Athlete-Centred Coaching: Developing inspired and inspiring people Lynn Kidman   - review by Dr John Lyle

The coaching literature has witnessed a welcome increase in books about coaching over the past 10 years. The field is far from saturated and Lynn Kidman's book provides a good example of a focus on coaching practice from a particular focus. The approach adopted is polemic insofar as it argues against what it assumes to be the norm in coaching. It argues for a person-centred approach to coaching and exemplifies this with case studies from a wide range of successful coaches.

There are too few reflective accounts of coaching practice, and Athlete-Centred Coaching draws upon an impressive case of practising coaches at all levels to provide first-hand accounts of the philosophy in action. The emphasis on personal development forces the reader to reflect on her/his own practice and the extent to which our values and interpersonal behaviour impacts on our athletes' growth and development, and ultimately on the attainment of goals.

The author's intention is to illustrate the efficacy of empowering athletes and adopting a collaborative approach to the coaching process. In addition, the richness of the coaching narratives provides a wealth of information about the pathways into coaching and the development of individuals' values frameworks.

The approach taken is uncritical but no less valuable for that. Its evangelical stance provides a clear rationale for coaching practice that encourages an inclusive, mutually supportive atmosphere. The reader is left to integrate other more 'technical' aspects of the coaching process into this approach, and the polemical opposite receives a rather stereotypical treatment. Nevertheless, the text is intended to be thought provoking and the coaching literature is richer for this contribution.

(Dr John Lyle is the author of Sports Coaching Concepts (Routledge 2002). He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland.)

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