Behavioral Characteristics of 'Favorite' Coaches: Implications for Coach Education

Authors

  • Craig Stewart
  • Lynn Owens

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to use athletes’ and former athletes’ memories of their favorite coach to improve coach education curriculum. Player preferences of coaching behavior can affect both their attitudes toward their sport experiences and team performance. By identifying positive coaching behaviors as recalled by athletes, coach educators can ensure that the curriculum in their courses reflect those preferences. University students enrolled in introductory coaching classes over a period of six years (12 semesters) were asked to list up to ten behavioral characteristics of their favorite coach in their athletic careers. Their responses were analyzed to determine specific examples of behaviors that defined coaches who were remembered as favorites. Comparisons were made with standardized measures of coaching characteristics (Chelladurai & Saleh,1980) in hopes of determining ways to improve the coach education curriculum.

Published

2011-05-10

Issue

Section

Articles