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COACHING EDGE |#THANKSCOACH|
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Very few coaches, if any, get into sport for the fame, fortune and recognition it will bring
them. But as sports coach UK stats have revealed, with 20% of coaches being lost annually,
sometimes a few words may be all it takes, as Richard Cheetham reveals.
‘T
hank you’; as a tutor these
are my first words of welcome
extended to those attending
the introductory part of their
rugby coaching course.
This is not just for being there but a genuine
acknowledgment that without their commitment,
enthusiasm and their inevitable sacrifices, many
children and adults would never be given the
opportunity to take part in a sport that has given
so many people such enjoyment. I wonder when
they will receive their first ‘thanks’ when they start
coaching and what the impact will be?
As we know, coaches can leave people with
positive memorable experiences and
opportunities, ones that will often stay with them
for life. What a reward that is for all their
efforts... but maybe those coaches would
equally like to recall that moment when a
player or a team took it upon themselves to
make them feel truly valued.
How can we help others to understand the value
of this simple gesture, one that can be exhibited
in so many different ways and be so effective?
I had come across a scheme developed by
the Australian Sports Commission in 1999 as part
of a Positive Behaviour Initiative called the Thanks
Campaign. The campaign was active in
educating parents, participants, sports clubs and
organisations about the importance of
recognising the
coach’s
contribution in terms
of time, effort and expertise. A
selection of how this could be
achieved included publicising some of these
efforts in local newspapers, highlighting the role
of the coach in newsletters and actively
encouraging teams to show ‘immediate and
sincere recognition’ for their endeavours.
Coaches do not actively seek or always expect
recognition, however, one should not
underestimate the value that’s placed on
someone taking time to acknowledge the
difference they have made and how much they
are appreciated. This is important
but especially as there is a
considerable loss of talent and
expertise each year as coaches
leave the profession at all levels.
The scale of
this loss was
highlighted by sports
coach UK at the 2013 UK Coaching
Summit where it was revealed 20% of the
workforce is lost annually from the system.
While there are a variety of reasons for this, a
simple genuine gesture of thanks could have
been all that was lacking in some cases.
Inevitably curiosity got the better of me and I
wanted to know more about the value and
impact of a ‘thanks’ and discover some more
about the individual sacrifices made by coaches.
I conducted a very small pilot research
project and interviewed 12 volunteer coaches
at two local amateur rugby clubs. If players,
parents and clubs could have a better
understanding from these findings then maybe
the ‘thank you’ may be more commonly heard.