Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 3 | Page 22

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 3
it’s about believing in yourself and working hard to
get to that level.”
The workshop also helped coaches understand that
giving praise for its own sake is not necessarily
empowering and indeed could be disempowering.
After participating in EC4DS, the coaches indicated
that they now try to populate their feedback with
information that young people can use to learn
about their strengths. For example, “nice touch, good
pass”. To develop skills, we give them little pointers,
of things that they can do to make them even better
than what they’re doing, and highlight progress they
have made: “When you first started you couldn’t
play…and your first week playing, you’ve got to the
third round, you didn’t think you were going to even
score a goal but look, if you try.”
EC4DS impact on doorstep sport participants
Many managers and coaches reported that following
their engagement in the EC4DS workshop, their
perception was that young people enjoyed doorstep
sport sessions more because of the greater control
and degree of ownership they have been given.
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As one coach stated, “giving them more control
makes them enjoy it more because they haven’t got
someone shouting at them saying ‘we’re doing this!’”.
One manager said: “I feel like their voices are heard
and they have got a voice and that they can make
their own decisions, and no one needs to make them
for them.” Coaches and managers also suggested
that they see more young people attending doorstep
sport sessions on a more regular basis: “If they go
away positive, they are going to tell their friends…
they are going to sell it and bring their friends.”
These overall positive feelings about the doorstep
sport sessions were echoed by the young
people themselves. The young people who were
interviewed stated that they “feel happy” at the
sessions and “really excited to come”, and feel like
coaches have created an inclusive environment
where “all of us speak to each other every single
week, not one week have we left anyone out”. It’s
a place where friendships are formed within the
community, “they are my best friends I never met.
Like when you go on holiday and you meet new