Dr. Andy Abraham:  why academy coaches should be ‘prepared to look stupid’ in order to develop their effectiveness

Coach | Behaviour | 4.11.2022

Academy coaches should be ‘prepared to look stupid’ in order to develop their effectiveness and have a greater impact on young players, says Dr.Andy Abraham Image: Getty Images / Getty Images Sport

Learning:

-     The dangers of ‘impression management’ in coaching

-       How coach developers can work effectively in a club setting

-       The importance of ‘contracting’ between coach developer and coach

Academy coaches should be ‘prepared to look stupid’ in order to develop their effectiveness and have a greater impact on young players, says Dr.Andy Abraham, head of Sports Coaching at Leeds Beckett University.

“Impression management is one of the biggest problems for coaches,” says Abraham, who has worked at Leeds Beckett for 25 years and whose research interests include coaching expertise and effectiveness. “I use a phrase with the university students who are studying sports coaching which is: be prepared to look stupid; the more you are, the less you will.”