At that age of learning something new, strict instructions are essential; children will be able to learn effectively and quicker from coaches with the knowledge and experience they hold behind their belts. Coaches commanding young children need to be taken lightly, not too aggressively, young players can lose interest in pursuing sports quickly because they’re just trialing sports at that age and disciplinary in sport could feel like their parents are coaching them. On the positive side, 10-11 year old children need to be disciplined young; they need to learn how instructions and accepting critical feedback will help improve their performance. Capozzi suggests that “athletes who competed at higher levels and were involved in traditional sports preferred coaches to utilise command behaviours” (Capozzi, 2013) but I personally think that the command style is suitable for children that demand discipline, but is well adjustable for athletes. The team is more likely to be organised, therefore higher chances of success in the athletes’ performances and their outlook on the …show more content…
When coaches recognise that athletes need to take the lead on some of their learning, cooperation works in the favour of the athlete’s performance. Athletes have the opportunity to become leaders of their own learning, relying less on their coaches to command them at trainings and with tactics when personal input can be effective as well. Decision-making is essential when training/playing sport. The command coaching style allows coaches to make all the decisions and athletes to perform the coach’s request. Athletes’ coached by the cooperative style have the opportunity to make their decisions, learn from mistakes, develop leadership and communication skills, recognise that being independent means taking on responsibilities in order to improve mentally and physically. Not having the coach fully make decisions for trainings and games shows the development of an athlete-coach relationship forming. The coach expresses his/her trust in the athlete by sharing their decisions and allowing the athlete to have their own voice, acknowledging “Athletes First, Winning Second Philosophy” (Martens, 2004, p. 33). The cooperative coaching style best suits athletes that like to share the control of their learning. The NZ Blacksticks are Olympic athletes that