Creating great coaching environments: Building trust through "ski lift time"

It is argued that person-centredness, when properly understood, is an effective way to approach any coaching context from grassroots to elite, and that it is therefore important for coaches and practitioners of any background to engage with thinking in this area (Turnnidge et al., 2017). Drawing from empirical research into humility and the characteristics of person-centred coaching, this session will use the POWA model (Garner et al., 2022) as the conceptual framework upon which to base discussion. Conducted in the winter sports environment, this research focusses on alpine ski coaches and coach developers, exploring the intentions that lead to person-centred behaviour. Whilst skiing lends itself to non-activity related conversation, with enforced time spent riding lifts, we might well wonder how coaches in other sports find or create that ‘ski lift time’ to develop the interpersonal understanding that is so crucial for enabling a person-centred approach. The model will be presented along with examples of current applied work that provides ongoing evidence to fuel our thinking. We will then take a deeper dive into the findings of the original study to consider what might trigger highly effective other-centredness, and hence support a key component of a person-centred approach. This detail includes the sub findings of learning through structured autonomy, developing an accurate social assessment, building trust and the effective use of humour.

The objective of disseminating this work to professional practitioners is to further develop our understanding of humility and how this concept underpins a person-centred approach to practice. Furthermore, the POWA model offers us a practical tool to help structure reflection, which also contributes to a narrowing of the theory-practice gap that remains frustratingly persistent between academia and applied practice.