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In this episode, I introduce what competence support is, what it entails (both as encouragement and structure, in the various forms and considerations), and the relationship of competence support with autonomy, relatedness, and adaptive forms of motivation. We need to break out of the notion that hands off coaching is unproblematic and build a sense of trust as coaches that we're structuring our athletes' environment to strengthen our bond and empower their independence. While at the same time never losing sense of the need to make athletes feel good today, as we build them for tomorrow.

Keywords

competence support, coaching, autonomy, motivation, athlete development, praise, structured environment, feedback, growth mindset, sports psychology

Takeaways

• Competence support is crucial for athlete development.
• Self-determined athletes often achieve better outcomes.
• Autonomy in coaching must be paired with structure.
• Praise should focus on effort and process, not just talent.
• Direct feedback is essential for athlete improvement.
• Creating a supportive environment fosters adaptive motivation.
• Praise should be given in appropriate amounts to maintain its value.
• Setting challenging yet achievable tasks is key to growth and feelings of competence.
• Coaches must be honest about athletes' performance.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Competence Support in Coaching

04:27 Building Confidence and Competence Together

08:55 The Art of Praise in Coaching

12:31 Structuring the Coaching Environment

16:46 Balancing Structure and Autonomy in Coaching

If you enjoyed this episode, I recommend checking out these other episodes too:

Autonomy support 101

Reframing coaching with SDT

Myths of motivating athletes - Guest appearance on Rugby Coach Weekly

The hidden dimension of motivational coach behaviour

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