The specific problem addressed by this project is a need for more informed and effective sport coaching. Through the project, the differences between directive-based coaching (traditional sport coaching) and inquiry-based coaching (professional/executive coaching) have been investigated, with the potential benefits of using professional/executive coaching tools as a basis for sport coaching examined and analyzed, as well as the impact to the player-coach relationship therein. Prior to the project’s completion, one may have hypothesized that when sport coaches use these tools as a basis for their coaching, whether intentional or not, it creates both a happier player-coach relationship and environment, improving learning, engagement, and ‘buy-in’ in the process. The outcome from this project may help to shed some light on the benefits of professional/executive tools, in particular listening and inquiring rather than the mere telling that is so prevalent in the field of sport coaching. Ultimately, I believe this project’s contribution will help to identify improved practices for more effective sport coaching, providing insight based on the findings for “coaching coaches”, leaving room for potential impact within the field of organizational behavior, the professional/executive coaching profession, as well as the sport coaching profession.

In conducting this project, directive-based and inquiry-based coaching styles and their impact therein were compared and contrasted, primarily by surveying players. While the differences between the two coaching styles can be easily stated, their impact on both players and coaches has not been thoroughly diagnosed. While might be obvious to say that a positive player-coach relationship would be beneficial both on and off-the-field, this investigation and analysis may help to describe some general coaching behaviors that are perceived as more conducive to creating better relationships as well as an improved environment, specifically from a player’s perspective. Through surveying and interviewing players, this project subjectively allowed for performance and relational variances to appear between the different coaching styles as it was discovered how impactful, albeit beneficial or detrimental, they were.

It was believed to be outside of the scope of this project and analysis to include specific on-field results such as wins-and-losses or in-game statistics based on coaching style, primarily due to wide variances in the chief predictor of on-field performance – talent. In spite of this, analysis was available based upon the individual athlete’s opinion on the translation of coaching impact to on-field results. Beyond this aspect, it can may be inferred that the impact on player/coach relationships, environment, and engagement will positively or negatively impact on-field performance. With this information at hand, we may draw conclusions in an effort to identify some better and best practices that can inform more effective sport coaching.

Participants

Two different surveys were used for research; therefore there were two groups of participants with some overlap therein. Participants from Survey #1 were 21 athletes (all males ranging in age from 21 to 30 years), all with at least collegiate baseball playing experience and many with professional playing experience as well. Participants from Survey #2 were 50 athletes (all males ranging in age from 16 to 30 years), all with at least high-school baseball experience and many with collegiate or professional playing experience. All participants are acquaintances of the researcher and know the researcher as a baseball coach.