The third webinar of the 2022 Coach Webinar Series presented by Gallagher has just concluded! We were joined by Dr. Sophia Jowett and Justus Wolf, with host and Special Olympics Paraguay athlete leader Rosalino Chavez.
The topic of this week’s webinar was The Coach-Athlete relationship. The webinar began as Dr. Jowett spoke about the importance of knowing and catering your coaching style to your athletes. Similar to anything, there is no “one perfect style”, everyone on your team is going to respond better to different styles of coaching, so having an open line of communication and being receptive to changes is vital for success. Dr. Jowett also spoke about the importance of being present with your athletes, taking time to get to know them and help them become better all around athletes, rather than just preforming on the field. Dr. Jowett’s idea of having both coach and athlete think about things from different perspectives, and limit the “Coach centric” or “athlete centric” thinking kept the audience chiming in with feedback! Dr. Jowett ended her presentation by asking coaches to reflect on their own relationships with their athletes, and to consider thinking about how they can improve their coaching skills.
“Research areas are changing now too. We went from Coach Centered, to Athlete Centered, and now we are Coach-Athlete Centered—it is vital coaches continually adapt to find the best avenue to succeed”
Justus took some time to talk about the importance of knowing yourself and your team to understand what is necessary for success, as well as the importance of keeping the environment safe. What works in one sport won’t work in another, so making sure that you have a specific plan for your team is vital. He spoke about how getting the best out of your team doesn’t start with yelling on the playing field; it starts with setting expectations, helping everyone understand their roles and limitations, and find ways to make your team as successful as possible. It’s easy, Justus said, to try to keep on with the athlete succeeding, but it’s the athlete that is struggling that needs the coach the most. Every athlete is different, with different skill sets and limitations. Finding a way to maximize the skills while respecting the limitations can make your team the best it can be!
“Athletes don’t make mistakes on purpose, they always want to do their best.”
Check out the final webinar of the 2022 Special Olympics Coach Webinar Series presented by Gallagher.
Also, if you would like more information, please visit the 2022 Coach Webinar Series Dashboard.
