Coaching Art and Science

Good effective coaching demands a careful blend of art AND science. It is not an either or proposition. Modern coaching necessitates that the coach have a sound foundation in sports science which means the coach is educated in sports science, but is not a sport scientist. You can learn the science in school or by reading, you can’t learn to coach in a classroom, online or in a book. You must get out and practice coaching. Coaching is something you are not something you do. Day to day coaching demands artistry to achieve results. In today’s world, with the stress on science and technology it is too easy to forget the art and focus on the science. The words of Bill Sweetenham from the Global Coaching House last summer in London sum it all up quite nicely: “ Science is only useful if it makes the coach a better artist.”