Psychology of Coaching Excellence Juri L. Hanin KIHU-Research Institute for Olympic Sports, Jyväskyl skylä,, Finland International Coaches Conference June 29 July 2, 2005 Vierumäki, Finland
Successful coaching Practice / Art Creativity New ideas New approaches New solutions Science New facts New evidence New explanations New perspectives 1. Can I use it to improve my work? 2. Am I moving in the right direction?
Ten highs in Competitive Sport 1. High personal & social significance of results 2. High public visibility (media) 3. High career-related related goals 4. High motivation (sustained effort) 5. High demands on personal resources 6. High competitive stress 7. Highly intensive practices 8. High physical fitness (required) 9. Highly skillful performance 10. High risk of injuries
Psychological preparation 4. Consistent excellence 3. Peak performance (timing) 2. Competing effectively (stress-free) 1. High quality practices (hard & smart) Hanin, 1994, 2002
Excellence - Mediocrity Performing up to capacity outstanding brilliant superior distinct high quality high merit Failure to perform poor mediocre inferior indistinct low quality low merit
Consistency - Inconsistency reliable dependable steady even constant unfailing regular In agreement with previous performance unreliable undependable unsteady uneven changeable failing irregular In disagreement with previous performance
Plateaus, Choking, Peak,, & Slumps 6 5 Plateau Peak 4 3 Slump 2 1 Choking 0 *Grove, 2004
U-18 National team in WChamps 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06??
Successful Coach as an Expert Hands-on experience as a coach/player 10 years (10.000 hrs) ) of deliberate practice Impressive record of consistent success Post-success success experiences Experience in waking-up a losing team Skills in developing players and the team Experiential learning (reflective practice) *Hanin, 2005
Coach & players development Players development Players stagnation Excellent ==> Outstanding Good ==> average Good ==> Excellent Average ==> Really good Excellent ==> Good Outstanding ==>????? * Hanin, 2005
Development happens any time when the pool of potential resources is added to and resources are strengthened. * Hendry & Kloep, 2002
Development challenges: Resources = task demands Stagnation routines: Resources > task demands Decay risks: Resources < Task Demands * Modified from Hendry & Kloep, 2002
Resources - assets Resources are defined broadly as those objects, personal characteristics, conditions, or energies that are valued by the individual or that serve as a means for attainment of these objects, personal characteristics, conditions, or energies (Hobfoll, 1989, p. 516).
Examples of Resources: * Personal characteristics self-esteem, mastery, well-being * Interpersonal characteristics cohesion, communication skills * Work-related assets * Materials equipment, experience
Resources in sport As applied to competitive sport, an athlete s resources include psychological skills, specific personal traits (sport related qualities and strengths), group dynamics factors, and situational individually optimal psychobiosocial states. Optimal performance is usually reached when available resources match well the existing (or anticipated) task demands. Hanin, 2004
Environment Emotional states Consistent Excellence Personality Coping skills *Hanin, 2002
Ten Characteristics of a Good Leader Positive image, character and integrity Mental toughness, to endure and rebound Communication skills To not underestimate the role of the leader To know your limits and be yourself Preparation, including anticipation Accessibility and visibility Confidence Ability to initiate interaction To not underestimate the spiritual power of people * Football coach Woody Hayes cited in Walton (1992) & in Bloom (2002)
Credible & successful coaches are: Character-based Competent Committed Caring Confidence-builders Communicators Consistent * Greg Dale & Jeff Janssen (2001): The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches
Rates of self-coaching (1956-96) Olympians (n=97) 43% - self-coached 50% - sometimes self-coached 7% - did not self-coach Medals winners (n=36) 47% - self-coached 47% - sometimes self-coached 6 % - did not self-coach * Trish Bradbury, (Submitted) - New Zealand
Coach & the players input Peak 20% Players 80% 50% 50% Coach 80% Start 20% *Hanin, 2002, 2005
Coaching: benefits and harms Potential benefits A very rewarding profession Joy of working with aspiring athletes The challenge of building a successful program Satisfaction derived from teaching sports skill Facilitating athletes psychosocial development Potential harm A very demanding & consuming job Sometimes extremely frustrating experience Burn-out (35% US Swim coaches every year) * Adapted from Raedeke, 2004
Burn-out in coaches Physicaly & mentally exhausted Doubts in ability to succeed as a coach Psychologically distancing from the players Continuous hire-fire situation Decreased job performance Increased mental & physical health problems Negative effect on players & colleagues * Adapted from Raedeke, 2004
Effective Leadership Styles Democratic: players as active participants Coach - own personality, values & style, past experience Situation clear, enough time & space, routine Players - highly skilled, experienced, self-reliant, professional Team - well developed, own history, experiecne with this style Environment - cultural norms support this style (Management, Media) *Hanin. 1980, 2004
Multidimentional Model of Leadership Antecedents Leader Behavior Consequences 1. Situational Characteristics 2. Leader Characteristics 3. Member Characteristics 4. Required Behavior 5. Actual Behavior 6. Preferred Behavior 7. Individual & Team Performance Satisfaction *Adapted from Chelladurai, 1978, 1980
Effective Leadership Styles Autocratic: players doing what they are told Coach - results oriented, values & style, past experience Situation stressful, not enough time, action is critical Players - limited experience, not enough skills, expect structure Team - just created, lack of leaders, prefered style Environment - cultural norms support this style (Management, Media) *Hanin. 1980, 2004
Effective Leadership Styles Laissez-faire : players doing their way Coach - process-oriented, values & style, past experience Situation plenty of time, spontaneoius team development Players - limited experience, not enough skills, expect structure Team - initial stage, results are less important than the process Environment no pressures for succes (Management, Media) *Hanin. 1980, 2004
Types of players & coaches The practical player / coach - More interested in what to do and how to do it - Easily adaptive, flexible - Often bored with the detailed analysis & explanations - Turned-off by overanalyzing - Finds theoretical teaching as excessive & demotivating The more theoretical player / coach - Has a greater interest in why it should be done - Needs more detailed explanations & analysis - Unsatisfied with just do it strategies - Likes the things to be consistent and well structured *Adapted from Miller, 2003
Practical Players Theoretical Practical Coach Theoretical 1. Perfect match 3.Mismatch 2.Mismatch 4. Perfect match *Adapted & based on Miller, 2003
Performance slump: a definition A slump is a sudden or marked decline, failure, collapse, or deterioration (Collins English Dictionary, 3rd ed. 1991, p. 1457) A slump is a period of poor or losing play by team or individual... (Merriam-Webster, 1974, p. 1095)
Performance slumps: FAQ Are slumps inevitable & unavoidable? Is a slump-free season possible? What are slumps apparent causes? Will slumps pass with the time? Slump-induced frustration, anxiety? Increase training or total abstention?
Poor performance factors Not prepared to deal with distractions Inability to re-focus after distractions Non-adherence to preparation routines Changing things that worked Late team selection, poor administration Negative feeling states & irrelevant thoughts Relationships issues, organisational stressors Expectations and pressures to perform Environmental demands * Orlick & Partington,, 1988; Gould et al. 1992, 1993; Woodman & Hardy, 1998
Sports career & excellence Results A- growth / maintainance - 30 % B - come back - 35 %? C - never again - 35 % Time 8-10 yrs 1.5-2 yrs 1-12 yrs Time Preparation To the top Staying at the Top End * Adapted from Hanin, 1998; Kreiner-Phillips & Orlick, 1993; and Stambulova, 1994
High quality training Self-awareness & self-motivation Strengths and limitations Working state & recovery methods Cycles, season, years, entire sports career Effective performance process Goal-setting Effective focus & re-focus Understanding body signals Monitoring & experiential learning *Hanin, 2000
High Quality Training Practices simulating competition: Conditions, time, place Competition rhythm & organization Own game & opponents Training during competition cycle Optimal pre-competition cycle Training between & during competitions *Hanin, 2000
Competing effectively Constructive focus on competition Winning patterns and strengths in competition Well prepared strategies tested in training Focus on things that worked well Focus & re-focus during competition Post-competition analysis (de-briefing) What worked really well in the competition? What could be improved? What should be dropped and forgotten?
Widespread truths about emotion in sports: Negative emotions are always bad Positive emotions are always good Thus: more positive + less negative * Hanin, 1995
Emotion content categories Pleasant Emotions P+ Success Positive, pleasant effective facilitating Positive, pleasant ineffective debilitating P- Failure N+ Negative, unpleasant, effective, facilitating Negative, unpleasant, ineffective, debilitating N- * Hanin, 1992 Unpleasant Emotions
Positive emotions in hockey (N=97): : + Helpful: + Energetic Confident Charged Certain Motivated Purposeful Willing Cheerful Enthusiastic Alert Harmful: - Easy-doing Tranquil Satisfied Overjoyed Excited Pleasant Comfortable Calm Exalted Nice * Hanin & Lukkarila, 1999
Negative emotions in hockey (N=97): : + Helpful: + Tense Dissatisfied Vehement Attacking Intense Angry Irritated Nervous Provoked Restless Harmful: - Tired Sluggish Unwilling Uncertain Downhearted Depressed Distressed Sorrowful Afraid Strained * Hanin & Lukkarila, 1999
Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning 60 Best performance State Anxiety (STAI) 50 40 -in the zone- Out of zone Out of zone Best performance -in the zone- Out of zone Out of zone Best performance 30 Athlete A (high IZOF) Athlete B (moderate IZOF) -in the zone- Athlete C (low IZOF) *Modified from Hanin, 1978
Consistent Excellence : Optimal Motivation Focus on winning fighting doing my best learning Feeling state self-confident trust myself enjoying the game psyched up Our game important challenging tough well started Ice hockey my serious hobby my future profession my life Opponent tough good strong Own Team I play for my team I work for team s success Good climate in the team *Hanin, 2001 (N=29 Finnish ice hockey players)
The cavity - shaped IZOF emotion profile Emotions prior to poor performance Dysfunctional Optimal emotions Dysfunctional Intensity (CR-10) 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 slack lazy N- N+ P+ P- unwilling tired tense furious eager sure determined calm nice content pleasant Performance related emotions
Leading & losing in W-Champs 2001 Hannover (final( final) ) 2-02 2002 Göteborg G (semifinal( semifinal) ) 3-03 0 => 3-53 2003 Helsinki 5-15 1 => 5-65 2004 Czechia 3-11 => 4-54 2005 USA 4-34 3 => 2005 Canada 2-00 & 3-13 1 => 3-33 2005 Russia 2-00 & 3-13 1 => 3-43
The cavity - shaped IZOF emotion profile Emotions prior to poor performance Dysfunctional Optimal emotions Dysfunctional Intensity (CR-10) 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 slack lazy N- N+ P+ P- unwilling tired tense furious eager sure determined calm nice content pleasant Performance related emotions
Losing after leading Too much excitement ( rock( rock-n-roll ) Too much celebration ( game is over ) Losing alertness (carelessness) Trying too much & harder Playing it safe (keeping the score) Changing the right focus Energy level suddenly drops *Hanin, 2000
Mediocrity: Detrimental Motivation Preparation Insufficient recovery Poor shape Poor planning Feeling state too much tired health problems dissatisfied too satisfied Our game too easy meaningless nothing works clearly lost bad start Outside sport Family School Other concerns Opponent too easy clearly weaker Own Team Repeated loss Poor team climate *Hanin, 2001 (N=29 Finnish ice hockey players)
Mentoring & Reflective Practice Practice / Art Creativity New ideas New approaches New solutions Science New facts New evidence New explanations New perspectives 1. Yes, I Can use it to improve my work! 2. Yes, I am moving in the right direction!