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Although research into coaching has increased considerably during the last two decades, an area of relative neglect has been that of the professional youth coach. Consequently, the aim of this study was to examine and compare the working behaviors of eight top-level English professional youth coaches from both the Premier and Nationwide Leagues, thus contributing to the expanding empirical database about what good youth coaches actually do. The Arizona State University Observation Instrument (A.S. U.01) was used as the data gathering instrument, with each coach being observed for a total of 135 minutes. Although significant differences were found in certain behaviors when compared across the leagues, the results tended to echo those of previous research emphasizing the pre-dominant use of instructional behaviors, the use of praise, and the use of silence as a conscious coaching strategy.
It is generally agreed that coaching is a process that primarily aids athletes achieve their peak performance in competition (Woodman, 1993; Bompa, 1994). To fulfil this objective the coach is engaged in a wide range of roles, and is required to apply a vast array of skills to a range of problems (Abraham & Collins, 1998; Lyle, 1993; More, McGary, Partridge & Franks, 1996). Indeed, the complexity of the task is underlined by Jones, Housner and Kornspan (1997) who identified 37 standards to describe the coaching process, confirming the assertion that the requirements of effective coaching are both wide ranging and specialized (Blundell, 1985). Furthermore, it has become increasingly acknowledged that regardless of the level of knowledge and skill of the coach, it is the application of that knowledge and skill which separates the excellent practitioner from the average (Woodman, 1993). Crucial to enhancing performance therefore, is how the coach facilitates learning in the athlete; a central tenet of which is the coach's instructional behavior (DeMarco, Mancini & West, 1996; More & Franks, 1996).
Tinning ( 1982) contends that critical to understanding the nature of instruction is observation, as observational analysis assists in providing information on the variables important in determining effectiveness (More & Franks, 1996). Indeed, it is only through knowing about coaching behaviors and practices, that theorizing about current limitations becomes possible (Abraham & Collins, 1998; Cooper & MacIntyre, 1996). Therefore, to assist in the development...