Coaches need to be aware that one size does not fit all in player development

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The Coaches Site is proud to welcome Beyond the X’s and O’s with Dr. Cassidy Preston and Chris DePiero to our network of podcasts! Stay tuned for weekly episodes as they help coaches develop the “soft” skills of leadership.

Dr. Jean Côté is a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University, where he served as the Director of the School from 2006-2019. He has published more than 160 refereed papers on a variety of sport psychology and youth sport topics and 50 book chapters. He is currently researching the examination of parents as “consumers” in the youth sport system and the impact of Transformational Coaching on athletes’ development. He has presented his work to both sport governing organizations and academic conferences throughout the world and has delivered many keynote addresses at major national and international conferences.

Dr. Côté shared key insights for coaches to integrate transformational leadership principles:

• How the soft skills are the “power” skills
• Coaching the person before the player – get to know your athletes as people
• Sport can be a tool for personal development
• Dispelling the notion that coaches need to keep control – understanding the progression of autonomy
• Small everyday behaviours make a big difference
• The role of sociocultural factors and the environment – coaches need to be aware that one size does not fit all in player development

The research has made it clear that transformational coaching works, but the challenge is to make it the new norm. See the resources below for a summary of Dr. Côté’s work on Transformational Coaching.

Join us in this fight against the ‘old school’ coaching mentality by sharing with your fellow coaches!