Sportsmanship is the foundation of fair and respectful competition, which is formed through honesty and integrity (Gough, 1997). As a young tennis player, the art of being a good sportsman was passed onto me through my coach. But it was never something that was discussed. As an athlete, you look up to your role model and coach, trying to emulate how they play the game. Bolter and Weiss (2013), found that athletes taught by a coach who modelled good sportsmanship, reported more prosocial behaviours towards teammates and opponents.

I have always believed that being a good sport matters more than winning. I enjoy knowing that my opponent has enjoyed our match as much as I have and would never want to cause any controversy during a game. I feel proud calling my own shot out even if my opponent wasn’t going to as it’s the correct thing to do. As a tennis player, my sport is built upon fair play and long-lasting traditions, and I feel honoured to follow them.

Now as a coach, I love to see my students showing sportsmanship on the court to their opposition or umpires. During training sessions, I allow them to call their own balls in or out so that they can become comfortable with making difficult decisions, even decisions which negatively affect them, so that when a competitive match comes around, they can be honest with the umpire and their opponents to create a fair game with a positive environment. Other ways I have found to promote good sportsmanship is through:

Encouraging teamwork, making sure no player feels alone whilst playing their sport

Setting clear expectations on how to act to opponents or officials e.g. shaking hands and not complaining about decisions

Reinforcing positive behaviour, reward athletes who help others and give an award to the person who shows the best sportsmanship.

However, I have found that sportsmanship is becoming less popular with gamesmanship taking over. Footballers diving for penalties, sledging in cricket and tennis players aiming at their opponent at the net. Even in colleges, 50% of athletes surveyed, said they use methods such as trash-talking and taunting during college sport to gain a competitive advantage (Strand et al, 2018).

Although these methods might be effective to win a single match, they can come with long lasting repercussions. Players can be labelled as cheats which can make a referee less likely to give them a decision next time or it could reduce a player’s focus and make them more emotional. Whereas someone who expresses sportsmanship can remain calm under pressure and have better mental resilience to bounce back from setbacks.

All in all, sportsmanship remains a vital part of sport and should be taught to all young athletes wanting to succeed.

References

Bolter, N. D., & Weiss, M. R. (2013). Coaching behaviors and adolescent athletes’ sportspersonship outcomes: Further validation of the Sportsmanship Coaching Behaviors Scale (SCBS). Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 2(1), 32–47.

Gough, R. W. (1997). Character is everything: Promoting ethical excellence in sports. Harcourt brace college publishers.

Strand, B., Brotherson, S., & Tracy, T. (2018). Gamesmanship beliefs and ethical decision making of college athletes. The physical educator, 75(2), 302–320.

My Early Experience

As a coach in the early stages of my professional development, I recognise that many of my behaviours still reflect those of a novice. I enjoy establishing routines that help create a familiar environment for me and the young students. For example, beginning each session with the register helps me settle into my role and become fully focused on what is about to unfold. I also like to think of myself as attentive during sessions, as I try to observe how participants respond to different methods because their enjoyment plays a significant role in sustaining long‑term engagement in sport (Bailey et al., 2013).

I used to base my coaching performance off how happy the participants were during the session; however, I have learned that a participant’s happiness is not the only indicator of a successful session. A learner may be experiencing challenges but are still developing valuable skills that support long‑term growth such as improved confidence or understanding. It may not be until after the session that the student realises the improvement they have made.

I tend to feel unprepared as a coach, as I can’t always solve the problems that I see in my participants, despite feeling like I know the solution. Learning about how coaches develop into being an expert, has opened my eyes as only the top 20-25 percent of sports coaches are seen as being proficient, which highlights how long the process can take to becoming an expert coach (Schempp et al., 2006). This has made me more relaxed during my sessions because I know I am not going to be perfect immediately and improvement will be gradual.

How I have changed

At the end of each session, I always ask questions to check the athlete’s understanding. However, whilst they are answering, I used to be preparing the next question and only half-listening to their answers. I believed this was sufficient, but on reflection, our conversations never reached a deeper level as I changed the topic and didn’t respond to their answers. To address this, I have tried to become more mindful and create questions based on the conversations rather than what I had premediated. This has allowed me to listen with greater intent and respond in ways that can improve the athlete’s understanding.

Becoming more mindful has also helped me to implement nonlinear pedagogy to my sessions through discovery and exploratory learning in an open environment, rather than from rigid instructions (Kee, 2019). Applying this methodology changed the way my sessions ran and created a whole new outlook on what can be achieved during a session. I initially struggled with allowing my sessions to become messy and less predictable because as an inexperienced coach, I enjoyed the feeling of being in control and having a clear structure. However, I knew that if I wanted my participants to reach their potential during a session, I would have to embrace the uncertainty that occurs when athletes explore solutions within dynamic environments. The application of nonlinear pedagogy means that each individual participant can work on improving their own skills, meaning as a coach I have to become more innovative when adapting drills to cater to all athletes (Correia et al., 2019).

Future Developments

As I continue my journey towards becoming an expert coach, I look towards the areas I can improve through gaining experience. An expert coach will have effective intuition during problem solving through years of experience and having extensive knowledge of the problem (Schempp et al., 2006), whereas my intuition will be based off guesses and limited knowledge. As I encounter more challenges and have to solve more problems, I will gain the confidence and knowledge to provide more evidence-based learning opportunities for my athletes.

References

Bailey, R., Cope, E. J., & Pearce, G. (2013). Why do children take part in, and remain involved in sport? A literature review and discussion of implications for sports coaches. International Journal of Coaching Science, 7(1), 56–75.

Correia, V., Carvalho, J., Araújo, D., Pereira, E., & Davids, K. (2019). Principles of nonlinear pedagogy in sport practice. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 24(2), 117–132.

Kee, Y. H. (2019). Mindfulness and its relevance for sports coaches adopting nonlinear pedagogy. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 14(3), 419–427.

Schempp, P. G., McCullick, B., & Mason, I. S. (2006). The development of expert coaching. In R. L. Jones (Ed.), The sports coach as educator: Re‑conceptualising sports coaching (pp. 145–161). Routledge.

Manner

Coaches often unconsciously use front staging by changing their manner to reflect the situation they find themself in (Goffman, 1959). Habits such as clapping and nodding, even when they think the athlete is wrong, helps encourage them and keep them focused on the task. When I first started coaching, I didn’t have the knowledge or experience to know that this is what the athletes need from their coach, so I had to learn how to present myself to get the best results from my athlete. After learning about the importance of a coach’s manner, I started to consciously portray myself in a more positive manner to make myself more approachable to the athlete by standing in a more confident stance and keeping a calm tone even when I felt uncertain. This also helped for when parents were watching, as they enjoyed watching a coach who seemed in control rather than someone who looks unsure. Once I became confident in the effect that my manner has, I started to unconsciously give to my athlete the attitude they needed for the correct situation.

Appearance

Another key area for coaches to control is their appearance. Just like the man on the train who wears a suit and you think they must be important, a coach’s outfit is the immediate first impression an athlete gets. For tennis coaches, wearing tennis specific clothes not only makes you look professional to others but makes yourself feel comfortable, which is vital as it allows you to focus on the session without any distractions. During a session when I was a participant, the coach turned up wearing a basketball t-shirt and I realised how important it was for the participants, who look up to the coach, to dress appropriately to set an example. Immediately the information the coach was giving has less power behind it as we didn’t feel that authority he should have created through his appearance.

Professionalism isn’t the only reason to focus on your appearance as a coach. During my first coaching session, I wore a Roger Federer cap, which to everyone else may seem a random accessory. But for me, meeting the participants for the first time, it gave us an immediate talking point to discuss their favourite tennis players and allowed us to bond before the session even started. This highlights how everything is done for a specific purpose and how coaches can create a performance to achieve their goal (Shulman, 2017).

Props and Staging

Coaches often use objects and background items to help form an impression. Before each session, I used to prepare all equipment in advance, such as setting up agility ladders or cones to create a target. This staging allowed me to be relaxed once the participants arrive as I don’t have the stress of trying to set up once they arrive, as well as highlighting to the parents and children that I am organised and prepared. However, I have learnt that in some situations being in charge and telling participants what to do can be ineffective (Woods et al., 2020). Because of this, I have recently started to become more collaborative by leaving the court blank when students arrive and they get excited about being able to be a part of the decision about what drills and games they want to play. A good coach focuses on these details because although they might seem small, they could be the difference between a participant who stays engaged long term and one who doesn’t return the next week; and as a coach, all we want is for increased engagement in sport.

Back Stage

A person cannot always be performing and sometimes must relax their persona. This happens in the back stage, where a person prepares behind the scenes for the next time they have to perform. For a coach, this involves planning sessions and reflecting on previous mistakes where they can display their real emotions. If after a hard training session, there are built up emotions, a coach will likely hold them in until they are away from the participant to avoid cracking their persona in front of them and maintaining their positive relationship. I have found this difficult to perfect, as maintaining composure during heated moments is extremely challenging, however, it is crucial to managing my impression that I learn to wait until there is no audience.

Conclusion

Impression management is a valuable tool for coaches to utilise, and I am looking forward to learning more ways to implement these strategies into my coaching to shape how I and tennis is perceived to my students.

References

Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Penguin.

Shulman, D. (2017). The presentation of self in contemporary social life. Sage.

Woods, C. T., McKeown, I., Rothwell, M., Araújo, D., Robertson, S., & Davids, K. (2020). Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers: How Ecological Dynamics Has Progressively Changed Perceptions of Skill “Acquisition” in the Sporting Habitat. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 654.

   Carbohydrates 

        The first food type I want to look at are carbohydrates. I always recommend that my players consume carbohydrates before playing a match, as they fuel high intensity exercise and allow athletes to perform at their peak capacity (Moore et al., 2022). I have relayed to my students that eating foods such as pasta and rice around 3 hours before starting exercise is ideal to allow the food to digest and give their bodies time to store the energy. At the beginning of my coaching career, I thought this was enough to keep them at their peak for the entire match. But since learning about the effects of carbohydrates, I have learnt that within 90 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, glycogen stores can be depleted by around 50% (Fuchs et al., 2019). When retrieving feedback from my players post-match, I always thought their tiredness towards the end of matches was caused by a lack of fitness, but since introducing quickly absorbed carbs during matches, such as a banana or energy gels, they have managed to sustain their energy levels for longer. This has made my coaching more effective because now with my extended knowledge, I feel more confident in giving advice to my athletes surrounding their carbohydrate intake and can provide facts to back up my suggestions. 

  Fats 

       Fats are an essential macronutrient for athletes but are often misinterpreted due to the name. When thinking of fats, I immediately think of unhealthy/high calorie foods. I’m guilty myself of telling my athletes to avoid food with fats in them on match days to avoid feeling bloated and sluggish. But after learning about the valuable nutrients included in different fats, it suddenly became clearer to me that incorporating fats into your diet can be beneficial (Collins et al., 2021). When looking at the research into the energy intake of professional footballers, they increased their fat intake on match days compared to when they are just training (Anderson et al., 2017). This highlights to me that for extended forms of exercise, a higher intake of fat is important for long-lasting energy. Because of this, I will advise my athletes to eat healthy fats along with their pre-match meal through food such as avocado and nuts. Furthermore, after exercise I have found that my athletes have responded positively to recovering through more foods containing fats which promote joint health and reduce inflammation. It is clear how much I have learnt about nutrition because at first I tried to keep my athletes from having any fatty food on match-day, and now I have begun to recommend my athletes to recover through foods high in omega-3 such as salmon and chia seeds as this includes anti-inflammatory properties helping muscle cell repair (Fernandez-Lazaro et al., 2024). 

    Protein 

The importance of protein on muscle repair and increasing muscle mass is well documented but lots of athletes I have coached have struggled to hit their daily protein goals. To maintain immune health, athletes should eat at least 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (Walsh, 2018). I have been looking for ways to advise players on how to incorporate more protein into their diet to fit into their schedule, and for them to still get enjoyment from their meals, but I didn’t have many ideas. This was until learning about protein ingestion and the effects of eating protein before sleep. A study found that protein eaten before sleep was digested and muscle protein synthesis increased, meaning recovery after exercise was enhanced, even through sleep (Res et al., 2012). This means that when my athletes have an evening match and can’t eat too much protein beforehand because they may feel heavy, they can eat a heavy protein meal before sleep to boost their recovery. The results of this study allow me to introduce these new methods for my athletes and help them maintain their muscle growth and reduce injury risks. 

       Conclusion 

Before educating myself on the intricacies of nutrition, I was happy to give vague advice to my athletes but mainly avoided being involved in their food choices. However, I now feel comfortable providing meal plans and weekly schedules to give them the correct macronutrients at the recommended time. This not only makes me feel more accomplished as a coach but also improves my player’s performances and trust in my overall knowledge. 

References 

Anderson, L., Orme, P., Naughton, R. J., Close, G. L., Milsom, J., Rydings, D., O’Boyle, A., Di Michele, R., Louis, J., Hambly, C., Speakman, J. R., Morgans, R., Drust, B., & Morton, J. P. (2017). Energy Intake and Expenditure of Professional Soccer Players of the English Premier League: Evidence of Carbohydrate Periodization. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 27(3), 228–238. 

Collins, J., Maughan, R.J., Gleeson, M., Bilsborough, J., Jeukendrup, A., Morton, J.P., Phillips, S.M., Armstrong, L., Burke, L.M., Close, G.L., Duffield, R., Larson-Meyer, E., Louis, J., Medina, D., Meyer, F., Rollo, I., Sundgot-Borgen, J., Wall, B.T., Boullosa, B., Dupont, G., Lizarraga, A., Res, P., Bizzini, M., Castagna, C., Cowie, C.M., D’Hooghe, M., Geyer, H., Meyer, T., Papadimitriou, N., Vouillamoz, M.& McCall, A. (2021). UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football. Current evidence to inform practical recommendations and guide future research. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55, 416. 

Fernández-Lázaro, D., Arribalzaga, S., Gutiérrez-Abejón, E., Azarbayjani, M. A., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., & Roche, E. (2024). Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Post-Exercise Inflammation, Muscle Damage, Oxidative Response, and Sports Performance in Physically Healthy Adults—A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 16(13), 2044 

Fuchs, C. J., Gonzalez, J. T., & Loon, L. J. C. (2019). Fructose co‐ingestion to increase carbohydrate availability in athletes. The Journal of Physiology, 597(14), 3549–3560. 

Moore, D. R., Sygo, J., & Morton, J. P. (2022). Fuelling the female athlete: Carbohydrate and protein recommendations. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(5), 684–696. 

Res, P.T., Groen, B., Pennings, B., Beelen, M., Wallis, G.A., Gijsen, A.P., Senden, J.M.G. & Van Loon, L.J.C. (2012). Protein Ingestion before Sleep Improves Postexercise Overnight Recovery. Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, 44, 1560–1569. 

Walsh, N. P. (2018). Recommendations to maintain immune health in athletes. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 820–831.   

Behaviourism 

Behaviourism is used every day sometimes without us even knowing. Something as simple as saying ‘thank you’ impacts a person’s likelihood of completing a behaviour again. This is because behaviourism sees a direct link between the consequences that someone faces and the behaviour that they show (Carlson & Buskist, 1997). Being appreciated after completing a task is a classic form of positive reinforcement, because it makes you link that task to being rewarded and therefore it makes you want to complete it again to receive that praise again. Coaching uses the same techniques.  

One of the most important reasons why I use a behaviourist approach during my coaching is because it provides a sense of control. As a relatively inexperienced coach, I seek structure and I feel the need to show authority. Therefore, using methods such as praise and positive reinforcement, helps manage athlete’s behaviour quickly and clearly. I also found conditioning to be an effective method of coaching. I used two distinct sounds to tell my athletes whether what they did was correct or incorrect. When athletes used an incorrect technique, I would blow my whistle, and when they executed the skill correctly, I would clap. The use of consistent cues created clear stimulus and response associations, as athletes learned to interpret the clap as confirmation of positive performance and the whistle as a signal to stop and receive instructions. Using these behaviourist conditioning ideas allowed me to maintain control and structure within the session, while delivering immediate feedback efficiently. This structured approach supported session organisation and coach authority, which has been identified as a crucial aspect of effective coaching practice (Lyle et al., 2010). 

    Another reason why I favour the behaviourist approach is because it uses passive learning, which helps set clear expectations and provides quicker feedback for the students. I have found, through my research, that giving clear and detailed instructions enhance the athlete’s initial learning (Rosenshine, 2012). This is because it speeds up the learning process for the athletes as they can focus on the repitition of the skill and only think about correcting their technique based on what I tell them. Also, as a lot of my coaching involves children who haven’t played much tennis before, it is easier for them to learn using a behaviourist approach, because that will be the method they are most used to from their school settings (Simonsen et al., 2008). 

The main limitation I have found whilst using a behaviourist approach is the reduced need for problem solving for the athletes. Although during training my athletes can apply what they have learnt, when they start to play matches, they lack the ability to adjust their coaching into game scenarios. I found that they become too reliant on listening to what the coach says that they don’t gain the ability to develop confidence and independence about their own ideas (Bessa et al., 2021). This could be because they only learn what skills to do and not why they are doing it. This limitation makes me question whether a constructivist approach would be more beneficial for my athletes’ development. 

Incorporating new approaches 

 Switching to a constructivist approach involves leaning into the previous experiences of the athlete, and at the age group and skill level I mainly coach, that experience would be lacking and would take a long time to build (Light, 2008). In the past, I have tried to adapt my approach to the different groups I coach, but at the moment, I find it easier to use one approach for all my students rather than using constructivism for my more experienced, older students and behaviourism for the younger, less skilful students. This is because I found it too mentally challenging to have separate styles for communication, questioning and session objectives, whilst still being a novice coach whose main focus is on building my own coaching confidence. However, as my experience as a coach develops and my knowledge of the different theories of learning expands, I aim to incorporate both approaches into my coaching practice through the use of the epistemological chain. 

      This is because some areas of my coaching are based along a continuum rather than being at either end. For example, an athlete may require a demonstration to view the correct technique and grip for hitting a shot in tennis that they have never seen before. But once they have seen the coach use the correct technique, they can use trial and error to experiment for themselves about what feels good. This flexibility in learning styles allows for me, as the coach, to use the necessary techniques at the right time to include both passive and active learning for my athletes. This change in coaching would give me more power over the techniques I use because I wouldn’t have to stick to just one belief and I would make sure my coaching decisions are entirely intentional for the situation.  

This would be even more effective when I coach athletes that are at different skill levels. This is due to the different contexts that are required for certain stages of performance. For example, when I focus on participation coaching for children, I would be able to shift my belief of knowledge compared to when I’m focusing on performance coaching with adults (Crowther et al., 2018). My coaching would become more efficient for all age groups and skill levels, meaning I would grow in confidence because I know I would be able to adapt to all situations. For the athletes, they do not all learn in the same way or at the same speed, therefore, I would be better equipped to meet all their needs and help them understand how to improve in the most effective manner. 

References 

Bessa, C., Hastie, P., Rosado, A., & Mesquita, I. (2021). Sport Education and Traditional Teaching: Influence on Students’ Empowerment and Self-Confidence in High School Physical Education Classes. Sustainability, 13(2), 578. 

Carlson, N. R., & Buskist, W. (1997). Psychology: The science of behavior (5th ed.). Allyn & Bacon. 

Crowther, M., Collins, D., & Holder, T. (2018). What you think – What you do – What you get? Exploring the link between Epistemology and PJDM in Cricket coaches. Sports Coaching Review, 7(1), 63–81. 

Light, R. (2008). Complex Learning Theory—Its Epistemology and Its Assumptions about Learning: Implications for Physical Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 27(1), 21–37. 

Lyle, J., Cushion, C., & Duffy, P. (2010). Sports coaching : professionalisation and practice (1st ed.). Churchill Livingstone. 

Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies that All Teachers Should Know. The Education Digest, 78(3), 30. 

Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based Practices in Classroom Management: Considerations for Research to Practice. Education & Treatment of Children, 31(3), 351–380. 

Throughout this blog, I will be discussing my future areas of improvement around the key coaching topics. I am going to be looking at how I will aim to improve and why I think it’s important to further my skills. 

Nutrition 

The first coaching topic I am going to look at developing is nutrition. I have previously learnt about the importance of nutrition for athletes and feel comfortable creating meal plans to best meet their needs, however, the main aim I want to work towards is teaching my athletes why nutrition is crucial for their development. This is because, throughout my coaching experience, I have found that nutrition is very rarely discussed apart from at the elite level, even though effective nutrition helps all athletes’ performance (Cockburn et al., 2014). Research suggests that athletes often look towards their coach for advice about their nutrition, therefore I want to aim to teach my athlete’s why nutrition is important so they can be independent and better equipped than other athletes (Dunn et al., 2026). 

     To incorporate this into my coaching session, I am going to use SMARTER targets to ensure that the information is clear and accessible for the students. I have chosen this method because programs using a SMART goal, lead to greater goal attainment due to the deliberate planning of the training (Bahrami et al., 2022). At the end of each training session, I will deliver a 5-minute discussion with the athletes talking about the importance of nutrition for energy and recovery. I will deliver these for 6 weeks and at the end of the program, I will ask that the athletes come up with their own ideas about what nutrition they should consume on a match day. This will test their learning and ensure that they are comfortable with the importance of nutrition for their development. On a personal note, I can evaluate how successful this was for these students and adapt the learning for the next group of athletes that I coach. 

Impression Management 

Impression management is a crucial aspect of coaching when looking to portray yourself in a certain manner. I have recently discovered the different tools that coaches use to help them manage their impression and I am actively working towards incorporating them more effectively into my coaching. However, I have noticed that in certain situations such as when I become frustrated, I struggle to remain calm, and I notice the athlete becomes negatively affected. Therefore, the method I plan on using to develop my skill, is to keep a journal of the techniques I use and note whether they were effective for the athlete. I plan to monitor my verbal and non-verbal communication and the reaction it receives from the athlete. This use of deliberate reflection is vital when aiming to become self-aware because it supports learning and behaviour change in coaches (Downham & Cushion, 2024). I plan to review this journal weekly, and after a 4-week period, review how effective I felt I achieved each component of impression management. This will include the appearance I portray to my athletes, my successfulness of props and staging towards making my athletes feel a certain way, as well as my manner which I already know I need to improve. 

Developing good people 

The final area I am wanting to improve in my coaching is my ability to develop good people. I have wanted to produce new ideas and place a higher focus on sportsmanship since learning the research about how athletes responded with prosocial behaviour, towards opponents and teammates, when coached by someone who modelled good sportsmanship (Bolter & Weiss, 2013). I have always tried to be a good role model for my athletes to follow, but I have never explicitly taught them what being a good sport looks like. I have decided to incorporate this into my coaching because athletes who were directly taught about moral dilemmas and responsibilities, showed significantly more moral reasoning and fewer antisocial behaviours than a control group (Goldstein & Iso-Ahola, 2006). To do this, I will set clear expectations of the players before each session and match, whilst also pointing out any positive or negative behaviours that I spot from my students. This will allow me to praise and reward good sportsmanship, as well as punishing bad sportsmanship to try and create a conditioned response that negative behaviours will lead to a punishment. At the end of each session, I will ask all athletes to tell me one piece of good sportsmanship that they completed during the session. This will provide them with multiple ideas of how to be a good sport and try to encourage them to practice during training. 

References 

Bahrami, Z., Heidari, A., Cranney, J. (2022). Applying SMART Goal Intervention Leads to Greater Goal Attainment, Need Satisfaction and Positive Affect. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 24(6), 869–882. 

Bolter, N. D., & Weiss, M. R. (2013). Coaching behaviors and adolescent athletes’ sportspersonship outcomes: Further validation of the Sportsmanship Coaching Behaviors Scale (SCBS). Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 2(1), 32–47. 

Cockburn, E., Fortune, A., Briggs, M., & Rumbold, P. (2014). Nutritional Knowledge of UK Coaches. Nutrients, 6(4), 1442–1453. 

Downham, L., & Cushion, C. (2024). Reflection and reflective practice in high-performance sport coaching: a heuristic device. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 29(6), 601–620. 

Dunn, K., Moore, M., & Judge, L. W. (2026). Exploring high school coaches’ nutritional knowledge and its impact on athlete development: A descriptive phenomenological study. Journal of Sports and Games, 8(1), 1–15. 

Goldstein, J. D., & Iso-Ahola, S. E. (2006). Promoting Sportsmanship in Youth Sports: Perspectives from Sport Psychology. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 77(7), 18–24. 

Hydration 

The area of this blog that struck me the most was around the hydration of players. I have always assumed that my athletes knew to bring water bottles to any form of exercise due to the benefits of hydration. However, I didn’t think that part of a coach’s role was to check that the athletes were hydrating during the session. Research highlights how athletes often train under conditions of dehydration due to fluid intake practices not being sufficient (Funnell et al., 2026). Therefore, something I might start doing, based on the information from this blog, is creating more time for athletes to have a drinks break, as well as noting how much water athletes have in their bottle at the end of sessions compared to the beginning. I thought I could go further when promoting hydration by adding a reward to all athletes who completely finish their bottle of water before they leave the session. This will reduce the risk of dehydration as well as improving their cognitive performance during sessions, meaning they could see an improvement in reaction time and decision making because of their extra water intake (Uylas et al., 2025).

Psychological Side Effects 

I have previously focused my learning around nutrition on the physical effects of food, however after reading this blog, it has highlighted the importance it has on athlete’s psychological attributes. The study by Larsson et al. (2024), which showed a clear correlation between lower mental health and decreased food intake, illustrated to me that athletes who aren’t fuelling themselves efficiently for training or matches, may be because of reduced mental health. I have always thought that if athletes had been given the correct information around nutrition, then they would make the correct choices needed for their body. But this study shows me that athletes may need more psychological advice rather than just nutritional advice. This agrees with the final part of the blog which says that that having positive habits away from sport, encourage performance levels and player development. 

Sticking with the psychological effects, I wanted to move the focus away from the players and onto the coach. I have spent a lot of time developing my coaching skills and learning about how to improve my athletes through nutrition. However, on reflection, I find myself not following my own advice and sometimes not giving myself enough energy. In Leighton’s blog, he mentions how irritability and frustration can occur when someone is running low on energy, and I have noticed that in my evening training sessions, I become more susceptible to losing my cool. Looking back, I often only manage small snacks during days when I have lots of sessions and therefore will be running on very low calories when it reaches my final sessions of the day. I had often thought that my evening session athletes were just more frustrating to coach than others, but now after learning about the psychological effects of nutrition, I may just be more irritable later in the day when running on less energy. Creating more time for me to refuel during the day will not only improve my coaching, as I will have more energy but, it will also improve the experience of my athletes who usually don’t get to see me at my full potential. 

Conclusion 

Being able to reflect on another person’s experience, has allowed me to look at my own development from a different perspective and find even more ways to improve my coaching. 

References 

Funnell, M. P., Cable, T. G., Macrae, H. Z., & James, L. J. (2026). Next steps in dehydration and endurance exercise performance research: exploring participant-relevant factors. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 126(1), 605–609. 

Larsson, M., Lindman, I., Hörnell, A., & Abrahamson, J. (2024). Prospective study of food intake changes in adolescent elite athletes. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 7(2), 366–374. 

Uylas, E., Zengin, N., Futsi, D., Mancı, E., Güdücü, Ç., & Günay, E. (2025). Effects of exercise-induced hypohydration on human athletic performance, cognitive functions and brain hemodynamics: systematic mini review. Sport Sciences for Health, 21(4), 2467–2478. 

When you compare the role of a sports coach now and 50 years ago, there is no comparison in the number of expectations placed on the coach. In the past, a coach's main objective was to be knowledgeable and effective at producing results, whereas today they are expected to be mentors and leaders who support their athlete’s wellbeing and personal development (Jones et al., 2004).  

When I first started coaching, I was guilty of neglecting this side of coaching and remained focused on the sport aspect. I believed I didn’t have enough understanding of the problems athlete’s face to try and help their personal development whilst also developing their on court ability. It wasn’t until an athlete came to me with anxiety and stress about an upcoming match that I truly realised that my job was more complex than I first thought. I tried to imagine myself in the shoes of the athlete who needed support, and I knew that I was seen as more than just a tennis instructor, I was a safety net. Therefore, I studied and learnt the importance of a coach in an athlete’s life, especially when mental health is involved. 

   Research suggests that sports coaches are often the first point of contact for athletes who suffer with mental health problems, highlighting the necessity for coaches to be able to support and monitor athletes (Reardon et al., 2019). This knowledge opened my eyes to the bond that athletes and coaches can create, because when I was a young athlete, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to open up to my coach, which illustrates the importance of a coach who is supportive and aware of off the court needs. This has helped shift my coaching towards more athlete-centred coaching because the priority should be the individual and not the performer. To work towards this, I have begun to collaborate with athletes when trying to set goals to create a more open and long-term focused environment.  

This is further reinforced by the research from Gulliver et al. (2012), who emphasised that one of the main causes of athlete mental health issues was from a pressure to perform by the coach. The research shows the line that coaches must balance between wanting their athlete to be successful and develop, whilst not applying too much pressure and expectation on them. I have found this the most difficult to perfect during my coaching career because I am often second guessing my decisions to ensure that I am not overstepping the line and becoming an old-fashioned coach. This has changed my idea of what a successful coach is, because I now place a higher value on long-term development and personal growth compared to results and performances. I have implemented check-in sessions with my athletes at the end of sessions because I believe that they are more likely to feel comfortable sharing if they know that I am open to listening. Also, once a conversation around mental health has started, it becomes easier for the athletes to expand and feel supported. 

Conclusion 

To conclude, the information surrounding athlete’s mental health has helped me to recognise the responsibility and flexibility that is needed for a modern-day coach. My shift towards more positive and supportive training environments have given me a better relationship with my athletes that I plan on continuing to build in the future. 

References 

Gulliver, A., Griffiths, K. M., & Christensen, H. (2012). Barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking for young elite athletes: a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 12(1), Article 157. 

Jones, R. L., Armour, K. M., & Potrac, P. (2004). Sports coaching cultures : from practice to theory. Routledge. 

Reardon, C. L., Hainline, B., Aron, C. M., Baron, D., Baum, A. L., Bindra, A., Budgett, R., Campriani, N., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., Currie, A., Derevensky, J. L., Glick, I. D., Gorczynski, P., Gouttebarge, V., Grandner, M. A., Han, D. H., McDuff, D., Mountjoy, M., Polat, A., … Engebretsen, L. (2019). Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2019). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(11), 667–699.