016). He reasoned that the track limited their movements and killed their morale, unlike nature. In other words, Cerutty recommended running by feel instead of a fixed schedule because he believed that energy levels are never consistent (Magness, 2016). Running when the body is energized will help athletes train more efficiently. When a coach dictates the training schedule to the small details, he derails the athlete because he does not know when and to what level an athlete’s body is energized. Letting the athlete decide on how and when to run would motivate them to work harder because they did what they wanted, and not what they were told.

Allowing athletes to plan their training ensured that they enjoyed what they were doing, thus yielding excellent results. Football coaches also focus on the speed of their players, especially the quarterback, and the plays they call on the field. They also put too much focus on other teams' weaknesses instead of on building their teams' strengths (Benson, Evans, & Eys, 2016). Focusing on full body training will give better results than training only the parts of the body used by an athlete in their sports. Full body training and gymnastics ensures that athletes have enough tensile strength, coordination, and the right amount of bulk in all their muscles that are needed to achieve success. Proper diet should be a part of every sportsman training because healthy eating and intake of the right fluids will build an athlete’s body systems and ensuring that they function properly.

A successful leader does not impose his rules on others but instead involves them in the making of rules. Cerutty did that by allowing his athletes to plan how and when to train. Other coaches like Nick Nurse of the Brighton Bears basketball team have incorporated Cerutty's method, resulting in success (Lyle, 2017). Coaching styles Another concept that Cerutty applied is coaching styles which are the ways that a coach conducts their training (John, 2010). A good coach varies his style with the different needs of athletes like Cerutty did. Orchestration Another concept that Cerutty and all other coaches apply, even though subconsciously, is orchestration (Jones, Bailey, & Thompson). An orchestra is a group of people playing instruments together, combining woodwind, string, and brass instruments to play classical music.

An orchestrator leads the orchestra in performing these instruments. An orchestrator is a person who arranges or composes music that is performed by an orchestra. Coaches are compared to orchestrators because of the planning and training they do. Letting athletes manage their training schedules makes athletes feel involved in the process. Letting assistant coaches be part of strategy developing makes them feel involved in the whole process. Making managers and sponsors involved in decision making also makes them feel involved in the process. Even though everyone is involved, the ultimate decision making is the coach's responsibility. Making all parties involved will ensure that they feel important, and all jobs will be carried out seriously and successfully (North, 87). Coaches instruct, empower, commend, or reprimand athletes.

The manner in which the coaches and athletes interact with each other determines the level of respect earned. Unpredictctability Sports are unpredictable and coaches come up with ways to reduce the unpredictability. In orchestration, the orchestrator chooses the best instrumentalists, composes the best music, arranges the music in the best way, and practices with the orchestra until the best performance is achieved. The orchestrator does his best to ensure the success of the orchestra even though the audience's reaction is unpredictable. Also, others feel like the coach is not right in making all decisions. Also, others do not like being given responsibility. All the above reasons make it hard for coaches to find the perfect balance between delegating responsibility and making decisions themselves.

Earning respect from athletes is another difficult burden coaches have to bear. Some athletes are too proud to do what coaches instruct them to. To ensure this success, coaches have to have a wide range of knowledge. Football coaches, for example, need to know speed training for players. Implications of orchestration on coach education The concept of orchestration in coaching has implications for coach education. Due to the difficult task of orchestration, coaches need to be trained in one main aspect of human relations (Jones, Bailey, & Thompson, 2012). For coaches to know how to manage people, how to earn and give respect, and how to involve many people in decision making, they have to be trained on how to relate with others.

Coaching is teaching athletes on what to do in order to have successful careers. Coaches teach athletes how, where, and when to train. Therefore, coaches need to use teaching techniques on their athletes to ensure they benefit maximally. Cerutty taught his athletes in addition to coaching them. One major lesson he taught them is to run naturally. Therefore, Cerutty is an inspiration to many coaches of today. His teaching and training methods provide a challenge for modern day coaches. In taking the educational part of coaching seriously, Cerutty motivated his athletes to perform excellently. Motivating sportsmen is the main objective of coaching. Therefore, the motivation that he gave his athletes both challenges and inspires other coaches to give the same amount, and even greater, of motivation.

Coach mentoring is also important because it benefits athletes more than coaching does. Coaching and mentoring should be combined so that athletes can gain the maximum benefits of training. Mentoring is helping another person shape their values and beliefs in a positive way and it is for a longer period than coaching. Mentoring may help coaches’ lives improve positively as they are helping their athletes grow. Mentoring requires a closer relationship than the one in coaching to be successful. Understanding sports coaching: The pedagogical, social and cultural foundations of coaching practice. This article has helped me understand sports coaching from the social and cultural perspectives. It has taught me that coaching is not just about playing, but also about interacting with other people, and how to relate with them well.

Cerutty, P. W. This article has taught me about the theory of orchestration in coaching, the challenges it implies, and how to overcome these challenges. References Australian, C. C. , & Australian, C. C. Cassidy, T. , Jones, R. L. , & Potrac, P. Understanding sports coaching: The pedagogical, social and cultural foundations of coaching practice. In Loffing, F. , In Hagemann, N. , In Strauss, B. , & In MacMahon, C. Laterality in sports: Theories and applications. , & Thompson, A. (August 09, 2012). Ambiguity, Noticing and Orchestration. Lyle, J. Sports Coaching Concepts: A framework for coaching practice. 85-87 Pentland, W. Basic weight training for athletes & bodybuilders. Cairns, Australia: Health and Happiness Publications. Potrac, P. , Gilbert, W. , Jones, R. L. , & Mesquita, I. (November 25, 2013). Do coaches orchestrate? the working practices of elite Portuguese coaches.