The psychology training of the coaches

The years go by, and coaches’ questions remain the same. They largely concern anxiety management, how to improve their athletes’ concentration during competitions, and how to keep motivation for training high. For those coaching teams or individual athletes, these are the three main questions.

My role in the sessions I conduct with coaches is twofold. On one hand, I provide theoretical information on these three topics, and on the other, I suggest interventions to be implemented in training to teach young athletes techniques for handling situations of excessive anxiety and reductions in concentration and motivation.

Generally, the time that federal training courses dedicate to these issues is limited, and the approach is mostly theoretical, as the lessons are held in a classroom (either in person or remotely). Thus, one could say that the sessions are often primarily informational rather than truly formative. The consequence of this is that, despite the high level of interest from coaches, the impact on their daily practice is likely less evident than it should be.

I understand that for both the federations and the coaches, improving this training would require greater resources—not only financial but also in terms of time and willingness to undertake a training pathway. However, this approach would enhance the professional skills needed to work with athletes, providing a clear advantage for the sports community.

Without going into the details of how a better training system could be organized, it seems that, almost 40 years later—as I’ve been teaching at the School of Sport since 1986—being asked the same questions as when I first started teaching sports psychology in coaching courses indicates that the training system has gaps that need to be addressed. On a positive note, these questions show that coaches have a strong interest in and desire to improve their psychological skills in guiding athletes.

I would like to conclude with an example. It could reasonably be argued that these questions remain relevant because coaches participating in the courses are still in training, and these are precisely the moments when they learn these skills, which they will later apply. To illustrate this, I’d like to give an example concerning breathing, which, among other functions, also helps improve self-control. Yet, no breathing exercise is typically included in the usual warm-up and training routines. This means that this skill is, in many cases, not part of athletes’ experience, even though it is covered in training courses. Coaches are probably so focused on teaching and refining the technical and tactical aspects of their athletes’ performance that they don’t feel they need to dedicate time to this area.