How Coaching Philosophy Drives Coaching Action: A Case Study of Renowned Wrestling Coach J Robinson

Abstract

This case study was designed to examine the coaching philosophy of J Robinson, one of the most respected and successful NCAA wrestling coaches in the United States, and the founder of J Robison Intensive Wrestling Camps. Recent research has that shown that his camps foster short and long term psychological development in its youth participants (Authors, 2016). He has established a well-delineated system for developing psychological skills in young athletes. The researchers were therefore interested in understanding the link between his coaching philosophy and coaching behavior, and in identifying factors that have influenced the development of this coaching philosophy over his lifetime. Using a case study approach, in-depth interviews at several points in time with Robinson were conducted. These were supplemented with interviews with camp staff and observations of the camp and Robinson's coaching at the camp. Results revealed that Robinson had a clearly defined philosophy, is very intentional in terms of developing mental skills, and has clearly thought out rationales that guide his coaching actions.The coaching philosophy and approach to developing youth psychologically evolved over 35 years of implementing these camps and from Robinson's own life experiences. Implications for studying coach development and delivering coaching education are provided. Key Words: Coaching, Psychological Skills Training, Coaching PhilosophyRunning head: COACHING PHILOSOPHY COACHING PRACTICE LINK 3 How an Elite Coach's Philosophy Drives His Coaching to Facilitate Psychological Skills Development of Young Athletes: A Case Study of J RobinsonA coaching philosophy is defined as those beliefs, principles, and values that guide behavior and characterize one's coaching practice (Jenkins, 2010). Hardman and Jones (2013) also contend that any coaching philosophy should focus on four philosophical concepts: axiology (what a coach values), ethics (what a coach judges as moral or immoral), ontology (the meaning of coaching), and phenomenology (thoughts about the experience of being a coach). So in a practical sense, a coach's philosophy is his or her orientation or world view of coaching.The development of a sound coaching philosophy has been acknowledged as being critical to coaching success (Burton & Raedeke, 2008;Hardman & Jones, 2013; Martens, 1996) because values and beliefs help coaches set priorities and guide their coaching actions and behaviors. For example, Martens (1996) contends that the emphasis coaches place on winning, fun and development influences their coaching actions and interaction with their athletes.Furthermore, if a coach has well thought out values and beliefs he or she is going to be more consistent in his or her actions. Hardman and Jones (2013) also suggest that that taking the time to reflect and articulate ones coaching philosophy helps guide coaches ethical choices and the determination of what moral values to emphasize. For all these reasons, most coaching education programs use the development of a...

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