Miscellaneous
Only very recently I was invited to speak at the 8thEuropean Pole Vault and High Jump Conference in front of coaches and athletes about a topic that is truly important to me: coaching athletes. While preparing this presentation, I always had a statement by John Amaechi in mind, that illustrates why I think it’s so important to reflect about how we work with athletes. John Amaechi said in his keynote presentation at the AASP 2018 conference in Toronto/ON a few weeks ago, that in sport we’re working in an environment that is not made for the benefit of the athlete. Unfortunately, I have to agree with him in many situations. This environment is not only shaped in influenced by sporting organizations and federations, but also by parents, advisors, and most importantly coaches. I’m not saying that everyone who is working in sports acts only for their own benefit and their own success and against the well-being and the needs of their athletes. However, I think and feel that we all can improve how we work with other people in general and with athletes in particular. Thus, in this presentation I share some theories that might help coaches understand their own coaching as well as their athletes a little better. Moreover, I also talk about some evidence-based strategies from sport psychology research that coaches can use and apply when working with their athletes, and how coaches can implement these strategies into their coaching. I hope, wish, and believe that we all can improve how we work with other people and change the environment of sports for the better.