The perceived psychological responsibilities of a strength and conditioning coach

Radcliffe, JN, Comfort, P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1131-8626 and Fawcett, T 2018, 'The perceived psychological responsibilities of a strength and conditioning coach' , Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32 (10) , pp. 2853-2862.

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Abstract

Research is limited in exploring the specific psychology-oriented responsibilities of the strength and conditioning professional. The present research explored the psychological responsibilities adopted by accredited strength and conditioning coaches. Participants comprised 10 coaches working within the United Kingdom, 3 within the United States, and 5 within Australia offering a cross-section of experience from various sport disciplines and educational backgrounds. Participants were interviewed either in person or via Skype. Thematic clustering was followed using interpretative phonological analysis to identify common themes. Over half (61%) of the respondents reported that their position as a strength and conditioning coach required additional psychology-oriented responsibilities. These comprised a counseling role in the absence of a psychologist and the use of "softer skills" in a mentoring role to the athlete during a challenging situation. The coach could play an influential role in shaping the mentality of the team. The coach identifies how the role results in working to relay information from the athlete to other support staff and similarly from the support staff to the athlete. In addition to identifying the resonant psychology-oriented responsibilities, discussion is made with specific focus on the ethical boundary within which strength and conditioning coaches must reside regarding the competencies to provide psychological support.

Item Type:	Article
Schools:	Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Health Sciences Research
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Publisher:	LWW Journals
ISSN:	1064-8011
Related URLs:	Publisher
Depositing User:	Dr Paul Comfort
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2019 14:36
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2022 01:19
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/50494

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