A Spectrum of coaching styles: Tenets of the approach

This chapter explores the structure, composition and anatomy of The Spectrum. The Spectrum is appropriately named as it displays teaching styles on a continuum, which involves the progressive removal of pedagogical decisions made by the coach using the first teaching style on The Spectrum—Command Style. Coaching by Task, removes a number of the elements, or decisions by the coach, in relation to the Coaching by Command Style. Reciprocal Coaching transfers ‘the feedback variable’ to the player/s as it involves the coach entrusting partner observation of the performance and then the partner provision of information about the performance of the task. Individual programming involves the coach setting a task and criteria in relation to the performance. The role of each player is to independently practice the task and make the decisions concerning the variables when, where, how much, and how well. When this coaching style is implemented, the player is now responsible for making additional decisions.