Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 3 | Page 18

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3
Empowering Coaching for
Doorstep Sport Training: a
Case Study into Effects on
Community Sport Providers
and Participants
Dr Charlotte Woodcock 1 , Prof. Joan L. Duda 1 and Ceris Anderson 2
1
2
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK.
StreetGames, UK.
Abstract
Knowingly or not, coaches create psychological
climates (how a session feels to a participant)
that directly influence young people’s experience
of sport. The Empowering Coaching for Doorstep
Sport (EC4DS) workshop is an evidence-based
coach education programme that aims to help
those working in community sport understand and
develop more empowering climates to support
quality motivation and engagement in sport.
Twelve managers and coaches of the community
sport programme, doorstep sport, who attended
the workshop were interviewed to explore their
development of Empowering Coaching strategies
and application into practice. Data analysis
interpreted three overarching themes that captured
the coaching strategies used to create more
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empowering (and less disempowering) sessions:
(a) giving young people ‘voice and choice’; (b)
equal inclusion; and (c) communication for growth.
Those interviewed felt changes in their coaching
behaviours, which they implemented following
the EC4DS workshop, led to increased recruitment
of young people to sessions, as well as retention
over the long term and overall enjoyment of
sessions. Young people who attended doorstep sport
sessions led by an EC4DS-trained leader were also
interviewed, and reported their experiences to be
fun, engaging and welcoming.
Keywords: empowering coaching, coach education,
motivational climate, well-being.