Group activity – Identify small, smart actions that coaches can make using the SCARF Model

Status

Hinders Status so take action to avoid  belittle performance  no recognition,  removing competition in practice  putting people in positions where they will fail/lose  praise privately  verbally that someone else is better, making them do something they can’t do  put down in front of peers  someone stealing the lime light  demoted within peer group

Enhances Status so take action to do more of  giving praise  value their contribution  recognition,  extrinsic reward  positive feedback  celebrate success whether big or small  give the player or coach responsibility  build rapport  Coach/pupil relationships strong  Provide opportunities to lead as a reward for capabilities and/or effort  letting them do something they are good at  verbally praising them in front of a group/peers  empowerment in decision-making  making them team/club captain  give someone the chance to give a speech  give public compliments  leadership role  feedback/ reinforcement  experience, public perception, good results  offer exclusivity (eg VIP invite to end of year awards)  give extra responsibility with the acceptance of failure, with a culture of self reflection

Certainty

Hinders Certainty so take action to avoid  no clear direction,  last minute changes  no structure or an, ad hoc approach  player or coach at risk from being dropped or sacked  coach given a new idea and throws this into coaching session at short notice  instructions without depth/ reason/ knowledge of background  changing plans/teams/position, training programmes  changing environment without warning  lack of clarity  contrasting information  any instability,  too many messages being given

Enhances Certainty so take action to do more of  Implement a clear plan  Provide objectives that are structured and , planned in advance  Be consistent – behaviour, principles  Highly structured, specific goals  clear, concise instructions,  give time to make an informed decision  consistent delivery of consistent message  performer knows they are empowered to make decision  agreement on team goals  clarify expectations  use tried and tested practises  create a feeling of stability  offer concise and simple messages that cannot be misunderstood  ensure they feel valued in the team

Autonomy

Hinders Autonomy so take action to avoid  Telling athlete(s) what to do in an autocratic manner  micro management  fixation on standard approach to process, rules and regulations  .someone looking over your shoulder  athlete not ready for this level of relationship  telling what to do constantly, ie one directional communication  a dictatorship approach from the coach  constraints based on a person’s role,  a ‘hand-holding’ approach to coaching  someone making decisions for you

Enhances Autonomy so take action to do more of  Letting athlete make own decision and let them get on with it  Allow creativity within clear and wide parameters  allow in practice players to make decisions ie empower  Provide some direction but allow space for participants to try things differently  Ask a question, help set up then stand back and observe  Create the environment where participants can make own decisions  Provide the bigger picture end goal and then let participants choose the route to achieve it  individual and team goals, reflection, consistent behaviour, coaching confidence  choose the level of decision making  delegate responsibly  pace of learning set by participants not coach  offer ownership of different parts of the player’s development

Relatedness

Hinders Relatedness so take action to avoid      

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feeling of isolation Being kept ‘out of the loop’ lack of communication removal of social element, size and composition of groups, squads early teenage girls dropping out of sport because their friends do can lose sense of identity when competing without a team environment one vision is not enough being excluded socially training sessions which don’t make sense, being excluded from the group feeling left out when injured remote coaching long hours training on your own disconnected to coaches, peers

Enhances Relatedness so take action to do more of  good partnerships  knowledge of bigger picture  do face to face, one on one meetings  regular team and individual meetings  promote team ethos  collective/shared goals  inclusion within team environment, develop sails for team culture decisions  being part of a team  training that they understand reasons for and relates to their needs highly involved  Promote a team ethic.  Promote a common goal,  sacrifice for the good of the team,  role recognised within a project  ability to work as part of a team  using relative examples/making connections challenge as a group  being involved in decisions  be inclusive in all your actions and behaviours  sense of community  shared sense of purpose  passionate for what you’re doing

Fairness

Hinders Fairness so take action to avoid  lack of transparency  feelings of persecution  favouritism,  lenient approach to rule breakers  inequality  unequal feedback – overly harsh, overt favouritism  inconsistent selection process  they can start to compare to each other, and may not be of the same level  lack of consistency in actions and decisions  internal politics  unfair treatment eg selection on personal preference rather than skill  personalise learning to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity  decisions are made without consolation  not being strong on cheating

Enhances Fairness so take action to do more of  reward effort over performance  ensure equal and positive feedback  consistent open and transparent selection process  recognise all athletes are different and treat them the same within different environments  open and transparent in communication  open and transparent approach to misconduct  give equal opportunities  same rules for everyone, everyone treated the same,  clear selection criteria  give explanation for decisions  set clear ground rules  openness with everything  fair and visible in your behaviour  provide a clear structure/framework to work within