3 What do female athletes want from their coach?
Each coach-athlete relationship is unique and has a unique balance as to who makes decisions. Gender may play a role in this relationship and also how an athlete selects their coach if they have a choice. This is explored in Activity 2.
Activity 2 Quality not quantity
Timing: Allow about 15 minutes
Watch the video where Dr Emma Ross explains some differences in the coach-athlete relationship between males and females. Then answer the following questions:
- What is claimed to be most valuable to female athletes in the coach-athlete relationship?
- How does this differ from male athletes?
Download this video clip.Video player: boc_sfps_1_session8_activity2.mp4
Transcript
EMMA ROSS
For a coach to get the best out of their female athletes, the research suggests and the evidence really spans from high performing Olympic level athletes right through to girls participating in sport, that the quality of the relationship between the coach and the athlete is really important to females.
And what that means is that coaches need to invest in that relationship because it means a lot to their athletes and they get confidence and motivation from that. So being interested in their life, in things that are happening outside of the sport, what that athlete has done today or been on holiday.
Really investing in the quality of that personal relationship between coach and athlete is something that will really help support the performance of that female athlete. In male athletes, there tends to be more value placed upon the quality of the coach. So how well has that coach done in the past? How many really good performers has he or her supported?
And the quality of the relationship is of less value but actually for female athletes, the emphasis is placed upon the quality of that relationship between coach and athlete.
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Discussion
- For a female athlete the quality of the relationship is important, and this means that the coach must invest time and effort in developing empathy and rapport. For instance, it would help if the coach should take an interest in their wider life and what they have been doing outside of their sport. Although, this is also often true of effective coaches of men’s teams.
- This is claimed to be different for male athletes who perhaps are more interested in the quality of the coach, how well they have done in the past, and how many high-quality athletes they have supported.
Emma suggests that the female gains motivation and confidence from the relationship with their coach and this link is explored in the next section.