02 Dieffenbach

Journal of Coaching Education
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Volume 1, Issue 2, September 2008 Page 1 of 1

A publication from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), an association in the
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
1900 Association Drive Reston, Virginia 20191 www.NASPEinfo.org 703.476.3410
2008 by NASPE. All Rights Reserved.

ExploringLearningAmongUSACyclingLicensedCoaches
KristenDieffenbach
CollegeofPhysicalActivityandSportSciences
WestVirginiaUniversity
Abstract
In2006theupdatedstandardsforcoachingeducationprogramsconcerningtheeight
NASPEcoachknowledgeareadomains(NationalStandardsforSportCoaches,2006)were
released.Despitethesestandardsandanincreasedawarenessregardingtheimportanceof
areaspecificknowledge(Nash&Collins,2006),thecultureofsportoftenrequireslittletono
formalizedsciencebasedtrainingforcoaches.U.S.coachestypicallyentertheprofession
throughvolunteerorassistantcoachtypeexperienceswithlittletonoformaltraining.While
handsonexperienceisimportant,itleavesmanycoacheswithtrainingknowledgegaps.Inan
efforttomeettheneedsofaspiringcoachesandtoincreasetheprofessionalismandthe
qualificationsofcoachesworkingwithathletes,manyU.S.sportnationalgoverningbodies
(NGBs)offercoachingcertificationprograms.However,littleisknownabouthowtobest
disseminateinformationinamannerthatwillmeetboththeneedsandlearningstylesof
practicingcoaches.Thisstudyfocusesonthelearningpreferences,habitsandattitudesofone
NGBgroupUSACyclinglicensedcoaches.

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Introduction
IntheUnitedStates,theeducationofcoaches,particularlyinnonscholasticsports,has
historicallybeenalargelyinformalprocess.Individualstypicallybecomecoachesbasedonalife
longinterestinasportandhisorherownathleticexperiences.Despitethecontinualgrowthof
sportpopularity,relativelylittleisavailablewithregardstohowtodevelopusefulcoaching
educationprograms.Further,notmuchisknownaboutindividualswhocoachrecreationallyor
professionallyoutsideofschoolsettings.Evenlessisknownaboutthelearninghabitsor
interestsoftheseindividuals.Thisstudysoughttoexploretheneedsandpreferencesofone
subsetofthisgroupcyclingcoaches.
OnlytenprogramsintheU.S.offeranacademicundergraduatedegreeincoaching
(McMillin&Reffner,1999),withanadditional147schoolsofferinganundergraduatecoaching
minor.Theemphasisofthemajorityofthesescholasticcoachingeducationprogramsison
youthandhighschoolinclusion,asopposedtohighperformanceorexercisephysiologybased
training.Thereareconsiderablymoreacademicprogramsofferingundergraduatetrainingin
exercisescience,kinesiologyorexercisephysiology,thefoundationalsporttrainingsciences.
Unfortunately,theseprogramsrarelyfocusonthesportspecificsciencetopracticeapplication
needsofthecoachingprofessionoronthewholecoachingpicture(e.g.,acombinationof
trainingsciencetheory,coachingadministration,behaviormanagement,andsportpsychology).
Althoughacademicallytrainedcoachesoftenhaveasolidsciencebackground,theytypically
entertheprofessionwithoutasolidunderstandingofthepracticaluseofscientificprinciples
fortrainingathletesorasolidoverviewofthesportenvironment.
Anotherpathtocoaching,anecdotallythemoretypicaloneformanycoachesacross
sport,istheathletetocoachmodel.Theselfdirectedjourneyfromridertorider/coachto
coachisespeciallyrelevantincycling.Athletesoftenbegintoselfcoachoutofcuriosityabout
improvedperformance,duetofrustrationwithaperformanceplateau,orbasedonapassion
forlearningaboutallaspectsofthesport.Inthisprocess,theyweavetheirwaythrough
readings,talktopeople,attendprogramsandsometimespickupworkshopsorclassesinavery
informalinterestdrivenjourney.Fromselfcoaching,locally,regionallyornationallysuccessful
athletesmoveontocoachpeersandotherathletes,oftenwhiletheyarestillcompeting.Over
thepastdecadethesportofcyclinghasseenanincreaseinthenumberofhobbycoaches,
individualswithregularjobswhocoachbecausetheylovethesportandtosupplementtheir
incomeaswellasanincreaseinprofessionalcoachesandcoachingcompanies.Duetothelack
offormalacademictrainingopportunities,mostarecoachingwithoutthebenefitofacademic
training.Whileselftrainedcoachesareoftenrichinexperientiallearningandpersonalsport
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experienceknowledge,thelackofanorganizededucationalstructurecanmeananincomplete
knowledgebaseinmanykeyareas.
Athirdway,inadditiontoacademictrainingandtheselfdrivenpath,existstohelp
peoplebecomecoaches.Sportnationalgoverningbodies(NGBs)areresponsiblefortalent
developmentandcompetitionatthehighestlevelsfortheirsport.Itisalsointheirbestinterest
toensureahealthypipelineofathletictalent.Formanysports,includingcycling,itisimpossible
fortheNGBtoemploycoachesacrossthecountryforalllevelsofthesport.Assuch,having
qualifiedcoachesinthefieldisinthebestinterestoftheNGBandthesportitself.
Inordertofilltheneedforcoacheswhocancoach,tobothenhancetheathletictalent
pipelineandalsotocreateaviablecoachingtalentpipeline,manyNGBshavecreatedtheir
owncoachingeducationsystems.Traditionally,thesecoachingeducationprogramshave
centeredonsportspecificcompetencybasedinformation(Cassidy,Jones&Potrac,2004)
createdbytheorganizationprovidingtheeducation.ThismeanseachNGBdecideswhatthe
mostimportantinformationfortheirsportisandwhattheircoachesneedtoknowregarding
trainingandperformance.Thesedecisionsguidewhatistaught.Duetoprogrammaticfinancial
constraints,aswellasthefactthatthesearenotintendedtobeacademiclevelcourses,this
trainingisoftenlimitedtoselfpublishedmaterialsorworkshopswherethemainemphasisis
oncurrentprogramphilosophyandonoutcome(e.g.,receivingcertificationcredentials)as
opposedtoalearner/learningforthesakeofbettercoachingcenteredprocessandasolid
understandingoftheoriesandconcepts.Theseprogramstypicallyassumeabackgroundlevelof
foundationknowledgetowhichtheNGBstrainingphilosophyisadded.Thus,theNGBcoaching
educationprogramsareoftenlimitedtoinformationdirectlypertainingtothesport,asthey
haveneithertheresourcesnortheopportunitytoprovidetheessentialsciencebackgroundfor
eacharea.
Thefinal,andperhapstheoldestmodelforcoachingeducation,isthroughmentorship
betweenaheadandassistantcoachorbetweenabeginningandamoreexperiencedcoach.
ThismayoccurthroughanorganizedacademicorNGBprogramormayevenbesoughtoutby
theselfdrivencoach,buttypicallythementorrelationshipisnotaformallearningdirected
experience.Thevalueofthislearningmodelforcoachesshouldnotbeoverlooked.The
perceivedimportance,aswellastheeffectiveness,ofmentorrelationshipshavebeenshownin
business,teaching,andotherareaswheresharedexperientialknowledgeisvaluable(e.g.,
Halai,2006;Gagen&Bowie,2005;Barrett,2006).Insport,studiesbyJonesandcolleagues
(2004)andCtandcolleagues(1995)haveemphasizedtheperceivedimportanceofobserving
respectedmentorsindevelopingeffectivecoachingpractices.Yet,thereislimitedinformation
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aboutthebestpracticesforeffectivementoringfromtheperspectiveofthosebeingmentored
asacoach.Further,mentorrelationshipsarerarelyaformalpartoftheNGBcoaching
structure.
Thevalueofbothclassroomcoachingsciencetrainingandhandsonfieldexperience
needtobeconsideredwhenconstructingtheeducationofcoaches.Experiencedsuccessful
coaches,eventhosewithoutformaltraining,havebeenfoundtocoachcontextually(Joneset
al.,2004;Saury&Durand,1998).Exposingcoachestoandprovidingopportunitiesforabroad
rangeofcontextualexperiencebeyondassistantcoachpositionsandbeyonddryscientific
facts,makesalotofsenseforthisparticularprofession.Unfortunatelyfewprograms,academic
orNGBbased,currentlyprovideamixofbothtypesoflearningenvironment.
AccordingtoRossiandCassidy(1999),knowledgeamongcoachesiscomprisedfromthe
vastamountoftimespentasaplayer/participantandasacoach,withformalcoacheducation
typicallyplayingonlyasmallroleduetotherelativelyshortamountoftimespentinthe
classroomwhencomparedtodirectexperientialonthefieldlearning.Withinmanysport
programsfromclubthroughscholasticprograms,coachingeducationisnotuniformoroften
evenmandatory(Bodey&Hung,2007)andfewregulationsexisttomandateoroversee
coachingcredentials.Thisisbeginningtochange,withmanystateshavingestablishedand/or
overseeingcoachingeducationstandardsfortheyouthandacademicsportenvironment
(NASPE,2008).However,therequirements,asreportedintheNationalCoachingReport
(NASPE,2008),areextremelyvariedandinmanycasesonlycoverthebareminimumforsafety
orrulesandregulationtraining.
WhileNGBsoffercoachingeducation,theyarenotabletomandatethetrainingunless
someonewishestoworkdirectlywithintheirorganizationorunlessanothergroupor
organizationrequiresit.Further,therearenoprofessionalorlegalstandardsthatoverseewho
canoffercoachingservicesorthatmandatewhattraininganindividualmusthaveinorderto
hangoutthecoachshingleortoidentifythemselvesasaprofessionalsportcoach.Asaresult,
formanynonscholasticorprivateperformancecoaches,coachingeducationisalmostan
afterthought.Theyoftenseekoutcoachinginformationonanasneedednetworkingbasisor
getcoachingcertificationfortheassociatedcredentialsandaffiliationwiththeirsportsNGB
aftertheyarealreadyworkingwithathletesasameanstoenhancemarketability.
Dependingonthelevelofathletedevelopmentandperformancetheyworkwith,
coachespracticealongacontinuumrangingfromrecreationalparticipationtohighlevel
performance(Lyle,2002).Manycoaches,particularlythoseinprivatepractice,willworkwith
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individualsatmanydifferentlevels.Thiscommonlyoccursearlyinsomeonescoachingcareer,
beforeacoachspecializedinaparticularperformanceniche.Thevariedpotentialclientele
requirescoachestohaveabroadknowledgebaseacrossawiderangeofskilllevels,sportand
sportsciencerelatedtopics.However,asnoted,mostacademicandsportprogrambased
coachtrainingprogramsdonotprovidethisbalanceandotherreliablestructuredlearning
resourcesdesignedtofilltheseprogramgapsarescarce.Moreover,coachingresourceshave
typicallybeendesignedfromtheinsideout,withlittleattentionbeingpaidtotheneedsor
interestsofthecoachesatwhomthetrainingistargeted.
In2006,theNationalAssociationofSportandPhysicalEducationpublishedtheNational
StandardsforSportCoaches,2
nd
Edition.Theseupdatedstandardsoutlineeightkeycoaching
domainareasthatembody40standards.Theeightdomainsinclude:(1)philosophyandethics;
(2)safetyandinjuryprevention;(3)physicalconditioning;(4)growthanddevelopment;(5)
teachingandcommunication;(6)sportskillsandtactics;(7)organizationandadministration;
and(8)evaluation.Thegoalofthestandardsistohelpcoachingeducationprogramscoverthe
keyscientificandpracticalcompetenciesthatadministrators,athletesandthepublicshould
expectofsportcoachesatvariouslevelsofexpertise(NASPE,2006,pg.3).Thesestandards
havebeenendorsedbyover100organizationsrangingfromyouthsportstoeliteperformance
groups(e.g.,theAmateurAthleticUnion,theNationalStrengthandConditioningAssociation,
theU.S.OlympicCommittee,andUSYouthSoccer).Astheformalcoachingeducationstandards
arerelativelynew,fewcoachingeducationprogramshavebeencredentialed.Additionally,
thereisconcernthatthecurrentcredentials,whileappropriateforyouthanddevelopmental
sport,maynotadequatelymeettheneedsofcoachingacrossthedevelopmenttoelite
performancespan.Thusmoreinformationregardingthetopicalneedsofperformancecoaches
beyondyouthsportisneededtoroundoutthestandardsacrossthesportcontinuum.
Withregardtocoachesneedsandtheirknowledgeoftheirownneeds,evidenceis
buildingthatgoodcoachesconsciouslyevaluateandrationalizetheiractions(Jonesetal.,2004)
soitfollowsthatcoachesmaybewellequippedtoprovidevaluableinformationregardingtheir
informationalneedsandlearningstylepreferences.Unfortunatelythecurrentliteratureis
lackinginformationregardingcoachesassessmentsoftheirownperceivedknowledge,asthe
bulkoftheliteratureisbasedontheirbehaviors(e.g.,Riemer&Chelladurai1998;Gilbertetal.,
1999;Ctetal.,1999).Thus,thelearningneedsandpreferencesofcoacheshavenotbeen
wellexplored.
AsLawsonnoted(1999),thereisnoonesizefitsallpedagogyforthecreationofan
educationprogramtobestsupportandfostergoodcoaches.Assuch,ablanketlookatall
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coachesorcoachesinoneparticularsport,wouldnotprovidetheinformationnecessaryforthe
improvementofcoachingeducationforanothersport.Thisstudywasdesignedtospecifically
exploretheneeds,interests,andpreferencesofcoacheswithinoneNGBsport,atwhom
specificcoachingeducationprogramsaretargeted.Themaingoalistolearnmoreabouthow
toprovideusefulandrelevanteducationalservicesbasedontheperceivedneedsandinterests
ofthetargetpopulationcyclingcoaches.
Inordertobetterunderstandthisgroup,itisimportanttounderstandthecurrent
coachingeducationstructureoftheNGBthatprovidedcyclingcoacheducation,USACycling
(USAC).WhileeachNGBsapproachtocoachingeducationisunique,thecoachingeducation
systemusedbytheUSACisnotanuncommonapproach.Aswithmanyothersports,
historicallycyclingcoacheshavefollowedtheridertocoachmodelwherelearningisself
directed.However,theeducationofcyclingcoachesintheUnitedStatesischangingaccording
toSamCallan,thecurrentUSACcoachingeducationmanager(personalcommunication,March
24,2007).TheUSACCoachEducationprogrambeganofficiallyin1991andacoaching
educationcommitteewascreatedin2001forthepurposeofcurriculumdesignand
development.
UnderthecurrentUSACcoachingeducationsystemthereare1,300licensedcoachesin
theUnitedStates.InordertoobtainaUSACcoachlicense,anindividualmustpayayearlyfee
andmusthaveearnedatleasttheminimumlevel,CategoryThree(Cat3),USACcoaching
certification.Currently,aUSACcoachinglicenseismandatedonlyforindividualswhowantto
coachwithinsanctionedUSACprograms,suchasatregionalornationaldevelopmentcampsor
travelingwithanationalteam.Otherorganizations(e.g.,clubprogramsorcollegiateteams)
mayrequirecoachestoobtainUSACcertification,butthereislittleuniformityatthispoint.For
mostcoachesUSACcertificationprovidesprogramaffiliationwiththekeysportNGB,a
potentiallyusefulmarketingandnetworkingtool.
TheUSACcoachingeducationprogramhasthreelevelsofcertificationthatarereflected
onthecoachlicense.Asmentioned,theentrylevelUSACcertificationisCat3.Thislevelisan
athomestudybasedcoursethatrequiresthecompletionofawrittenexam.Coachesseekingto
earnanupgradetoaCategoryTwo(Cat2)certificationattendatwoandahalfdayworkshop
thatcoverstheapplicationofcurrenttopicsincludingphysiology,teammanagement,andsport
psychologytocycling.Cat3coachesmustattendtheworkshopandsuccessfullycompletea
takehomeexamtoearnaCat2certification.Beforetheyareeligibletoapplytoattendthe
highestcoachingeducationcertificationprogramUSACoffers,coachesmustspendaminimum
offiveyearscoachingwithaCat2certification.Thetoplevel,CategoryOne(Cat1)certification
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involvesafourdaycoursecoveringmoreadvancedcoachingtopicsandthesuccessful
completionofatakehomeessayexam.Forallcoachingcertifications,USACalsooffersa
varietyofcontinuingeducationunits(CEUs)onavarietyofcoachingandtrainingtopics.All
licensedUSACcoachesarerequiredtocompleteCEUsforbiannuallicenserenewal.
AccordingtoSamCallan,thereisanorganizationalconcernregardingthecoaching
educationprovidedforthelicensingofUSACcoaches(personalcommunication,March24,
2007).ThisNGBsprimarymandatefortheircoachingeducationprogramistoimprovethe
pipelineoftrainedcoachestoassistinthepipelineofathletetalentdevelopmentforthe
purposesofprogramsuccessonboththenationalandinternationalsportstageacrossthe
disciplineswithinthesport.Thisrequiresthatcoachingeducationadequatelymeetthelearning
needsofcoachesandtoprovidekeyinformationtoensurethatUSAClicensedcoachesare
competentandknowledgeable.Whilethecurrentcoachingeducationsystemprovidesagood
beginning,littleisknownaboutthecoacheswithinthesystemortheirperceivedlearningneeds
andpreferences,makingprogramgrowthandexpansiondifficult.
Methods
Participants
Participantsinthisstudywere123individualswhoattendedaUSACyclingsponsored
Summit.Theyrangedinagefrom23to59(M=42.3).Ninetyfivepercentofthesample
identifiedthemselvesasCaucasian.Theremainingparticipantsindicatedtheywere
Hispanic/HispanicAmerican(2%),Asian/AsianAmerican(1%),andother(2%).While84%ofthe
participantshadearnedanundergraduatedegreeorhigher,only36%hadadegreeincoaching,
athleticsorotherexercisesciencerelatedfield.Ninetyfivepercentoftherespondentshada
currentUSACcoachinglicense.OfthecoacheswithaUSAClicense,themajority(47%)wasCat
2certified,31%hadearnedtheentrylevel(Cat3)certification,andtheremainingrespondents
(22%)hadearnedthehighestcertification,Cat1.WhilenotallparticipantswereUSAClicensed,
everyonesampledindicatedtheyhadreceivedsomecoachtrainingthroughtheorganization.
Participantscoachingexperiencerangedfrombeingintheirfirstyearupto28years(M
=10.29years)ofcoaching.Slightlylessthanhalfthesample(43%)identifiedthemselvesasa
hobbycoach,someonewhocoachestenorfewerhoursamonth.Another36%indicatedthey
wereparttime,whiletheremaining21%reportedthatcoachingwasafulltimeoccupation.
Seventyninepercentworkedforthemselvesasprivateforhirecoaches,12%identifiedas
volunteer(notforpay)coaches,12%workdirectlyforacoachingcompany,and16%
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subcontractwithacoachingcompany.Amajorityoftheparticipants(83%)indicatedthatthey
hadanotherjobinadditiontocoaching.
Themajorityoftheparticipants(95%)hadbeencompetitiveinthesportofcyclingin
thepast.Ofthoseindividualswhohadahistoryofcompetitivecycling,alargeportion(85%)
indicatedtheywerestillcompetinginthesport.
Coacheswereaskedtospecifythelevelsoftheathletestheycurrentlycoached.They
indicatedtheyworkedacrossabroadrangeofparticipantsconcurrentlywith27%coaching
collegiatecyclists,37%workingwithjunior(under18riders),and26%coachingEspiors(1823
yearoldriders).Themajorityofcoaches(79%)werecoachingadult(over23yearsold)and
masters(over30yearsold)levelriders.Averysmallpercentage(8%)wereworkingwith
professionallevelcyclists.
Survey
Forthisstudy,acoachlearninghabitsandpreferencessurveywascreatedbasedon
currentcoachlearningliterature,the2006NASPENationalStandardsforSportCoaches,and
theknowledgeandinsightofexpertsinthefield.Thesurveywasreviewed,guided,andedited
bythreecoachingeducationexpertsatdifferentuniversitiesandbytwocoachingeducation
programdirectorsoutsideacademia.
Thesurveycontained53itemsgroupedintothreeareas:coachinghistoryand
experiences;continuedlearningexperiencesandpreferences;anddemographics.Thefirst
section,coachinghistoryandexperiences,used16questionstogatherinformationon
coachingbackground,yearscoaching,levelsofcoaching,numberofathletes,teamscoached
currently,andcoachingcertificationsreceived.
Thesecondsection,continuedlearningexperiencesandpreferences,contained29
questionsassessing:learningexperienceswithmentors,readings,andworkshops;preferred
learningmethods;mostutilizedlearningmethods;currentperceivedknowledgelevelon
sport/cyclingspecifictopics;perceivedimportanceofsport/cyclingspecifictopics;andbarriers
tocontinuedsportcoachingeducation.Coacheswereaskedtoindicatefrequencies,typesof
resourcesused,andopinionsregardingtheseareasusingLikertscales,yes/noresponses,or
numbercountsassuitabletothequestiontype.
Table1providesalistofthe25keyknowledgeareasidentifiedbythecoachingexperts
aspotentialimportantareasforthisparticularsample.Coacheswereaskedtoranktheir
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currentknowledgelevelonafivepointLikertscalefrom1notatallknowledgeable,to5
extremelyknowledgeable.Coacheswerealsoaskedtorankthetopfivemostimportanttopics,
intheiropinion,whicheffectivecoachesshouldbeknowledgeableabout.
Thefinalsection,demographics,utilizedeightquestionstoassessage,gender,
ethnicity,educationalbackground,andpersonalcompetitivecyclingexperiencesof
participants.
Procedure
ApprovalwasobtainedfromtheInstitutionalReviewBoardfortheProtectionofHuman
Subjects.TheUSACgavepermissiontodistributesurveystocoachesattendingthe2006USA
CyclingSummit(afourdaysportspecificeducationprogramthatwasnotapartofcertification
programbutprovidedCEUopportunities)attheOlympicTrainingCenterinColoradoSprings,
Colorado.CoachesattendingtheUSACsummitreceivedthesurveyinpaperformatwitha
coverletterexplainingthenatureofthestudy.Allsurveyswerecollectedviaasealedcollection
boxandnoindividualidentificationwascollectedwiththesurveys.Participantswerealso
providedaURLforcompletingthesurveyonlineiftheypreferredtousethisformat.Boththe
paperandtheonlinesurveyformatwereidentical.Noidentifyinginformationorcomputer
identificationwascollectedwiththeonlinemethod.
Results
Asummaryofstudyfindingswillbepresentedabouttheparticipants,theirperceptions,
andlearningpreferences.Forthispreliminarystudy,basicinformationwascollectedandsorted
usingfrequenciesandmeanstoprovideinitialinsightsintothiscoachingpopulation.
Mentors
Coacheswereaskediftheyhadamentor.Ifso,theywerethenaskedhowmany,their
perceptionoftheimportanceofthecoachmentorrelationshiponaonetofiveLikertscale(not
importantatalltoveryimportant),andhowoftentheywereincontactwiththeirmentor(s).
Justoverhalfoftheparticipatingcoaches(53%)reportedthattheycurrentlyhadoneormore
coachingmentors(M=2.3).Oftheindividualswithmentors,59%indicatedtheyfeltmentoring
wasveryimportanttotheirprofessionalgrowth.Onlyonepercentofthesampleindicated
havingamentorrelationshipwasntatallimportant,whiletheremainingparticipantsrankedit
asimportantormoderatelyimportant(23%and16%respectively).Ofthecoacheswith
mentors,40%wereincontactweekly,20%asneeded,15%everyfewmonths,10%twicea
month,9%monthly,and7%daily.
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FormalEducation
Withregardtoformallearning,61%ofthestudyparticipantshadattendedonetotwo
coachingeducationworkshopsintheprevious12months.Nineteenpercentofparticipants
reportednotattendinganysucheventsinthepreviousyear.Theremaining19%indicatedthey
hadattendedthreeormorecontinuingeducationworkshops.Themajorityoftheseformal
continuingeducationopportunitieswerenotacademicorcollegecreditbasedasonly14%
indicatedtheyhadtakenacollegelevelexerciseorsportsciencerelatedcourseintheprevious
year.Itisimportanttonotethatthesmallpercentagetakingpartinacademicformaleducation
coincideswiththe14%ofthesamplethatreportedtheywerecurrentlystudentsinanexercise
orcoachingacademicprogram.
InformalorSelfEducation
Withregardtointentionalcontinuingselfeducation,coacheswereaskedtoindicatethe
numberofspecificandgeneralsportpublicationstheyroutinelyreceiveorsubscribetofor
professionaldevelopment.Sixtythreepercentofthecoachessubscribetooneortwosport
specificpublicationsand30%subscribetothreeormore.Additionally,44%receiveonetotwo
generalexerciseorcoachingrelatedjournalorpublicationmonthly,while21%receivethreeor
moregeneralexerciseorcoachingrelatedmagazinesorjournals.Interestingly,approximately
onethirdofthesample(36%)notedthattheyreceivedorsubscribedtonogeneralexerciseor
coachingrelatedmaterials.
Coacheswerealsoaskedabouttheironlinelearninghabits.Theywereaskedtoindicate
thetypesofthecoachingandexercisefocusedonlineformatstheyregularlyreadinadditionto
printedmaterial.Listserveswereusedbythelargestpercentageofcoaches(36%),followedby
onlinemagazines(19%),onlinejournals(18%),NGBwebsites(13%),andblogs(5%).
Additionally,11%notedtheyusedothereducationalorideamediumsuchasgeneralsportor
sportspecificwebsitesotherthantheNGBpageandenewsletters.
Followupquestionswereaskedtofindoutifcoacheswerenotonlyreceivingand
seekingoutsportcoachingrelatedinformationbutalsoreadingthismaterialasaroutinepart
oftheirdevelopmentascoaches.Themajorityofcoaches(53%)indicatedthattheyspendtwo
tofourhoursperweekreadingexercisescienceandcoachingrelatedmaterials,with12%
spendingfivetosevenhoursand10%spendingeightormorehours.Surprisingly,inasport
drivenbyscientifictrainingmethodology,2%indicatedtheydidnotspendanytimeand23%
saidtheyspentlessthanonehourperweekreadingcoachingrelatedmaterials.

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Coacheswereaskedtorelatehowoftentheyspecificallysoughtoutexercisescience
andcoachingrelatedmaterialsinrelationtospecificquestionsorconcernsandwherethey
lookedforanswers.Mostsoughtoutothermaterialsonaweeklybasis(44%),whilean
additionalthirtyeightpercentofthecoachesindicatedtheysoughtoutspecificexercise
scienceandcoachingrelatedinformationonadailybasis.Theremainingcoaches(18%)sought
outspecificinformationoncoachingorsportsciencetopicslessthantwiceamonth.Ofthe
coacheswhoindicatedtheysoughtoutinformationinresponsetoquestionsorconcerns,the
threemostfrequentlycitedresourcesusedwereGoogleorothersearchengine(by46%
percent),abookoncoachingorexercisescience(33%),ortoaskafellowcoach(27%).
KeyKnowledgeAreas
Table2presentsthetopareasofcoachesperceivedknowledgeandcoacheslearning
interests.Overall,coachesfeltthattheirstrongestknowledgeareasweregoalsetting,coaching
ethics,andcommunicationskills(ranked4.07,4.07,and4.06respectivelyonafivepointscale,
withonebeingnotknowledgeableaboutatallandfiveindicatingveryknowledgeable).Overall,
thesampleindicatedtheirlowestperceivedknowledgeinscoutingandrecruitingtalent(2.35),
ergogenicaids(2.95)andsportsmedicine(2.99).Whenaskedtoindicatetheareatheywould
mostliketolearnmoreabout,humanphysiology(4.19),nutrition(4.18)andappliedexercise
science(4.18)rankedhighestonafivepointLikertscalewhereoneindicatedthenotinterested
aboutlearningmoreandfiveindicatedveryinterestedaboutlearningmoreaboutthis
particulartopic.
Table3providesabreakdownofcoachesperceivedknowledgestrengthsand
weaknesses,aswellaslearninginterestsbycertificationcategory.Allthreegroupsfeltthatone
oftheirstrongestknowledgeareaswasinethics(Cat34.1,Cat24.04,andCat14.17;ona
fivepointscale,withonebeingnotknowledgeableaboutatallandfiveindicatingvery
knowledgeable).TheentrylevelCat3coachesalsoindicatedthatequipmentmaintenance
(3.96)andcommunication(4.0)wereamongtheirskillstrengths.MidlevelCat2coachesfelt
equipmentmaintenance(4.09)andgoalsetting(4.04)weretheirstrongestareasandCat1
coachesindicatedthatgoalsettingwastheirstrongestarea(4.26)followedbycoaching
philosophy(4.17).
Scoutingandrecruitingtalentwasseenasthegreatestweaknessareabycoachesinall
threegroups(Cat32.11,Cat22.26,andCat12.78).Elite(Cat1)coachesalsofeltthat
sportsmedicine(2.91)andergogenicaidsknowledge(3.04)weretheirweakestknowledge
areasoutofthelistof25keytopics.Cat2coachesalsofeltergogenicaidknowledgewasa
perceivedareaofweakness(2.83)andindicatedmotorlearningandcontrolknowledgewas
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alsolow(3.11).Finally,thenewestcoachinggroup,Cat3,felttheirweakesttopicareaswere
businessmanagement(2.89)andpedagogy/teaching(3.04).
Itisinterestingtonotethattheareasofperceivedknowledgeweaknessdidnotmatch
upwiththeareasthatcoacheswereinterestedinlearningmoreaboutforanyofthethree
groups.Cat3coacheswantedtolearnmoreabouttactics,nutritionandappliedphysiology
(1.32,4.34,and4.36respectivelyusingaone,notatallinterestedinlearningmoretofive,very
interestedtolearnmoreLikertscale).Cat2coacheswantedmoreknowledgeregarding
motivationaltechniques(4.09),nutrition(4.18)andhumanphysiology(4.22).Finally,the
coacheswithaminimumoffiveyearscoachingexperience,Cat1s,alsolistedhuman
physiologyasatopictheywouldlikemoreknowledgeof(4.22),alongwithappliedexercise
science(4.17)andmentalskillstraining(4.13).
LearningPreferences
Coacheswerealsoaskedtoranktheirmostpreferredlearningmethods.Themost
preferredlearningmethodsamongcoacheswashandsonwork,rankedasthetoplearning
choiceby45.2%oftheparticipants.Thiswasfollowedclosebehindbyselfselectedreadings
(40.4%)asatopchoice.Attendingworkshops(25.6%)andrecommendedreadingsfromother
coaches(23.8%)werestrongsecondchoicesforhowcoachespreferredtolearn.
BarrierstoContinuedLearning
Whenaskedtoindicatethebarrierstocoachcontinuedlearningthattheparticipant
experienced,thetwomostfrequentlycitedconcernsweretime(citedby82%ofthecoaches)
andcost(61%).Otherbarrierscitedbycoachesincludedlackoforinsufficientbackground
knowledge(10%),troublewithaccesstoinformation(12%),andfeelingthattherewastoo
muchtokeepupwith(15%).Familyobligations,difficultywithworklifebalance,the
restrictionsofhavingarealjoborotheroccupation,andlocationoflearningopportunities
(toofaraway)werealsoallmentionedinanopenendedothercategory.
Discussion
Studylimitationsincludedthesmallsamplesizeandthefactthattheparticipantshad
demonstratedaninterestincontinuededucationandselfdirectedlearningthroughtheir
attendanceattheUSACSummit.However,thefactthatallparticipantsweremotivated
learnersalsoprovidedoneofthestudystrengthsgivenitspurpose.Anotherwasthebroad
rangeofnewandseasonedcoaches,aswellasthosewhohadbothformalandveryinformal
coachtrainingbackgrounds.Thissampleprovidedalookatmotivatedlearners,apopulation
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



thatprovidesagoodstartingpointforenhancedcontinuedlearningopportunitieswithinthe
USACcoachingeducationprogram.
Themajorityofcoachesinthisstudyhadexperienceinthecompetitiveranksofcycling
priortoenteringintothecoachingfieldasisconsistentwiththenormsofcoachinginthissport.
Additionally,manyindicatedthattheywerecurrentlycoachingwhilecontinuingtocompete.
Thisindicatesawealthofappliedandpracticalexperienceknowledgebycoacheswithinthe
sportofcycling.Thishandsonexperiencewiththesportprovidesadetailedworking
knowledgeandisanimportantcomponentofsuccessfulcoaching(Jonesetal.,2004).
Unfortunately,aboutthreequartersofthecoacheswhoparticipatedinthisstudydid
nothaveaneducationalbackgroundinasportsciencerelatedfield.Withtheincreasing
emphasisonsportandexercisesciencestudiesinacademia,increasedavailabilityofawide
varietyofergogenicaids,andadvancesinequipmentdesign,particularlyinendurancebased
trainingsportssuchascycling,asolidfoundationinthesportssciencesisbecomingincreasingly
important.Withoutabackgroundinthesportscienceareas,itcanbeconsiderablymore
difficulttoseparategoodsciencefrombadandtodeterminehowtoapplytheinformation
fromresearchtoreallife.Moreover,muchdiscussionhasbeenmadeaboutthebiologicaland
sportsciencerelatedfocusofcoachingeducation(Potracetal.,2000),whichisreflectedinthe
learninginterestsofcoachesacrossthecoachinglevels.Thecoachesthemselvesindicatedan
interestinthesportsciencerelatedareasofstudyandperceivedtheirknowledgetobe
weakestintheseareas.Theyalsonotedthattheseweretheareaswheretheyweremost
interestedinlearningmore.
Manycyclingcoachesarestillfollowingtheridertocoachmodel,ratherthanamore
formaleducationalroute.ThecoachingeducationprovidedbytheUSACappearstobeapartof
theselfdirectedlearningapproachofcoaches.Tohelpincreasetheknowledgebaseand
backgroundeducationoftheircoachingpool,USACcoachingeducationmaywanttoconsider
buildingrelationshipswithcurrentcoachingorcoachingrelatedacademicprograms.Students
inexistingprogramsmightbeencouragedtolearnmoreaboutsportspecificapplicationsby
incorporatingUSACcoachingeducationintotheirstudies.Further,theUSACmaywantto
considerprovidingeducationalinformationtoridersinthecollegiatecyclingracingranksorto
individualsinterestedinanacademicapproachregardingcareeroptionsinthesport.
Itisimportanttonotethatacrossthecategoriesofcoachingeducationtopics,coaches
rankedthespecificcoachingknowledge/skillareassuchasgoalsettingandmotivationasareas
theyfelttheyweremostknowledgeableabout.Thisacknowledgementofthepersonsideof
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



coachingequationisofinterestparticularlywhenconsideringpreviousfindingsthatsuccessful
coaches,evenwithoutspecifictraining,coachfromacontextualstandpoint(Jonesetal.,2004).
Further,itshouldbenotedthattheelitelevel(Cat1)coachesalsoindicatedoneoftheareas
theyweremostinterestedinlearningmoreaboutwasmentalskillstraining.TheUSACcoaching
educationprogrammaywanttoconsiderbuildingontheseperceivedcoachstrengthswhen
introducingnewtopicsorskillareas.
Whilementoringwasbeingusedinthispopulationandoverallthecoachesfeltitwasan
importantpartoftheirprofessionaldevelopment,thetypeanddepthofexperiencevaried.
Cushionandcolleagues(2003)havenotedtheimportanceofensuringthatamentoring
programprovidesmorethanjustacontinuationofthecurrentcoachingpractices.TheUSAC
couldprovideguidelinesorotherinformationaboutpositivepeermentoringtohelpfacilitate
experiencesthatwillreinforceproperknowledgeandskillbasedcoachinginlinewiththe
USACscoachexpectations.Itmayalsobeusefultoprovideopportunitiesfornewercoachesto
meetmoreexperiencedcoachestofosterthecreationofmentorrelationships.Inconnection
withthedevelopmentofmentorbasedrelationships,opportunitiesforguidedhandsonwork,
possiblyinconnectionwithmoretraditionalcoachingeducationprograms(e.g.,lectures)would
beausefulextensionofthementorrelationshipconceptandwouldfitinwellwithcoaches
preferredlearningmethods.Suchaprogramwouldensureaconnectionbetweentheoryand
application,buildimportantmentorrelationships,andensuremeaningfullearningexperiences
thatwouldbeuptodatebasedonthecurrentcoachingscienceinformation.Overall,the
natureandexperiencesofthecoachmentorrelationshipisanareathatneedsfurtherstudy.
WhiletheUSACcurrentlyprovidesavarietyofeducationalopportunities,themajority
ofcoachesinthisstudyfeltthatcostassociatedwithworkshopfees,travel,andlackoftimein
generalwerethegreatestbarrierstotheircontinuededucationascoaches.TheUSACmay
wanttoexplorealternativeeducationalopportunitiessuchasonlineseminars,podcasts,and
webbasedcoachingresourcepagesthatwouldbeaccessibletocoachesatlowtonocost.
Coachescouldbeencouragedtoshareresources,ideasandotherinformationviathiswebtool.
TheUSACdoescurrentlyhavealistservesetupforthispurpose,whichmanyinthestudy
indicatedtheyused,however,additionaloutletsforsuchmaterialsmayreachabroader
audiencewithintheranksofUSAClicensedcoaches.Additionally,anexpandedcoaching
resourcewebpageorotheronlineresourcewouldbeaccessibletocoachesnotyetwithinthe
USACsystem,whilethelistserveisonlyavailabletothosewithacurrentlicense.Whilethese
opportunitieslimitthevaluablecoachtocoachinteractionoffacetofaceprograms,theydo
provideaneconomicalwayforcoachestocontinueguidedlearningofappropriatematerials.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



FutureDirections
Fromaresearchperspective,futurestudieswillwanttofurtherexplorethecoach
mentorrelationshiptodeterminebestpracticesforasuccessfulexperience.Researcherscould
explorehowasuccessfulmentormatchismade,aswellasthelevelofprofessionalismor
formalityrequiredwithintherelationship.
Itwouldalsobeofinteresttoexplorecoachsactualknowledgewithrespecttotheir
perceivedknowledgelevels.Thiswouldinvolvelookingatwhethertheirperceivedskill
strengthsaretheiractualskillstrengthsandexploringperceivedweakareaswithregardto
actualknowledgeintheseareas.Findingsofactualityordiscrepanciesineitheroftheseareas
wouldprovidevaluableinformationforenhancingcoachingeducationprograms.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



References
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requirements20yearslater.Paperpresentedatthe7
th
AnnualNationalCoaching
EducatorsConference,Indianapolis,IN.
Cassidy,T.,Jones,R.L.,&Potrac,P.(2004).Understandingsportcoaches:Thesocial,cultural
andpedagogicalfoundationsofcoachingpractice.NewYork:Routledge.
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Psychology,17,117.
Ct,J.,Yardley,J.,Hay,J.,Dedwick,W.,&Baker,J.(1999).Anexploratoryexaminationof
coachingbehaviorscaleforsport.Avante,5,8292.
Cushion,C.,Armour,K.,M.,&Jones,R.L.(2003).Coacheducationandcontinuingprofessional
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Lyle,J.(2002).Sportcoachingconcepts:Aframeworkforcoachesbehavior.London:Routledge.
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Table1
PotentialSportScienceSpecificTopicAreasforCoachLearning
Anatomy
Appliedexercisescience
Behaviormanagement
Biomechanics
Businessmanagement
Characterdevelopment
Coachingethics
Coachingphilosophy
Communicationskills
Equipmentmaintenance
Ergogenicaids
Goalsetting
Humanphysiology
Injury/care/management
Leadershipstyle
Mentalskillstraining
Motivationaltechniques
Motorlearning/control
Nutrition
Pedagogyorartofteaching
Physicalskilldevelopment
Safety/riskmanagement
Scouting/recruiting
Sportsmedicine
Tactics

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Table2
OverallCoachesPerceivedKnowledgeandLearningInterests
StrongestPerceived
KnowledgeArea
WeakestPerceived
KnowledgeArea
MostInterestedin
LearningMore
Goalsetting(4.07)
Coachingethics(4.07)
Communicationskills(4.06)
Scouting/recruiting(2.35)
Ergogenicaids(2.95)
Sportsmedicine(2.99)
Humanphysiology(4.19)
Nutrition(4.18)
Appliedexercisescience(4.18)
Averagerating(5strongestto1weakest) Averagerating(5mostto1least)
Table3
CoachesPerceivedKnowledgeandLearningInterestsbrokendownbyCertificationCategory
StrongestPerceived
KnowledgeArea
WeakestPerceived
KnowledgeArea
MostInterestedin
LearningMore
Cat1
Goalsetting(4.26)
Coachingphilosophy(4.17)
Sportsmedicine(2.91)
Ergogenicaids(3.04)
Mentalskillstraining(4.13)
Cat2
Equipmentmaintenance(4.09)
Goalsetting(4.04)
Ergogenicaids(2.83)
Motorlearning&control(3.11)
Nutrition(4.18)
Motivationaltechniques(4.09)
Cat3
Coachingethics(4.0)
Communication(4.0)
Equipmentmaintenance(3.96)
Businessmanagement(2.89)
Pedagogy/teaching(3.04)
Nutrition(4.34)
Tactics(4.32)
Averagerating(5strongestto1weakest) Averagerating(5mostto1least)

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