An Exploratory Study of the Use of Values by Coaches in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Without deliberate reflection on and implementation of values in the coaching process, coaches are unlikely to emphasize moral values and may miss opportunities for their instrumental use. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the values which coaches desired to be guided by in their coaching practice, and the values which they hoped to develop in the athletes entrusted to their care. Participants were 571 coaches from seven sports in the Czech Republic who were asked to complete a survey containing open and closed responses concerning coaching values. Specifically, they were asked to identify the values that guided their coaching and the values they sought to develop on their teams. Results indicated that values of Hard Work and Respect for Others were the most important, regardless of gender, age coached, experience, licensing, or level coached. We suggest that Eastern coaches, who are largely still heavily influenced by the coaching methodology of the former Soviet Bloc, would benefit from the intentional implementation of instrumental development values that align with the developmental needs of the athletes they coach.