APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2018 , Vol . 2
taking the first step was daunting and the first point of contact was significant in keeping them on board . Some coaches reported that they had felt excluded from educational opportunities previously , which made them more reluctant to engage in any form of training . A warm welcome , that was relaxed , informal and personal , was seen as important in breaking down this barrier .
Little and often support Little and often support involved smaller elements of support over a longer period of time . It combined formal learning , such as qualifications , with mentoring and work-based in situ support , digital communication , a platform for peer sharing practice , and access to digital and shared resources . This support was offered weekly , with the option of daily interaction if any specific needs were identified . The average duration of the programme was three to six months , from start to finish .
Meet the coaches - Karen Karen , aged 37 comes from a Traveller family background and already had interest in health and belly-dancing when she became involved with the programme . A lack of confidence and juggling child care had previously hampered her plans to be a coach . The programme ‘ opened the door ’ for her to access opportunities at her own pace and in a flexible way . She is now a coach and involved with leading well-being activities in Wolverhampton .
“ The delivery was absolutely great . The deliverer was very humble , very confident , very respectful , very motivated indeed , and helped us with any queries , any problems , anything we wanted to know .” ( Karen , aged 37 )
A number of coaches discussed the benefits of the ‘ little and often ’ approach to the programme . They reported that it allowed progression to occur over a longer period of time and ensured that coaches didn ’ t feel ‘ thrown in at the deep end ’. This was particularly important for ‘ newbies ’ who felt that the little and often support gave them the confidence to continue to the next stage of their journey . All of the coaches interviewed reported that one-to-one support had improved their confidence . Although this programme might take slightly longer than a conventional coach education course , there was consensus amongst those involved that it built confidence and a more solid foundation on which to develop further .
“ It might take a bit longer but you get much more out of it from the support .” ( Leanne , aged 21 )
“ I ’ m totally confident . When you ’ re ready , they give you the confidence boost .” ( Karen , aged 37 )
Little and often support was also important to more experienced coaches who benefited from support ‘ on the job ’ and the transition to other roles , such as mentoring and course delivery . The support was complemented by regular connection through digital platforms , such as WhatsApp , Skype and Facebook Live . This allowed connection with their peers and mentors in a community of practice type environment .
“ It helped me develop confidence and helped me develop in terms of how I process information with the session going on .” ( Leroy , aged 27 )
During the evaluation , it was important to consider how the coaches compared the support they had received through the programme , to other programmes with little or no follow up support . Coaches that had previously attended other coaching courses highlighted a number of disadvantages with traditional ‘ block delivery ’ courses . They felt that those courses did not provide much opportunity to apply their learning , particularly if the qualification was in a new sport for them . In addition , once the course was over , they felt cut off from any ongoing or future support .
“ With a qualification ( block delivery ) because I knew nothing other than what I learnt on that course …. once you ’ ve finished the qualification they sort of wipe their hands of you .” ( Ryan , aged 20 )
“ I did a Level 2 qualification and I was there for three weekends . Since I ’ ve finished the course I ’ ve not heard from them . I haven ’ t really done much with it . As soon as I was qualified I didn ’ t even know like where to begin , whereas with this programme I was straight into employment .”
( Lucas , aged 20 )
In comparison , another coach discussed how she was able to draw together knowledge she had gained from formal course delivery , with the feedback she had received from her mentor in a range of coaching contexts .
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