coach case study analysis

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Coach Brand Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study

This article discusses the success of the Coach Brand Marketing Strategy. We’ll take a closer look at its innovation for 2024’s competitive world.

Key Takeaways:

• Coach is known for its expertise in coaching brands and marketing strategies. They are a top brand marketing expert and consultant.
• Through digital marketing and brand management coaching, they’ve reached success in the luxury market.
• Their success story shows they can adapt and grow in a changing market.
• Coach stands out by offering high-end goods at more accessible prices compared to their rivals.
• Their growth comes from strategies like opening more stores, forming strategic partnerships, and expanding into men’s accessories.

Overview of Coach’s Rebranding Case Study

Coach, a 65-year-old luxury handbag and accessories brand, started a rebranding journey. The goal was to boost its global presence and connect with more markets. This case study looks into how Coach tackled these challenges to forge a powerful identity.

Situational Analysis of Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Coach competes in the luxury market where big names like Georgio Armani and Dolce & Gabana are its main rivals. They have crafted a strong marketing plan to stand out.

Coach uses a tiered distribution method. They sell through various stores across the U.S. This approach helps them reach many customers, increase their brand’s presence, and boost sales.

By focusing on accessible luxury, Coach has found its unique spot. It targets both upper and middle-class buyers. This strategy makes high-quality, fashionable items affordable. Because of this, Coach has grown its market share and boosted its revenue by 24% in eight years.

To explain Coach’s strategy better, here is a table:

This table shows how Coach’s strategy differs from its competitors. Unlike Georgio Armani and Dolce & Gabana, Coach targets a wider audience. It offers high-end products at more accessible prices to different consumers.

Coach’s marketing approach has led to increased sales and customer attraction. By using its tiered distribution and focusing on accessible luxury, Coach is viewed as a leading, reliable luxury brand.

Key Challenges and Core Elements of Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Coach had several marketing hurdles to overcome. These included a weak global presence, unpredictable luxury market trends , and needing a growth plan that protected their brand. They also aimed to broaden their range beyond just women’s accessories, appealing to various customers.

The Challenges

Coach’s main issue was its limited global footprint. In a crowded market, reaching out to new regions was vital to grow and boost its market share. For this, a well-planned market entry strategy, fit for each new market’s needs, was necessary.

Next, Coach dealt with the unpredictable luxury goods market. Economic changes and shifts in what consumers wanted posed risks to profits and sales. A marketing plan capable of handling these uncertainties was needed for stability and growth.

Lastly, as Coach expanded its product range and targeted new clients, keeping true to its brand was a challenge. The goal was to innovate while preserving the brand’s core values and look. This was key in their marketing approach.

The Core Elements

To tackle these issues, Coach introduced several strategy elements:

• Global and Emerging Markets: Coach worked on entering global and emerging markets with extensive research and customized products for local tastes.
• Market Volatility Navigation: With smart forecasting and risk management, Coach set strategies to lessen the effects of market changes. They kept a close watch on trends, consumer behaviors, and economic factors to make wise decisions and keep the business steady.
• Growth Model Alignment: Coach aimed to expand its products beyond women’s accessories to reach more customers. They made sure this growth didn’t clash with their brand’s identity and reputation. Their product development and branding efforts were carefully done to balance expansion and brand consistency.

By tackling these challenges and weaving key elements into their marketing plan, Coach managed to excel in a competitive field.

Evaluation and Proposed Solutions for Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Coach has reviewed its marketing plan and found areas to improve. They plan to make their brand more visible, reach more people, and work more efficiently. These changes will help them face their challenges better.

Store Expansion

Coach wants to open more stores at home and abroad. They aim to attract new customers by being in more places. New flagship stores and exploring emerging markets are part of this plan.

Strategic Partnerships

Coach is looking to team up with other brands or designers. These partnerships can help both sides by expanding what they offer and reaching more people. Coach believes this will boost their sales and make more people know their brand.

Men’s Accessories and Luggage Expansion

Coach sees a big chance in the men’s accessories market. They want to offer more items like wallets, belts, and small leather goods for men. They also plan to grow their luggage line to attract travelers who love luxury.

Aggressive Marketing Campaigns

Coach plans to run big marketing campaigns to make more people aware of their brand. They’ll use digital platforms, print media, and work with influencers. Their goal is to stand out from others and keep their market presence strong.

Operations Initiatives

To back up their growth plans and make sure they work efficiently, Coach has some initiatives. These include making their supply chain better, smoothing out their internal processes, and using technology to boost productivity. Improving how they operate will help them grow their business and keep the quality high.

Coach’s review of their marketing and these solutions aim for growth and success in the luxury market. With plans for more stores, new partnerships, expanding their men’s line, bold marketing, and improving operations, Coach is ready to overcome challenges and grow in the future.

Branding and Positioning in Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Coach knew branding and positioning were key for leading in the luxury market. They worked on brand awareness, values, logo, voice, and being consistent. This helped them stand out and strengthen their market presence.

Brand awareness was vital for Coach, helping them reach more people. They focused on their unique values, matching their target market’s wants. By being consistent across all channels, Coach built a brand identity based on authenticity and purpose.

Coach also made a unique logo to represent their brand. This logo was not just stylish but showed Coach’s core values. It became a symbol that people recognized and trusted, boosting Coach’s market position .

Another focus was on having a consistent brand voice. They wanted their messages to fit what their audience liked. This helped build trust and loyalty. Customers could see Coach’s values and personality in every interaction.

Consistency was key in Coach’s marketing strategy . Whether in ads or in stores, they ensured everything matched their brand values. This consistency improved recognition and showed reliability, making Coach a trusted luxury brand.

Overall, Coach’s branding and positioning have played a huge role in their success. Focusing on brand awareness, values, logo, voice, and consistency has made them stand out in the luxury goods market.

Content Marketing in Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Coach, a luxury goods leader, uses content marketing in its strategy. This approach helps engage its audience and positions Coach as an industry leader. It uses different tactics to share knowledge, attract leads, and build a strong online presence.

Blogging: Sharing Valuable Insights

One key tactic is blogging. Coach keeps an active blog with insights, trends, fashion tips, and news. High-quality posts help Coach engage its audience and become an authority in the luxury goods sector.

Videos: Showcasing Product Features and Inspirational Content

Coach also makes videos for its content marketing. These videos show product details, styling tips, and brand insights. With attractive and informative videos, Coach connects deeper with its audience and boosts brand awareness.

Whitepapers and eBooks: Demonstrating Expertise

Besides, Coach creates whitepapers and eBooks. These delve into insights, trends, and consumer behavior in luxury goods. Offering valuable content, Coach builds trust with its audience and leads the industry.

Flyers: Targeted Promotions and Offers

Not just digital, Coach uses printed flyers too. Distributed at events and stores, they promote products and special offers. Through flyers, Coach reaches more people and drives engagement both online and offline.

Webinars: Educational and Interactive Sessions

Coach organizes webinars for education and interaction. Topics include fashion trends and styling tips. Through webinars, Coach directly connects with its audience, answering questions and strengthening connections with potential customers.

Social Media Marketing in Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Coach knows how crucial social media is nowadays. They use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This way, Coach connects well with their audience.

Facebook helps Coach reach lots of users. They engage users with posts, content, and ads. This platform is great for promoting their brand and building strong relationships.

Instagram is perfect for sharing beautiful pictures of new products and fashion highlights. Coach uses Stories, Reels, and IGTV for a deeper connection. This builds loyalty and boosts sales.

On Pinterest, Coach shows off their products with amazing pins and boards. They offer fashion advice and style guides. Users love saving and sharing their favorite finds.

YouTube is essential for Coach’s marketing. They share videos of fashion shows, unboxings, and tips. YouTube helps them reach more people and bring them to their site.

Twitter lets Coach share updates and chat with followers. By using hashtags and trends, they join in on discussions. This helps strengthen their brand and build a community.

LinkedIn is key for reaching professionals. Coach shares their expertise and connects with clients and partners there. They use LinkedIn to grow their reach and show they’re marketing experts.

Coach’s strategy shows their dedication to connecting with people online. They smartly use each platform’s features. This helps them promote their services, raise brand awareness, and form meaningful connections.

Networking and Client Testimonials in Coach’s Marketing Strategy

Networking is key in Coach’s brand marketing plan. They know the value of growing their client list. Coach used their network and looked for new people in various fields.

They attended events, conferences, and seminars. This helped Coach make valuable connections, form partnerships, and boost market visibility.

Client testimonials showed how Coach’s services had a big impact. These stories acted as proof of Coach’s effective strategies. They built trust by sharing past clients’ success stories.

Coach also used case studies to show off their work. These studies showed the challenges clients faced and how Coach helped. It gave clear examples of what could be achieved with Coach’s help.

By mixing networking and client stories, Coach built a strong name for themselves. They became known as trusted experts. This made new clients feel good about choosing Coach.

The Power of Social Proof

Social proof affects our decisions by showing others have succeeded before us. Testimonials are strong social proof for Coach’s work. They not only build trust but prove Coach’s skill, making it easier for new clients to choose them.

Coach’s marketing strategy stands out in the luxury goods world. Their makeover and push into new markets have paved the way for big achievements. They have also tapped into the power of social media to reach more people effectively.

By focusing on connecting with customers, Coach has built a trusted name. This trust has been key in their growth and staying power. The creative steps Coach has taken clearly set them apart from the competition. Their high-quality offerings have helped them win loyal customers.

This strategy is not just good for Coach but offers lessons for others too. Their mix of rebranding, global growth, and online engagement has been a winning formula. As trends change, Coach remains ready to lead and innovate, always aiming to give customers something special.

What is the Coach Brand Marketing Strategy?

How does coach differentiate itself from its competitors, what were the challenges faced by coach in their marketing strategy, what solutions did coach propose to address their marketing challenges, how did coach focus on branding in their marketing strategy, how did coach utilize content marketing in their marketing strategy, which social media platforms did coach utilize in their marketing strategy, how did networking play a role in coach’s marketing strategy, related posts.

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Coach Case Study Analysis

Coach’s huge success has been largely attributable to Its focus on quality and stylish products which respond to consumers’ needs based on Its extensive marketing research. Its “affordable luxury goods” price strategy also helps drive growth by appealing to a wide range of consumer, while at the same time, correspond with changes In meld income consumer behavior. In 2012, Coach operated 345 full-price retail stores and 143 factory outlets in North America, and 169 stores in Japan and 66 stores in China..

The products are sold through direct mail catalogs, on-line store, e-commerce websites as well.

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Strategies By the mid-1 sass, the company’s performance began to decline as consumers developed a stronger performance for stylish French and Italian designer brands such as Gucci , Pravda, Louis Button etc. By 1995, annual sales growth in Coach’s best performing store fell from 40% to 5% as the company’s traditional leather bags fell out of favor with consumers. The company started changing by hiring Reed Karaoke. Ender Karaoke, extensive consumer survey were conducted. The company’s research found out that consumers were looking for edgier stylish, softer leathers, and leather- trimmed fabric handbags.

The prototypes had been developed and then tested selected Coach stores. The design process developed by Karaoke made Coach introduce new collections every month compared twice per year prior to Karaoke’s arrival. During 2011, roughly 84% of Coach’s total net sales were generated from the products introduced within a year.

All the Coach’s leather products were manufactured by third-party suppliers in Asia, which allowed Coach to maintain a significant pricing advantage relative to other luxury handbag brands. Coach reshaped the brand image in the time and started positioning in the “Accessible usury segment of the leather handbags and accessories Industry by appealing attractive pricing and satisfying traditional luxury customers with the quality and styling of Its products.

Coach used the scale of economy to cover lower profit margins offsetting by Increased sales volume and expanding Its distribution channels and leveraging the global opportunities.

Monthly product launches enhanced the company’s voguish Image and gave consumers reason to make purchases on a regular basis. The Importance of frequent product Introductions was to Increase frequent customers’ visits. Research In 2006 suggested the average Coach customer purchased four handbags per year. Putting a number of new products each month made Cowan Keep Its customer Ana also attract customers’ easels to purchase goods.

Coach ran 345 full-price retail stores and 143 factory stores. Coach’s factory stores target value-oriented customers who might not otherwise buy Coach products.

Even though 75% of factory store inventory was produced for specifically for Coach’s factory stores, its highly successful factory stores might someday dilute its brand image. SOOT analysis Strength; Coach offers high and superior quality leather with unique and innovative styling which attracts the consumers. Its products are sold is available at price less than 50% or more than its competitors.

It is segmented in price of $200-$500 whereas the competitors’ price is $700-$800. Karaoke brought the idea of fresh new arrivals every month, which attracts many customers and helped the company in increasing its sales.

Coach made strategic alliances with company like Moved and many others which brought them into segment of other luxuries as watches, fragrances, foot wares, and also products for men. The outsourcing strategy helped Coach in low cost manufacturing and cost cutting to maintain its low price compared to competitors and proved it as competitive advantage. During a difficult economic environment, Coach has managed to increase its sales when its competitors are struggling to keep consumers buying their products. Customer satisfaction is major strength of the company.

Weakness; Factory outlet stores outperforming full price stores. There is a diluting of the brand due to increased growth of factory outlet stores. Less number of men products is the major reason behind the lower percentage of sale. Coach has a particular geographical concentration, especially in North America, Japan and China. As it’s a luxury category, products of coach of inaccessible to most consumer segments.

Opportunity; Coach has the growing demand as a luxury good in emerging global markets such as India and China.

There is tremendous and rapid increase in wealth of consumers in other emerging markets. There is large number of opening of new stores across the globe. Development of market in domestic as well as internationally is the great opportunity. Product expansion and increased product line serves as an opportunity.

The company’s website acts as a key communication tool for the brand to promote traffic in Coach retail stores and department store locations building brand awareness across different countries and thus drives sales.

Threat; Strong competition from the competitors like Louis Button and many other brands in same segment is the major threat. Rise of counterfeit goods under same brand name declines the sale of original and high priced goods manufactured by the company. Due to economic depression there is change in consumer behavior, people try to save a lot and less attracted. Fashion trends changes due change in consumer taste of luxury and new arrivals from other competitors in vogue of current fashion can lead the major threat to company if it continues business on same old design and trends.

Dilution of its brand image.

Conclusion Coach’s strategies emphasize product differentiation to take advantage of a niche market AT an “deteriorate luxury’ segment. As setting Its price In moderate rate, ten middle-income group are also attracted to the brand. New arrivals keep the customer repeatedly buying the products, which contributes the sales in both factory stores and full-price stores. Important things for Coach are to increase its brand awareness globally and to ensure quality of goods is maintained.

The good brand image overcomes the threats from the competitors and makes it a still leading brand in the segment. There are certain weaknesses like geographical concentrations, but as the markets in emerging countries are developing, Coach has business opportunity to enlarge its market share there.

Not only globally but also increasing share in the different markets like men’s luxury products gives Coach another opportunity. Reducing factory stores and increasing full-price stores, especially in the emerging arrest prevent dilution of its brand image.

It’s also important to raise awareness of counterfeit products so consumers can recognize the difference between the counterfeit products and the real products. As far as I see, Coach is doing very well. Coach is positioning itself as “affordable luxury’, which differentiates the brand from other luxury brands.

Market developing in the emerging countries including China and India so forth improves its brand image and awareness. At the same time there is a huge potential to increase its sales by increasing presence within the men’s luxury market.

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How to Build Compelling Case Studies and Life Coach Testimonials

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As a life coach, attracting new clients can be challenging – unless a potential client has a few sessions with you, they have no way of trusting you. Case studies and life coaching testimonials are one way to build trust enough that potential clients want to reach out to you over your competitors.

By highlighting success stories and providing social proof of your effectiveness, you can build trust with potential clients and increase your chances of converting them into paying customers.

In this article, we’ll explore some tips and strategies on how to build a case study that is effective and life coach testimonials that can help you grow your coaching business .

Start with a clear goal

Before you start building a case study template, it’s important to have a clear goal in mind. What do you want to achieve with this piece of content? Are you looking to showcase a specific skill or approach that you offer? Or are you trying to highlight the transformation that your coaching can provide?

Having a clear goal in mind can help you focus your content and make sure it resonates with your target audience. For example, if you’re trying to attract clients who are struggling with confidence and self-esteem, you might want to focus on a case study that highlights how you helped a client overcome these challenges.

Similarly,if a client appreciates you helping them with their confidence, ask them for permission to use their praise as a testimonial on your website and in marketing collateral.

Use real-life examples

One of the most effective ways to create compelling case studies is to use real-life examples. Sharing real stories and experiences can help potential clients see themselves in your clients’ shoes and imagine the results they could achieve through your coaching.

When creating your case study, try to provide as much detail as possible about your client’s situation, their goals, and the specific steps you took to help them achieve those goals. You might also consider including quotes or video testimonials from your client to provide additional social proof and credibility.

With regards to testimonials for life coaching, when clients share their kind words and give you the go-ahead to use them in your marketing collaterals, feel free to provide a bit of background (without breaking your code of ethics) that provide insight and make the testimonial feel more authentic.

Focus on the transformation

When creating your case study, it’s important to focus on the transformation that your coaching provided for your client. What specific results did they achieve? How did their life change because of your coaching?

By highlighting the transformation that your coaching can provide, you can help potential clients see the value of working with you and the results they can achieve. Be sure to quantify the results as much as possible, using specific metrics or data points to illustrate the impact of your coaching.

Use a compelling narrative structure

To make your case study as engaging as possible, it’s important to use a compelling narrative structure. This means framing the content as a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Start by introducing your client and their situation, then move onto the specific challenges they were facing and the goals they wanted to achieve. Describe the specific steps you took to help them overcome those challenges and achieve their goals, and then highlight the specific results they achieved as a result of your coaching.

The importance of testimonials cannot be overlooked. Building compelling case studies and life coach testimonials can be a powerful way to attract new clients and build your coaching business . However, only one of them is in your control – case studies are something you can create, coaching testimonials are something you’ll need to request the client to share. If you’re struggling to create effective case studies and testimonials, consider working with a professional copywriter or marketing consultant who can help you craft powerful content that resonates with your target audience.

1. What is the difference between a case study and a testimonial?

A case study is a detailed analysis of a specific coaching relationship, while a testimonial is a brief statement about the client’s experience working with the coach.

2. How do I ask my clients for a testimonial?

Start by thanking your client for their time and support. Ask them if they would be willing to share their experience working with you and explain the benefits of their testimonial for your business.

3. Can I use anonymous testimonials?

While anonymous testimonials can be used, it is best to use testimonials with the client’s name and photo. This helps build credibility and authenticity.

4. Should I use video or written testimonials?

The choice between video and written testimonials depends on your needs and the needs of your ideal clients. Video testimonials can be more powerful, while written testimonials can be more detailed.

5. How many testimonials do I need?

There is no magic number of testimonials you need. Focus on quality over quantity and aim to have a mix of testimonials from different clients and different coaching experiences.

About Simply.Coach

Simply.Coach  is an enterprise-grade coaching software designed to be used by individual coaches and coaching businesses. Trusted by ICF-accredited and EMCC-credentialed coaches worldwide, Simply.Coach is on a mission to elevate the experience and process of coaching with technology-led tools and solutions.  

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The role of coach education in coaching philosophy development and implementation: A dual case study

Authors: Kim Ferner 1 , Lindsay Ross-Stewart 2 , and Drew Dueck 2

1 Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas

2 Department of Applied Health, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Corresponding Author:

Kim Ferner, MS 1155 Union Circle #310769 Denton, TX 76203-5017 [email protected] 843-331-2876

Kim Ferner, MS is currently faculty and a Psychosocial Aspects of Sport doctoral student at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. Her research area includes coach education, coaching philosophy, and coach expectations of sport psychology services.

Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD, CMPC® is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Health at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, IL. Her research area includes a focus on sources of efficacy for athletes, including the impact of coaches on athlete development.

Drew Dueck, MS is a recent graduate from the Exercise and Sport Psychology graduate program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is a track and field coach who is interested in coaching philosophy development, leadership, confidence, and motivation.

Developing a coaching philosophy (CP) is important due to the influence coaches have in creating positive sport environments for their athletes. Despite the numerous benefits identified in literature for developing a CP, limited research exists on whether coaches implement their philosophies, which has created a gap in the coaching literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore coaches’ perceptions of their coach education (CE) experiences and the influence this has had on their CP development and implementation. A secondary purpose was to understand athletes’ perceptions of their head coach’s CP through their experiences with their coach. A case study methodology, which is useful when exploring experiences and perceptions, was employed for this study. Two NCAA head coaches—one female and one male, along with two athletes from each coach’s team, were recruited for this study. The researcher conducted a semi-structured interview with each participant and examined the data with thematic analysis. The current study identified four themes: Comprehension of CP, Influences on CP, Communication of CP, and Coaching Goals. A discrepancy between CP theory and practice was observed via the disconnect in athlete and coach responses. Coaches’ reported experiences with CE were also found to impact their CP development and implementation. These findings indicate having a well-developed CP and positive CE experiences may lead to athletes having a better understanding of their coach, which may lead to a more positive sport experience. This study may be of use to coaches and coach educators interested in CPs and highlights the need for future research with larger, more inclusive samples.

Key Words : coach development, coach perceptions, athlete perceptions

INTRODUCTION

The importance of coaches developing a coaching philosophy (CP) should not be overlooked; CPs aid coaches in decision-making (7, 9), boost confidence (10), and help to establish consistency in coaches’ actions (7, 9, 19). A CP has been defined as “the beliefs a coach has about strategies, methods, and preparation” (25), “a set of beliefs and principles that guide behaviors” (7, 9), “a plan that coaches should follow when making decisions” (29), and “a view that coaches hold about coaching” (17, 19). The multiple definitions of what a CP encompasses has led to confusion as to how to develop and utilize a CP effectively (15-16). Consequently, the amount and quality of research focused on CPs in action may be more limited than previously thought.

Regardless of these shortcomings, researchers are in agreement that CPs offer many benefits to coaches via improved decision making and eliminating situation-specific, reactive decisions that contradict a coach’s values or beliefs (e.g., 7, 9), while promoting consistency throughout coaches’ decisions (7, 9, 19). CPs also act as a source of confidence for coaches in their leadership abilities, along with their overall self-confidence (10). Therefore, it is important for coaches to develop a CP.

The development of a CP can be influenced by a coach’s work experience, vicarious learning, literature, and former athlete experiences (1).  However, prior to developing a CP, a coach must develop self-awareness. Self-awareness was found to be key in developing a CP in two ways: 1) being aware of how true one stays to their CP through their actions, so any inconsistencies could be overcome, and 2) receiving feedback from others, so that others may either reinforce the coaches’ beliefs, or point out where the coach may be acting inconsistently (7). The common theme to becoming self-aware is for coaches to engage in self-reflective practices (7; 25).

For example, novice coaches struggled to identify their own values or methods used in coaching (30). Since a coaches’ values are an important part of CP development, this uncertainty may cause coaches to avoid creating a CP. In addition to uncertainty, novice coaches face many tasks and often do not realize the importance of developing a CP; instead prioritizing tangible aspects of their profession, such as structure of practice or organizational matters (30). Although these tangible aspects matter, developing a CP should not be forgotten. Without self-awareness and engagement in self-reflection, a coach may struggle to identify and develop their values and CP (7).

Another important aspect of CP development  is flexibility (9).  There are many moving parts (e.g., players, personalities, social interactions, etc.) involved in coaching that exist outside of the coach and their CP (14, 42). Arguably, a large portion of coaching research lacks contextual transference because the research disregards  these external factors (21). For example, coaches face a unique win-loss scenario: attaining athlete-oriented goals while being judged on athlete performance (22). The pressure to win is one of the biggest reasons coaches make choices contrary to their values and beliefs (33). When developing CPs, coaches do not think about the pressures of competition and sport (9). This leads to some coaches adopting their CP superficially, citing a lack of confidence in their CP and a belief that it has minimal real-life application. Therefore, CPs should be flexible to the demands and ever-changing environment of the coaching profession.

Despite the highlighted importance of a CP informing coaching practice, it is common for coaches to not enforce their CPs daily (9). Multiple studies have found a disconnect between what a coach says and what a coach does (9, 28, 42), creating a gap between CP in theory and CP in practice. This gap in research demonstrates the lack of understanding of the role that a CP has in applied practice (16, 26, 34).  Once a coach understands the role a CP plays in their approach to coaching, then CPs can be used to help coaches grow professionally (33). One solution to this is introducing CPs to coaches through coach education.

Coach Education Programing

Many coach education (CE) programs elaborate on what a CP is and how it can be developed  (26) . However, many current CE programs fail to show coaches how to effectively implement a CP in practice (23, 30). This may be why coaches have not been found to attribute their CP development to CE (30). Producing effective CE programs is important due to the influence these programs have on CP development (11). Without CE, neophyte coaches may be left to come up with their own CP (33)—if they even choose to develop one.

Attempting to use a top-down approach (i.e., scientist to practitioner model) with CE to find clear, linear answers to best coaching styles and practices is unsuitable for the complex, ever-changing coaching profession (12, 21). Instead, CE programs may want to embrace the informality of the coaching profession and match this environment by employing informal learning experiences (e.g., 8, 20, 16, 26). If CE incorporated coaching experiences into programs, this could allow coaches to test their philosophies in practice (31). Consequently, coaches may view CE programs more favorably and understand this information is applicable to their coaching practice.

Informal CE may help bridge the gap between theory and practice. In 2006, Nelson and Cushion (31) identified informal learning as structured, educational learning that exists outside the formal education system—e.g., classes, courses, and certifications, and informal learning as continuous learning that people experience daily, such as mentoring and self-reflection. A major way that coaches learn is through self-reflection and informal learning via experiences of trial and error (8, 16, 26). Informal learning  may be especially helpful with experienced coaches, who often contest information that contradicts their current ideas and model, due to their developed habits (13). Utilizing CE as a tool for self-reflection may impact coaching behavior by identifying what guides their behavior (31).

Due to the importance of self-reflection when developing a philosophy and the lack of self-awareness (34, 40, 42), it is not surprising that informal learning has been most influential on coaching behavior and CP development (31). Integrating reflection with CE programs properly allows coaches to analyze their coaching behaviors and how this aligns with their CPs (13, 18). This process allows for coaches to be more self-aware and act intentionally, rather than subconsciously (13).

As previously stated, coaches learn predominantly through observation and experience (13, 31, 34). However, this model of coaching—where coaches “copy and paste” from other coaches’ frameworks, instead of developing their own CPs, stunts growth in the field (33). This “copy and paste” model can cause coaches to adopt a coaching style out of convenience rather than developing their own thoughts, values, and coaching styles. Therefore, formal CE should not be entirely replaced by informal learning experiences, but rather introduced early on in a coaches’ career. Since neophyte coaches rely on vicarious learning experiences (13), early CE programs would be one way to help coaches understand and mold their philosophies (41). This would promote professional growth individually and in the field of coaching.

            The research on CP demonstrates the impact of formal and informal CE experiences on CP development and use. Specifically, formal education early on and informal education throughout a coach’s career, such as self-reflection and mentoring, have been deemed important. However, to date, all these areas have not been assessed in a single study. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ experiences with CE and its impact on their CP development and utilization. A secondary purpose was to explore athletes’ understanding of their head coach’s CP.

The purpose of this study was to explore the coaches’ perceptions of their coach education experiences and the impact this has on their coaching philosophy development and utilization. In order to address this purpose, two case studies were conducted on two head coaches and two of their athletes—four athletes total. The case study methodology was chosen due to the role case studies play in the pursuit of knowledge (35). The case study methodology has also displayed many strengths and is informative of peoples’ experiences and perceptions (43). In addition to these strengths, a case study methodology is useful when there is not an abundance of research on a topic (36).

Two coaches were interviewed, along with a total of four athletes (two from each coach’s team) who were part of the same NCAA Division One (DI) program in the Midwest. Both coaches had been coaching at this program for over five years. One coach was a female who coached a team sport, and the other was male, who coached an individual sport. The athletes interviewed consisted of two lowerclassmen and two upperclassmen. Both coach interviews, along with athlete interviews, were conducted in one month in the spring during COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants

For this study, two NCAA coaches were interviewed. Four athletes were also interviewed—two athletes from each coach’s team. Coach One (C1) was a male, who coached a men’s individual sport at a Division One university. Athlete One (A1) and Athlete Two (A2) were on C1’s team. Coach Two (C2) was a female, who coached a women’s team sport at a Division One university. Athlete Three (A3) and Athlete Four (A4) were on C2’s team. A total of six interviews were conducted: two coaches and four athletes. The coaches picked two athletes from their team to participate in this study, knowing that they would be interviewed. The coaches did not know what questions the athletes would be asked during their interviews. The athletes were also aware that their coaches were being interviewed but did not know what their coaches were being asked during their interviews. All participants were aware of the purpose of this study prior to participating.

Sampling, Recruitment, and Consent

Coaches were recruited by one of the researchers via convenience sampling and asked if they would be willing to participate, and if they would be able to secure two athletes from their team—one upperclassman and one lower classman. A separate researcher, not personally known by the participants, conducted the interviews. Prior to the interview, the participants gave consent to participate and verbal consent to record the interviews through Zoom and turn the transcriptions on during the call. Zoom interviews with two coaches and two athletes from each coach’s team were conducted.  Transcripts were reviewed by both the interviewer and a research assistant, who listened to the audio recordings to fix any errors in the transcripts.

Data Collection Tools

Due to lack of established coaching philosophy measures, this qualitative study used open-ended questions presented in a semi-structured interview to gather data. Semi-structured interviews “…can produce powerful data that provide insights into the participants’ experiences, perceptions or opinions” (35). Zoom was the chosen platform to facilitate a conversation for participants to ask questions, elaborate on their ideas and to participate regardless of their location. Interviews were conducted to better understand coaches’ views on coaching philosophy and coach education, as well as athlete perceptions of their coach’s CP. Questions were posed as open-ended questions and aimed to avoid any language that may have been suggestive. The interviews with coaches asked them to identify different aspects related to their coaching philosophy and what their experiences were with coach education. Some examples include questions such as “What are the most impactful learning experiences you have had when developing as a coach?” and “What are your goals for your athletes?” and “Does your philosophy impact how you promote these goals?”. The interview with athletes asked questions related to their coach’s behaviors, goals, and CP. Example questions include “How important do you think winning is to your coach?” and “Has your coach ever gone over their coach’s philosophy with the team?”. Questions often had follow-up questions and/or clarification, based on the responses given by participants.

Data Analyses

A six-phase model of reflexive thematic analysis (TA) was the chosen methodology for data analysis in this study, along with the chosen inductive approach to coding (2-4, 6). The phases include the following: familiarizing, coding, theme development, refinement, naming, writing up.  First, the transcripts were read, reviewed, and analyzed multiple times to allow researchers to familiarize themselves with the data. Researchers wrote down initial thoughts about the data but did not assign codes. The researchers coded the data with a semantic focus, which had the researchers analyze the data based on what the participant was explicitly stating. The researchers used the “bottom up” or inductive approach – allowing the data to drive the analysis, rather than the researchers using a framework to interpret the data. This was chosen in order to limit biases when interpreting and analyzing the data. Recurring and related codes were then developed into themes, with sub-themes constructed as necessary. Each developed theme was reviewed to ensure that it was centralized around a consistent, distinct concept. Then researchers evaluated  each theme to ensure relevancy to the research questions posed. Theme names were then assigned, with the goal of including all coded concepts into the theme name.  To ensure thematic analysis is meaningful and themes are not just reiterating the data, researchers related findings back to the research purpose. The researchers established the link between the themes identified and research questions through analytic commentary (41).

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness was assessed using guidelines for best practice in the field (3-5, 24, 32).  In addition to an acknowledgement of the researcher’s viewpoint and the reality that all researchers’ perspectives impact their analysis, both coders of the data assessed their own views and were systematic in assessing the impact of these views throughout the research. Furthermore, the two independent coders engaged in Negative Case Analysis to assess any divergent data and discuss these findings to make sure they were appropriately accounted for in the data coding.  Internal auditing was also done by a researcher who did not conduct the interviews or the coding to address any potentially biased interpretations of the data. To address issues of transferability, thick description was used in this report of the data, following the guidelines of using a 50:50 ratio of text and analytic commentary, which was considered in the results and discussion sections (3). Finally, confirmability is addressed by giving a detailed account of the research process in this manuscript.

Four major themes were identified in the data: Comprehension of Coaching Philosophy, Influences of Coaching Philosophy, Communication of Coaching Philosophy, and Coaching Goals. The Influences of Coaching Philosophy theme warranted three sub-themes: Informal Coach Education, Formal Coach Education, and Trauma.

Comprehension of Coaching Philosophy

The Comprehension theme encompasses the understanding coaches and athletes have of a CP, how they define a CP, and a description of their own (or their coach’s) CP.

C1 defined a CP as “ …your overall view on coaching. The mindset behind the work that you put into the team. ” C1 then described his philosophy as “ … we talk about being a good student, obviously, working hard in the classroom, and then community .”. C1 also cited three expectations for athletes: hard work, common sense, and respect.

C1’s athletes—A1 and A4, defined CP as “ …the approach my coach takes and helping us develop as athletes and as people ” and “…every certain student athlete has a certain way that they need to be coached, and it’s a coach’s job to harness and mend to that certain person.” Although A1 and A4 were unable to recall all aspects of their coaches’ CP, A1 stated “I think our head coach’s philosophy is if we focus on becoming good people and developing strong work ethic then results will improve by themselves” . Meanwhile, A4 stated: “My head coach’s coaching philosophy is more of a—he likes to coach in the room, uh, work technique, um, keep us fresh for tournaments and really work the technical side and less of the work outside” . This differed from the coach’s CP where he focused on hard work, common sense and respect.

C2 defined CP as: “I look at it as a purpose and a way only about functioning, the way you go about your daily activities” . C2 then described her philosophy as “I think the biggest piece is talking to each individual and trying to get the best out of each individual” and “I think the full potential thing is not just a [my sport] thing, it is an off the court thing as well.” A2 described the CP of C2 as “how the coach thinks, and how what they think would be best for the team to succeed” and A3 stated “the way that the coach views the game—every aspect of the game, and the interactions between everybody involved.” Both described C2’s CP as inconsistent, with A3 stating “I think sometimes, you know, from our perspective, it feels like it depends on her mood. So that’s–that’s where I think the inconsistency would go against her philosophy” and A2  “I would just say that sometimes whenever she’s having a hard day or something, we all have bad days, and she doesn’t give us another chance on drills if we don’t make a certain score.”

Influences on Coaching Philosophy

The Influences theme identifies different sources or experiences that coaches attribute to developing and molding their CP. This theme yielded three subthemes: Informal Coach Education, Formal Coach Education, and Trauma.

Informal Coach Education

Informal coach education refers to unstructured, CE experiences that existed outside of formal education. This included ongoing development that a coach engages in on their own, such as mentoring, reflection, vicarious learning, or self-directed education. C1 and C2 both cited their first form of CE being an informal learning experience via observing other coaches.

C1 reflected on his informal CE experiences: A lot of good coaches, mostly. I was lucky, I always talk about that. I didn’t think I was going to get into coaching…But I always had good coaches. And so, I think I’ve taken a little bit from a lot of different people and that’s kind (of) molded my philosophy .

Not only does C1 use coaches he had as an athlete, but current assistants, making the following comment about learning from a current graduate assistant: “I’ve been picking his brain a lot of that kind of stuff like hey what, what was your guys recruiting philosophy, what was your, ya know, how did you guys handle, pre-match warm up, that kind of thing.” C1 also actively seeks out informal education experiences, “I try to read now, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries.”

C2 utilized her experiences with past coaches as a way to develop her CP, stating: “I don’t believe coaching is, it’s not always having this great creative mind, it’s stealing from others.” C2 also mentioned her use of mentors to keep up with her development as a coach: “…just learning a lot of things from them [former coaches] and then using them now as mentors and connecting with them off and whenever I have, you know, whenever you think you’re stuck on something or not sure it’s working right, just floating ideas off some great people”.

Formal Coach Education

Formal coach education was structured, CE experiences that existed within formal education. This includes conferences, seminars, courses, certifications, and professional development meetings.

C1 is well-versed in formal CE and places value in these experiences. He explained: I did a coach’s Leadership Academy that the National (my sport) Coaches Association, that’s our board…I go down to our convention every other year where they do a lot of learning and different breakout sessions that you can do. And then, we’re in this coach’s leadership group with [SPC], we’ve done some things with the Marines and their leadership.

C1 remains open-minded to learn new things, despite coaching for many years. C1 stated: “You’re always picking up good things” and “…especially when there’s other good coaches that you haven’t heard from, it might just be a little change in philosophy, but I like it” . C1 was not introduced to formal CE until three years into his coaching career. However, when asked about the most impactful learning experience he had when developing as a coach, he cited a formal CE experience. C1 stated:

You know what, honestly, one of the biggest things was the coaches Leadership Academy, it was really good… I had to put together a package of your coaching philosophy, that was something I hadn’t really ever sat down and thought about, what would be your direction for the program? And all those things so…it was funny because I did that coaches Leadership Academy after I had applied at two positions. And all of this, like if I done it a year earlier, would have been so helpful for everything that I needed to do, I did that backwards.

C2 did not attribute much of her development to formal CE programs, stating things such as: “I don’t know if I’m looking for classroom setting, stuff like that” and then reverted back to speaking about informal education, stating “ I don’t think there’s a book you can read or anything that can tell you, well this is the type of person they are so, this is how you do it… just learning how different coaches did that from more visual learning and watching.”

This sub-theme encompasses traumatic life experiences that C1 and C2 both indicated had an everlasting change in their CP.

C1 shared a near-death experience that influenced his philosophy:

I had a pretty crazy incident … a few years ago, I was hospitalized and pretty close to not making it, so that definitely changed my philosophy on some things. I mean in sports–the goal is to win. So that is something that’s important. College is about shaping yourself for the rest of your life and like I said giving yourself opportunities.  I think it maybe shifted the focus a little bit more from the winning aspect to the, to the other, I think, always both were important to me. But I think that definitely changed it a little bit.

C2 recalled a traumatic event that influenced her philosophy:

I just taken a job, barely been there a month and I had a player that committed suicide. Yeah, that changed my philosophy. I think current players will maybe disagree with this, but I used to be harder. I would call it more disciplined, demanding and not, I don’t want to say not caring about, maybe not always recognizing when someone was struggling.  …but I don’t want kids leaving practice, they can be upset, they can be disappointed, they can be mad, they can have all the emotions they want, but they have to understand it was practice. And it’s–this is a game, and it’s what we love, it’s what we do. But this is not who you are. It’s what you do. So yeah, I think that changed me.

Communication of Coaching Philosophy

The communication theme covers what and how the coach communicates their CP to their staff and athletes.

C1 explained how he communicates his philosophy to his team, “ Yeah, we have like our team rules that we go over…we go through the beginning of every year here. Here are some of the rules you know, for example, NCAA has rules that we have to abide by, [the university] has rules, that kind of stuff, and then we go over expectations.” Another way C1 communicates his CP is through modeling, saying “I feel like I’ve always tried to lead by example” . When asked how C1 acted in line with his philosophy, both athletes struggled to describe this. A1 stated:

I think it’s (he’s) helped me grow as a person and help me deal with results more than I would in the past, before when I had a result I didn’t want  I would get really down on myself but…he’s always really there to remind you of all the good things that have happened, all the good things you have done, and kind of show you that hey, this isn’t your whole life, this is one moment in it.   

Meanwhile, A4 stated: “ Um, he works to actually like, let him know that he cares about us and he calls us on a daily basis to make sure that he actually—we’re keeping up with everything we need to in life.”

C2 discussed the change that the athlete-coach dynamic has faced in recent years, stating: “…years ago it was an instant trust thing if the coach said something, you trusted it, you did it 100%. That’s not really where we’re at with this generation. They want to see it work, they need more than just that blind faith, so I think sometimes it’s showing them things” . However, when asked how C2 communicates her philosophy with her team, she stated “ I share it with staff, I don’t share every intricate detail of it, but I share the general consensus in little pieces, but not as a whole.” When asked how she integrates her philosophy through her actions, C2 stated:

I think it’s implemented by your actions and by your communication with them. You know I just think it’s in the day-to-day conversations… that they know that I have their best interest and that I’m trying to sometimes, you get on them sometimes, you push them sometimes, you criticize them, sometimes you praise them, but I’m hoping that they feel that that is all for the betterment of them.

Coaching Goals

C1’s initial response to goals were performance-oriented, saying: “…our goal is to be a top 25 team. We want to have all Americans and national champions” . However, C1 goes on to say:

…we want our guys to graduate, and one of the big things that we talked about is not just graduation and GPA, those are great but it’s not the hardest thing in the world to do those. It’s when you give yourself opportunities when you graduate and that is something that is a big goal of ours to make sure that within a month or two after graduation all our guys have at least options for good jobs.

  A1 and A4 both emphasized the importance C1 put on athlete development. For example, A1 stated “I think winning is very important to my coach. I think he also cared about winning in the right way.” The “right way” was described as “…still treating you like human beings, not treating us like we’re his employees, treating it so that we do it for ourselves, not for him”.  and   “I don’t know if there’s anything more important [than athlete development]. I don’t think there’s anything more important when it comes to coach.”

A4 agreed in his response: Winning is—I think it’s a priority I don’t think it’s—I think he [C1] would rather see us be successful, young men rather than you know us winning goals and I do think it is important because we are here for a reason we’re here to win national titles and all American, everything else so, I think it is important, um, but he’s more focused on the individuality of our sport, cause that’s what we are: an individual sport.

C2 described her goals as a coach as:

I think the biggest piece is talking to each individual and trying to get the best out of each individual. It’s giving them an opportunity to get their degree and better their life and their education because of it, and then also on the court, it’s to keep gaining knowledge and getting better. …constantly trying to improve each individual player, and then collectively, I think that will help you grow, but I really think it’s about the growth of individuals and it’s not just about the growth on the court.

When asked about athlete development, A2 focused on skill instead and did not feel C2 was focused on athlete development. A2 felt C2 was performance-oriented and stated, “ Honestly, I don’t think they [C2 and staff] handle losing very well.” and “…she [C2] doesn’t take it as like, Oh, well, we’ll go next time. It’s like she’s actually hurt by it and like it affects her.  Neither A2 or A3 discussed C2’s investment in their development or her goals for them, other than winning.

The primary purpose of this study was to explore coaches’ experiences with CE and how it impacted their CP development and utilization, as well as how athletes understand their head coach’s CP. It was found that the understanding of a CP differed between coaches and athletes. Although a common idea of “approach” existed in all definitions, athletes and coaches emphasized different aspects of coaching, such as team success, coach-athlete interactions, and meeting athletes’ needs. The difference in definitions is in line with the literature on CP (1, 16, 34).

Although in 2020, Partington (33) suggested the definition does not matter as much as CP in practice, issues with expectations arise when CPs cannot be defined. The frustration of the athletes is a prime example of why having a consistent definition for a CP is important. A4 emphasized this idea that the coach is responsible to meet the needs of each individual athlete,  which differs from that of his coach (C1). These differing definitions resulted in different expectations, ultimately leading to athlete frustration. Furthermore, even when the coach and athletes had similar definitions of their CP, the coach’s inconsistency was what athletes saw. The comments made by the athletes in this study indicate that having a consistent definition and enforcement of CP in practice are equally important facets of CP in research and practice.

When it came to implementing their CPs, C1 discussed holding his entire team to a standard enforced by team rules, along with modeling the behaviors he expects from his athletes. This, along with his athletes stating they understood his approach, goals, and motives, indicated that C1 was effectively implementing his CP in practice. This differed from C2 who struggled to explain how her CP fits into her goals as a coach, which was not surprising as she noted she had never written down or communicated her CP to her athletes.  This lack of effective implementation of her CP was highlighted by the athletes’ reports of inconsistent behavior.

A challenge that coaches face is the win-lose scenario of attaining athlete-oriented goals but being judged on performance (22). Despite both coaches emphasizing the importance of athlete development, C1 was the only coach whose athletes reported the emphasis that he placed on athlete development. C2’s athletes reported that her inconsistency seemed to stem from her focus on winning. The lack of a well-developed and effectively implemented CP seems to be the source of C2’s issues with performance pressure and consistency among her athletes.

C2 is a prime example of the “copy and paste” model of coaching, taking ideas from other coaches and developing her approach to coaching in that way (33). Although informal CE is a prime learning tool for neophyte coaches, limiting CE experiences to strictly vicarious learning may actually harm a coach’s ability to develop their own ideas about coaching. The value of formal CE programs, specifically early on in a coach’s career, should not be undervalued. This is especially true when promoting CP development, which has been described as a ’starting point’ for coaches.

Prior to developing a CP, C1 reported never sitting down with his thoughts and deciding what direction he wanted to take a team. He recalled the positive and impactful experience of a formal CE program that asked him to write out his CP. Despite having to do this previously for a job interview, he stressed the importance and positive effect that formal CE had on him and his philosophy early in his career, noting it should have been earlier in his career. The exposure he had with formal CE early could be a reason why he remains open to CE. Meanwhile, C2, who does not report any experience with formal CE, is closed off to the idea of formal CE. Although she feels that it is a good idea, she does not engage or feel it would be beneficial to her. This observation demonstrates the importance of positive and/or impactful formal CE experiences early on in a coaching career—such as development of a CP.  CE experiences early on may shape the way coaches view CE and their willingness to participate in these programs going forward.

The issue that many CE programs face is coaches being resistant to absorb new information that challenges their current beliefs (13). C2 exemplifies this issue via learning vicariously through her past coaches and lack of openness to attend formal CE programs. She indicated that she had an established approach to coaching and dismissed new information that formal CE may provide her. This lack of interest in CE will lead to her missing out on professional development opportunities in the future (13).

However, if introducing formal CE experiences early in a coach’s career is not feasible, CE should not be ruled out. Specifically, informal CE experiences, such as mentorship, can be implemented into a coach’s development. Rather than vicarious learning experiences, mentorship experiences allow for coaches to grow and develop individually. For example, C2 utilizes mentors and discusses the usefulness of them. Although C2 has a lack of understanding and experience with formal CE, mentorship is a form of CE that C2 has embraced. This is a great example of how mentoring programs could be a great tool for coaches to engage in informal CE for continuous development. C1 also mentioned his positive experience with informal CE such as reading, videos, and podcasts that allow him to educate himself on his own time. Although formal CE is important, both coaches engage in informal CE on their own as a continuous tool to develop. If CE programs could incorporate these methods into programming, this may promote participation from coaches with little CE experiences, as it may be more palatable for coaches.

In past research, coaches have been found to exhibit low self-awareness, yet much of CP research has relied on self-report data. Allowing athletes to speak on their experiences with coaches has helped to identify inconsistencies. C1 and his athletes were in line with most of what they said, with his athletes understanding his CP and the standards they are to uphold. His athletes identified that he acts in line with his CP. For C2, there were multiple inconsistencies between what she reported and what her athletes reported. She may be exhibiting a low self-awareness; not realizing her inconsistency and the lack of understanding her athletes have of her intentions. C2’s lack of reported self-reflection and reluctance with formal CE may be a factor in her low self-awareness. Self-reflective practices, along with formal CE, may help coaches become more aware of their actions and the effect these have on their athletes.

The nature of qualitative research and utilizing reflexive TA yields some limitations. The sample size was small and therefore is not representative of all coaches, athletes, and sports. Furthermore, coaches were able to choose the athletes that participated, which may have led to selecting athletes they have a better rapport with and who understood them best. Gender, competition level, and classman level (i.e., underclassman or upperclassman) of the athletes, as well as athletes’ perceptions of coaches based on the coaches’ gender may have affected results and should be explored in the future. To expand on the current research, it is recommended that CE research begin to supplement the qualitative literature with quantitative studies focusing on more diversity in the coaches assessed.

CONCLUSIONS

This research supports past findings that it is imperative that coaches have a clear philosophy and know how to effectively communicate it with their athletes and implement it in their coaching. Many coaches are unaware of CPs until they attend a CE program, or until they are asked directly about their CP and are often unprepared to answer. The two coaches interviewed for this study highlighted the need for coaches to engage in formal CE to establish an effective CP. In addition to this, the secondary purpose of this research helped to establish the disconnect in coaches’ theory and practice. The interviews with the athletes in this study exemplified the difficulty coaches face with implementing their CP when it is not fully developed and communicated. Gaining an insight into athletes’ understanding of their head coach’s CP can help guide future research when looking at CP in action. Furthermore, these two case studies show the impact that formal CE has on initial CP development and impact informal CE has on CP continued development and implementation. This research supports the important role that CE programming plays in CP development; utilizing formal CE to develop a CP and informal CE to help coaches ensure they are implementing their CP through continuous development.

APPLICATIONS TO SPORT

Coaches already engage in informal CE experiences, but they do not seem structured and intentional (e.g., mentorship). Coach educators can promote the development and use of coaching philosophies by offering more intentional informal learning experience into their programs. Coaches may also want to be exposed to formal CE early on in their coaching career prior to developing an idea about coaching solely based on vicarious experience, to allow coaches time to develop their own, original  CP. Tailoring coach education experiences to coaches in a more applicable way early in their careers may help coaches better establish and utilize their CP in action. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to Emily Schwartz and Dr. Matthew Jones who were an important part of the data analysis phase of this study. This study was supported by the Research Grant for Graduate Students funded by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

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Coaching case study: adding coaching to an agile consulting practice.

I have been an “Agile Coach” for 10 years, and in my ICA journey, several other students have asked me what “Agile Coaching” is. This case study explains how I brought coaching into my Agile consulting profession using two real-life examples of people who were unsure of their new roles.

Adding “Coaching” to Agile Consulting:

I first became interested in the idea of learning, honing, and using coaching skills in my profession in December of 2012. I had already been working for several years as a consultant specializing in bringing Agile principles and practices to data-focused IT teams. I signed up to attend a 2-day Agile conference in Boulder, Colorado, and the event hosts allowed some colleagues to offer a pre-event 2-day course on “Agile Coaching.” I decided to sign up for the class, to learn more about what “coaching” means in my industry.

The class, Coaching Agile Teams , was taught by Lyssa Adkins, an Agile expert and author of the landmark book Coaching Agile Teams , and Michael Spayd, and Organizational and Relationship Certified Coach . This class/hands-on workshop was an amazing experience for all 30 of the students in the 2-day experience. Together, we came to understand that “coaching” is not standing on the sidelines telling people what to do, but rather helping each person, and each team, find their own right path to success. We compared that stance to the other stances expert Agilists tend to take: teaching, mentoring and facilitating.

One of the most powerful exercises involved a large “map” marked on the floor with tape, with each of these four stances marked in a different part of the map. We all got up and moved to different parts of the map, standing in each “stance” while reading the definition and noting our individual physical, mental, and emotional responses. Afterward, we had a very good discussion about how we can use that insight to guide our individual journeys as Agile experts. The thing that stuck out to me was that while I was already fairly experienced in teaching, mentoring, and facilitating, my heart really wanted to use my natural gifts of communication and empathy to apply coaching in my consulting practice. I spent the rest of that 2-day class absolutely enthralled with the introduction to professional coaching!  Although the activities were often quite challenging, Lyssa and Michael did a wonderful job of creating and maintaining a safe space that allowed us to explore levels of listening, powerful questioning, and shifting perspectives. It was a wonderful introduction to professional coaching, aligned with my existing profession as an Agile consultant. I will forever be grateful for that experience, at that time in my life, with those people.

Since that time, I have spent many years as an advisory consultant, teaching data-focused Information Technology (IT) teams about agile principles and practices, mentoring them as they got started, and facilitating the development of their own core practices. I have, on occasion, been able to step into the coaching stance and help individuals find their own paths to what they desired. However, for the last 2 years, I have been the Agile Coach for a group of 14 teams, and this consistency has allowed me to offer coaching conversations to my clients, in addition to teaching, facilitating, and mentoring. The following scenarios reflect some of those opportunities.

Changing Roles: Project Manager to Scrum Master

Olivia had worked for the company for over 30 years and had attained a Sr. Project Manager title through hard work, strong relationships, and deep knowledge of the industry. When her organization’s leaders decided to shift from traditional project management to an “Agile” approach to delivering value to the company, Olivia was asked if she would become a Scrum Master – the facilitator of a specific team. As someone who was a loyal employee, a strong professional, and had a curious mind, she agreed to take on this new role. However, the educational resources available to her to learn about the new role left her confused and frustrated, worrying that perhaps she has made a big mistake in agreeing to the change.

Olivia and I met at the company’s November 2018 Agile Summit, where we discovered that her team was one of the many teams I would be working with as a new Agile Coach in the organization. I sensed her hesitation about the role and asked a few questions to understand her perspective. Olivia was used to having formal authority over the teams she had worked with, and this new role required her to be a “servant leader” – which sounded nice but left her confused as to how to go about it.

I invited her to meet weekly to explore the idea of servant leadership, and she eagerly agreed. Over the course of a few months, we fell into a nice cadence of blended coaching, where she would bring a topic or situation she’d like to discuss, I would provide clarity and examples to help define the Agile way of working, then we would have a coaching conversation where she explored how her innate talents and years of experience could be applied in this new Agile world. One of our earliest coaching conversations went something like this:

Coach: What would you like to take from today’s discussion?

Client: I want to understand what it means to “hold the process” for the team.

Coach: What does “holding the process” mean to you at this point?

Client: It means I help the team define their processes, then hold the process for them as they work in it.

Coach: What about that description do you want to understand more?

Client: I guess the first thing I don’t understand is what do they mean by “process”?  We use Scrum, which has a pretty well-defined process for what meetings the team is supposed to have when they are supposed to have them, and some of the artifacts that the team should maintain. What else are we supposed to define?

Coach: Given your experience with the delivery of successful projects, what’s missing from that definition?

Client: So many things! Like, who does what on the team, what our standards are, when is something ready for the next step in the process…

Coach: What could you do to help the team define these things?

Client: (lighting up a bit) I could hold some workshops where we talk about what else we need to define, then define them as a group.

Coach: Your face lit up at that idea – what’s coming up for you?

Client: I know from years of working with teams that when they come up with their own process, they buy into it much better than when someone else tells them how to work. But it’s hard to follow a new process, so having someone whose job it is to remind them of what they decided is helpful. I think I’m starting to understand what being a “servant leader” means – and that I’ve been one for a long time!

Olivia ended up being a leader among the 14 Scrum Masters in her department, due to her willingness to share her learning journey with the others in similar situations. She modeled how to be curious over being an “expert”, and openly shared what she learned with others without any shame for having “started over” in learning a new role. Her example gave others the courage to let go of their need to have a “manager” in their titles and embrace the idea of leading a team through influence and example, rather than commands and controlling.

Changing Roles: Business Analyst to Product Owner

Similar to Olivia, Brad had also been with the company for many years. He had become an expert business analyst who knew a lot of details about some of the company’s most important systems and business processes. However, unlike Olivia, Brad had never been a formal leader of a team and had gained his expertise as an individual contributor. With the shift to Agile, his manager suggested he would be a good Product Owner , the individual responsible for defining and sequencing the work for the team. He had the right business and technical skills to define the work, so he accepted the position. The challenge Brad faced was that his new role required him to make difficult decisions about the priority of each business request, and Brad didn’t have a lot of experience making hard decisions that might make some people unhappy. In his past role as a business analyst, he had always focused on what the project manager asked of him and had executed well against those priorities. In this new role, the burden of weighing various stakeholder requests and prioritizing them fell on him, but Brad froze and left the team trying to complete “everything”, therefore failing to complete anything. Brad asked for my help in figuring out how to manage this new role.

Initially, he wanted me to teach him how a Product Owner makes decisions about priorities. I stood confidently in the teaching and mentoring stance, providing him with several tools and examples to follow. However, he kept coming back with the answer that “everything” is important and it’s impossible to prioritize anything higher than anything else. After several rounds of this, I asked if we could shift our approach away from me being the “expert” to one where he is the expert of what’s important to and possible for him. He agreed to give it a try. Our conversation went something like this (excluding a lot of “story”):

Coach: What would you like to leave today’s discussion with?

Client: A way to prioritize all these business requests.

Coach: What is important about prioritization?

Client: The team says they need me to tell them what to work on first, and what to leave until later, so they can complete some things before starting others. They think that’s a faster way to get the business everything they want.

Coach: What do you think about that?

Client: I really hate this Agile thing – it’s too hard to do only a part of what the business asks for. We should deliver it all at once. The business needs it all – not just part of it. All of the ideas you gave me still require me to tell some business stakeholders their stuff is lower in priority than something else.

Coach: What’s important to you about that conversation?

Client: I don’t have the authority to make decisions about what’s right for the business!

Coach: Hmmm… Your manager offered you the role of Product Owner, that role has the authority to make prioritization decisions, and you accepted that role… What’s coming up for you?

Client: Well, IT leaders SAYING a role has that authority doesn’t mean the business agrees with it. It’s not fair for them to make me the bad guy.

Coach: It seems like there is a disconnect between how the role is defined and what you believe is possible in reality. What led you to accept this role?

Client: Agile seems to be where the company is headed and this position is a promotion from my former role.

Coach: So, you accepted this role to get a promotion you wanted. What’s stopping you from finding a way to make the prioritization decisions require of this new, promoted role?

Client: I just don’t think it’s possible for a Product Owner to really know what will make the stakeholders happy. I really think they should be coming up with the prioritization and telling us what they want. It won’t matter what tools I use or assumptions I make, they won’t be happy and I’ll fail at my job.

Coach: It sounds like you don’t believe in the role. What’s coming up for you?

Client: No, I don’t. I think it’s a stupid waste of time.

Coach: What are your options, given you don’t believe in the role you are in?

Client: (thinking…) I suppose I could look for a different role in the company.

Coach: What else?

Client: I could look for another job at a different company. But I don’t want to do that – I want to retire here.

Brad soon thereafter found a role in a more traditional part of the organization where he could use his strengths in business process and systems analysis to execute against priorities set by someone else. Although it’s taking a lot of energy to learn a new part of the business, he’s very happy with his decision to move out of the Product Owner role.

Future Agile Coaching:

I am so grateful to have the support of my company in enrolling in the ICA Vocational Coach Training program and look forward to shifting more of my conversations from “consulting” to “coaching” so I can help more people find what’s right for them!

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A Case Study Analysis of the Coach–Athlete Dyad in Different Age Grade Nonelite Rugby Union Teams

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The coach–athlete dyad is complex where both parties can often have contrasting perceptions of each other. The purpose of this research was to examine coaching behaviors and perceptions of the coach–athlete relationship across different age grades of rugby football union. Coaches ( n  = 5) and athletes ( n  = 78) from three separate rugby union teams (Child, Adolescent, and Adult) had their training sessions ( n  = 3) analyzed using the Coach Analysis and Intervention System. Athlete perceptions of their coaches’ behaviors were measured via the Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport, while coach perceptions of their relationship with their athletes were measured using the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire. Prescriptive coaching styles were observed in all coaches as Coach Analysis and Intervention System results showed high levels of explicit behaviors: “instruction,” “direct management,” and “feedback.” All coaches utilized similar time proportions within sessions for Coach Analysis and Intervention System “Practice,” “Playing,” and “Management” states, respectively. Questionnaire results revealed positive perceptions between coaches and athletes for all teams. Despite positive bidirectional relationships, the prescriptive coaching style displayed by all coaches may not align to best coaching practice. Development of a coach’s behaviors, training content, and perceptions through coach education has the potential to enhance their athletes’ sporting experience, athletic development, and sport-specific competencies.

Burns https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6035-7181

Coughlan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0141-3849

* Smith ( [email protected] ) is corresponding author.

International Sport Coaching Journal

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Article sections.

• Participants
• Data Analysis
• Coach Behavior (CAIS)
• Training State Time Analysis
• Coach Perception Questionnaire (CART-Q)
• Athlete Perception Questionnaire (CBS-S)
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgment
• Author Biographies

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