Advanced Coaching Theory – SMGT 621

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

An in-depth study of the theoretical frameworks supporting effective coaching behaviors. Students will develop knowledge in skill development, athlete evaluation, communication strategies, and successful coaching philosophies.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course will provide students with an overview of coaching theories as it applies to one's philosophy and practice of coaching techniques. Understanding the theoretical perspective of coaching styles assists aspiring future coaches and/or athletic administrators. 

Course Assignment

Textbook Readings and Lecture Presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Corse Overview.

Discussions (2)

The student will complete 2 Discussions in this course. The student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be 400–500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words.

Article Review Assignments (2)

The student will complete 2 Article Reviews in this course. For each review, the student will choose 1 peer-reviewed journal article published within the past 5 years that focuses on coaching philosophies, models, concepts, frameworks, etc. Then, the student will compose a 2-page review of it. The student may want to choose articles that he/she might also use for his/her Annotated Bibliography and Coaching Philosophy Paper. Each review must include 2 sections:

  1. A summary of the article and
  2. A critical analysis of the article.

The summary must include:

  • The purpose of the article AND
  • If applicable, a description of participants/sample, research design, methods, and results OR
  • If applicable, an overview of the conceptual ideas proffered in the paper (if not an empirical study).

The analysis must include:

  • Opportunities for further research not already stated in the article.
  • Application to the student's context of coaching, both philosophical and practical.
  • Other original insight or criticism.
  • Implications of the findings and/or concepts.

Coaching Philosophy Paper: Annotated Bibliography Assignment

This assignment will prepare the student for his/her Coaching Philosophy Paper due at the end of the course. The student will prepare and submit an Annotated Bibliography consisting of at least 10 relevant, peer-reviewed sources that he/she will use in his/her Coaching Philosophy Paper. The student may use the articles he/she used in his/her Article Review assignments to count towards the 10. An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of complete citations (in current APA format) for all the literature on the student's topic, containing a brief paragraph explaining the contents of each entry. The paragraph must not summarize the article or book or list its contents. Instead, it must briefly explain:

  1. the author’s main point or argument;
  2. the author’s method or approach; and
  3. the place of the piece in the literature as a whole (e.g., does the author agree with other scholars?).

The bibliography must provide a solid overview of the existing state of the discussion in the area the student is studying.

Coaching Model Analysis Assignment

For this assignment, the student will prepare and submit an analysis of the coaching process model in the text. This assignment is intended to help the student make connections between theory and practice and to critically assess the utility of the proposed model. The student's analysis must include 2 sections in current APA format:

  1. An edited version of the Coaching Model Flow Chart (2 pages, found under Additional Resources of the module) and
  2. A critical analysis of the utility of the model that includes a partial redesign (3 pages).

For Section 1: Using the Coaching Model Flow Chart (provided and adapted from the course text) the student will make comments on the document by reflecting on and analyzing his/her own coaching practice. The comments the student will make in the flow chart should be specific examples of applying the model to his/her sport and his/her coaching practice, to the extent that this is possible.

  • When not possible, the student must comment on the reason why aptness does not apply and relate to #3 in Section 2 below.
  • Note: The comments must be shown on the actual Coaching Model Flow Chart. It is advised that the student print the chart, write his/her comments on the chart, and then scan and upload the chart to his/her computer. The student can submit this with the second portion of his/her assignment.

For Section 2: Using the 3 sections outlined in Chapter 7 of the text, the student will critically assess the utility of the model for coaching his/her sport according to the following:

  1. Sport Specificity,
  2. Systematic Coaching Behaviors; and
  3. Adapting the Model
  • Note: This section must include the re-design of 1 component of the model that the student has identified as not apt for his/her coaching context in Section 1 (use examples on page 157 of the text as examples).

Coaching Philosophy Paper: Final Assignment

This is arguably the most important paper the student will write for his/her coaching career. However, this is not expected to be a finished product that will never change. The student will draw from all his/her readings and assignments during the term as well as from personal experience in order to articulate his/her personal coaching philosophy. The student will consider the many components in the Coaching Model Analysis assignment, and write how his/her coaching philosophy will inform all the aspects of his/her coaching practice. The student will discuss how he/she will integrate his/her coaching philosophy in light of his/her convictions and biblical worldview.

The paper must be between 10–15 pages. A minimum of 10 peer-reviewed articles, including the ones used for the Annotated Bibliography, in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible must be used to support the student's ideas and cited according to current APA format. The paper must include a title page, abstract, and reference page (not included in total page count); all content must be formatted in current APA style.

Quizzes (4)

The student will have four quizzes in this course. Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module. The first three quizzes will be open-book and open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice and true or false questions, and have a 30-minute time limit. Quiz 4 will be open-book and open-notes, contain 6 multiple-choice, true or false, and short answer questions, and have a 1-hour time limit.