It depends coaching – The most fundamental, simple and complex principle or a mere copout?

Abstract

A growing body of literature identifies the importance of conditionality in coaching and coach education. In simple terms, the complexity and hyperdynamic nature of many coaching environments makes it increasingly unlikely that any one approach, tool or even paradigm will be appropriate to every situation. Accordingly, in this paper, we critically consider the use of Professional judgment and Decision-Making (often referred to as "it depends" coaching) as a valid approach to coaching, using three exemplar constructs backed by both literature and practical challenges. We conclude by comparing the underpinnings and logic of this approach and presenting implications for coaching practice. Our intention is to stimulate debate amongst coaches, coach developers and researchers.

The 3Ps: A tool for coach observation

“…This paper has presented a novel approach to the observation of coaching practice with an emphasis on the PJDM of the coach. Findings suggest that the 3Ps tool may provide an opportunity to expand our understanding of PJDM in practice (5,6) and support a base of evidence in practice that accounts for the context of particular approaches. While not suggesting that coaching is solely a matter of individual cognition, the framework was designed as a pragmatic tool to support the observation of coaching practice and make inferences about the PJDM of the coach.…”

“…One approach to the advancement of coaching practice which is advocated in the literature for is professional judgement and decision making [PJDM - (4,5)]. PJDM is built on the foundation of an "it depends" approach to practice: recognising the inherent complexity of the biopsychosocial circumstances of coaching, and the need to take into account a wide range of contextual and individual demands when coaching (6). Although founded on a decision-making perspective, PJDM recognises the messy social world of coaching practice, in which multiple agendas and priorities influence a coach's practice (7).…”

“…This recognises that tightly controlled experimental designs are unlikely to be possible, or generalisable, given the biopsychosocial complexity of coaching (e.g., 16). Operationalising PJDM relies on several core constructs (6), these include: engaging in nested planning with the bigger picture in mind (17); identifying intentions for impact (18); utilising declarative knowledge to support decision making (19); and adaptive intuitive practice, making adjustments that account for the broader whole (10). Specifically, when applied to the PJDM of the CD, there are a number of cognitive demands, including understanding of the context, the coach, adult learning, the curriculum, process and practice, and of self (20).…”

The adaptable coach – a critical review of the practical implications for traditional and constraints-led approaches in sport coaching

“…The evolving nature of the performance context necessitates skilled coaches be adaptable and flexible, capable of responding quickly and effectively to the dynamic needs of their athletes and the changing contextual demands. 2 A key challenge for coaches is deciding on which approach or approaches should be implemented and when to facilitate athlete development and performance. Most recently, traditional coaching approaches have frequently been contrasted with more contemporary methodologies, such as constraints-led approaches.…”

Contemporary pedagogy? The use of theory in practice: An evidence-informed perspective

“…Instead, by highlighting elements of cognitivist learning theories, we aim to challenge their association with, and pejorative use of, the term “traditional” pedagogy [cf. ( 27 )]. In turn, we discuss how we might progress from the notion of “contemporary”, to evidence-informed pedagogy [e.g., ( 26 )].…”