Coaching Survey 2014

Coaching Survey 2014

Intorduction During June/July of this year Netball Australia (NA) went to the coaching community to find out more about them. Who they coach, why they coach, what they love about coaching and most importantly what can NA do to help make them better coaches. The results were significant with over 1400 coaches engaging in the survey and providing feedback to positively shape their own experience and the direction of coaching in netball. The results indicated a large cross section of the netball coaching community contributed with respondents coming from all parts of the country, being of various ages, experience and accreditation levels. This report shares with the netball community the results of the survey, what it means to the sport and ultimately and where appropriate, what actions Netball Australia intend to put in place to service the needs of the coaching community into the future. We hope you enjoy taking the time to reflect on the needs and wants of the coaching community and anticipate your successful interaction with the Netball Australia Coach Development strategy and resources into the future. Regards Damian Hecker Netball Australia Coach Development Manager Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 2

Question 1 Which of the following best represents the group that you coach most often? (Choose one only) 350 The results indicate that just over 50% of coaches who responded work with players 17 years and younger. This does not include 14.5% of coaches who also work with players through the junior and youth 300 pathway. Outside of this the results are spread somewhat evenly across other coaching demographics and mainly where opportunities are limited (senior representative/anl/high Performance). 250 200 150 100 50 0 This can be looked at as a simple demographic measurement tool and although it has not been compared to participation figures it would be interesting to measure up against these i.e. are respondent numbers simply a mirror of participation? It must be noted that coaches could choose only one response and it is safe to assume that some coaches who completed the survey would coach across multiple levels. NA intend to apply resourcing into the online learning space and will need to be cognisant of the audiences that content is developed for. These numbers will allow for a strategic approach to content development, bearing in mind of course that all coaches and their players will be catered for. These results also will also be able to be filtered, allowing a more in depth look at what coaches of specific playing groups want as learning resources. Almost 7% of coaches were not currently coaching, NA and their partners need to investigate ways to offer opportunities for these coaches to return to the sport NetSetGO Junior Participation (11-13) Junior Participation (14-16) Youth Participation (17+) Senior Participation Senior Participation (Representative) Junior/Youth Pathway (Representative/State/National) Senior Pathway (Australian Netball League) High Performance School team - primary School Team - secondary I m not currently coaching Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 3

Question 2 Why do you coach? (you can choose more than 1) 79% 60% 22% 10% 46% 27% 22% 24% 12% 62% 2% 18% The results of this question indicate that the coaching community truly value their connection to the sport and the people they work with. Significantly the top 3 results were related to the game, community and helping others an excellent result for the sport and reflection on respondents. Only a small group of coaches (22%) want to progress through the coaching pathway, the same number of coaches who coach their own child. Only a small number (10.2%) of coaches are coaching because their club cannot find others to do it, meaning that coaching supply by and large is meeting the demand of a sport with very high participation numbers. NA and their partners need to develop reward and recognition systems over and above what is currently in existence. The vast majority of coaches do this for the love and to help others, therefore coaches need to be recognised in some way, shape or form by leading bodies. Only a small amount of respondents coach with a desire to progress through the coaching pathway. NA need to ensure that coaches continue to have access for learning and development, applicable to the level of accreditation and player group they decide to coach ongoing. Love of the game 79% Develop others 62% Give back to the sport/community 60% Personal satisfaction 46% Competitive nature/achieve success 27% Improve knowledge of the game 24% Progress through the coaching pathway 22% Coach my child 22% Social aspects 18% Can't play anymore 12% No one else will do it/lack of available coaches 10% Financial benefit 2% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 4

Question 3 How old are you? 600 500 400 300 200 A quite linear progression of coaches currently involved in the sport. Having nothing to compare this to means it is essentially a demographic measurement, however if this survey was to be repeated in the future it would be fascinating to compare results and see what impact NA actions have had on the age group of coaches engaged in the sport. What it does allude to is there is a dedicated group of people who stay connected with the sport and is supported in question 11 with 60% of respondents having been coaching for between 6 20+ years. It will be important to continually develop engaging ways of encouraging young people into the sport and support coaches who have been involved for a long time or those ready to move on. Developing a greater pool of coaches in the under 18 and 19 29 year age group will be crucial NA and their partners to develop strategies to engage new coaches into the sport, especially those in the under 30 age range. 100 0 Under 18 19-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 and over Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 5

Question 4 Which State or Territory do you coach in? (If you not currently coaching, which State or Territory do you live in?) 1% 17% The results are reasonably representative of Australian population demographic, with slightly more respondents in Victoria being the only anomaly. N/A 11% 9% 27% 29% 3% 3% ACT 3% NSW 27% NT 1% QLD 17% SA 9% TAS 3% VIC 29% WA 11% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 6

Question 5 What is the highest level of Netball Australia coaching accreditation you have held? 2% 1% 6% 15% 29% Unsurprisingly the results show Foundation and Development are the most highly held level of accreditation amongst respondents. Anecdotal evidence suggests that moving beyond Development and Intermediate are challenging areas of the pathway and these results confirm that. This being said, results from question 2 that only 22% of coaches intend to move through the coaching pathway mean this isn t as big an issue as once thought. The key is developing appropriate development opportunities for all coaches and building a culture of ongoing learning and continual improvement, regardless of the level of accreditation a coach holds. Interestingly 15% of coaches surveyed do not hold an accreditation. How does NA engage these coaches into the formative steps of accreditation and help them develop an ongoing learning mindset also? Accreditation is not the be all and end all but it should be the first port of call for coaches entering into the sport i.e. what is their knowledge base? What are they coaching? 15% 32% NA to develop appropriate online development opportunities for coaches at all levels. Coaching Blueprint to outline the importance of coaches having an ongoing development mindset. NA and its partners to develop strategies to engage more coaches into the accreditation pathway. Development 32% Foundation 29% Intermediate 15% No Accreditation 15% Advanced 6% High Performance 2% Elite 1% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 7

Question 6 Have you let your accreditation lapse at any stage? 16% Overall 1 in 4 coaches surveyed had at one stage let their accreditation lapse, compared to 57% who had not. This is a number that NA and the MO s would be keen to reduce if possible, however the reasoning behind why people let their accreditation lapse will provide greater context and inform the strategy to improve this statistic. 27% NA to analyse reasons why coaches let their accreditation lapse. 57% No 57% Yes 27% Not Applicable 16% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 8

Question 7 What were the reasons for letting your accreditation lapse? (you can choose more than 1) 27% 3% Almost half (47.9%) of the respondents who had let their accreditation lapse indicated that a reason for this was the logistical and time constraints of the re-accreditation process. This is quite cumbersome (fill in log book, send to MO) and potentially not well advertised as log books would invariably come in to NA. This is a significant result and highlights a reason to look at change to a simpler, more modern updating system. Communication also seemed to be an issue as a combined 42% of coaches said they either forgot or didn t know their accreditation had lapsed NA to design and implement online updating process for coaches. 15% 15% 22% 48% 14% 8% NA and MO s to design communication strategy to promote updating process and reminder for coaches who are falling into the lapse zone Re-accreditation process - logistics/time 48% Didn t know it had lapsed 27% No longer coaching 22% Accreditation not needed to continue coaching 15% Forgot 15% Re-accreditation process- cost 14% Re-accreditation process not valuable to me 8% Don t want to re-accredit 3% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 9

Question 8 What level of value do you place on being a Netball Australia accredited coach? 14% Pleasingly a high proportion (86%) of coaches place a high or medium level of value on being a Netball Australia accredited coach. This is significant in the fact that coaches have an affiliation to the accreditation system and by and large are proud to be accredited as coaches. This is an important message to sell to the coaching community and one to build on to keep delivering a world class accreditation curriculum and high quality course facilitation. NA to include this messaging as part of its coach engagement and retention process. 39% NA and MO s to discuss appropriate resourcing, structure and support of course presenters. 47% High 47% Medium 39% Low 14% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 10

Question 9 Do you plan on progressing through the Netball Australia coaching pathway? 7% 18% Perhaps surprisingly there is a large proportion of coaches who indicated they intend to or may progress through the NA coaching pathway. What is difficult of course is to understand how far a coach may wish to progress or what motivation they have for progressing through the pathway. What remains important is to develop appropriate learning and development for coaches at all levels. Significantly only a very small percentage (6.7%) of coaches did not know what the coaching pathway was, suggesting the work done around promoting and embedding the importance and structure of the coaching pathway has been successful. It should be noted that there is not an expectation from NA that coaches progress through the pathway and understand coaches may be quite happy reaching a certain level of accreditation and staying there. More important is the focus on developing an ongoing learning culture within the netball coaching community, regardless of what accreditation a coach holds. 35% NA to develop appropriate learning and development opportunities relative to each stage of the coaching pathway. 40% Maybe 40% Yes 35% No 18% What is the coaching pathway? 7% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 11

Question 10 On average, how many participants do you coach? 500 400 300 Results are spread quite evenly across all groups, with just under 1/3 (32.7%) of respondents indicating they work with between 10 15 athletes, which is what could be assumed to be a fairly standard coach/player ratio. Without understanding the context of what environments these coaches are coaching in it is hard to glean too much from this information. What is certain is that coaches on a regular basis are working with varying numbers of athletes and as such learning and development activities should take this into account. NA to ensure coaches are educated on the varying numbers they may work with, dependant on the environment within which they coach. NA to provide resourcing and development activities that support a coaches ability to group manage and provide an engaging environment for training. 200 100 0 Less than 10 10-15 15-20 20+ Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 12

Question 11 How many years have you been coaching? 600 500 400 300 200 The most significant drop off of coaches is between the 1 5 and 6 10 year range. This would indicate that it is hardest to keep coaches engaged and involved in the early stages of their coaching journey. Results would suggest that if a coach stays involved for 6 years they are somewhat likely to remain involved for an extended period of time, with only a fairly natural attrition rate from this point onwards. Remarkably there is a spike for coaches who have been involved for over 20 + years. These results show that netball coaches are incredibly loyal and many will stay in a coaching role for a long time if they get over the 5 year mark. A changing demographic however means that thought needs to be applied to engaging and retaining new coaches to the sport as this loyalty is less likely to continue simply with competing priorities in everyday life. On top of this, education and awareness needs to be implemented to key stakeholders (players/parents/clubs) to ensure coaches are valued and supported. NA to develop a recruit and retain strategy for coaches. NA to develop education/awareness campaign for clubs/parents/players. 100 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 20+ Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 13

Question 12 What keeps you coming back? (you can choose more than 1) 87% 25% 19% 28% 28% 24% 74% 22% 2% 3% Very positive that coaches overwhelmingly feel that development of athletes and a love of the sport/club are the things that keep them coming back to coaching, a great result for the sport. It is important the sport harnesses the development aspect and continue to provide resourcing to support coaches achieve this. Recognition and support of club personnel was quite low and this would be something to be looked at and improve. Work will be carried out on greater education for this cohort and looking at ways coaches can be valued. Similar that recognition from state/national body was also very low and could be improved within the aforementioned strategy. N/A Actions already addressed in previous questions Love of the sport/club 87% Development of athletes/participants 74% Support of club personnel 28% Drive to succeed 28% Lack of coaches at club 25% Mentor 24% Recognition from club/players/parents 22% Access to ongoing learning opportunities 19% Financial incentives 3% Recognition from state/national body 2% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 14

Question 13 Do you know what Netball Australia s mission statement, philosophy and vision is when it comes to coaching? 28% There are a significant number of coaches who do not have a connection to NA s overarching themes when it comes to coaching. Ideally all coaches would have an understanding of these things and apply them to their own coaching philosophy and delivery. The development of a clear and engaging message for coaches and the impact they can have by delivering on it will significantly add to the meaning of being a netball coach. Similarly coaches should have an understanding of the overarching principles and philosophy of coaching in netball. These messages need to be visible and clear and must be promoted to ensure impact at a grassroots level. NA to develop the Coaching Blueprint which will bring its coaching mission, vision and philosophy to life and be delivered in a visible and consumable manner. 72% No 72% Yes 28% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 15

Question 14 How did you rate your experience in the last Netball Australia coach accreditation course you attended? 3% 1% 16% 17% 20% Almost 64% of respondents indicated that their experience at their last NA accreditation course was good or excellent. On the surface this result is quite pleasing and indicates that coach educators are doing a good job when facilitating courses. The learning experience for a very low number of coaches (3.2%) was poor or very poor, again indicating that the vast majority of coaches are gaining knowledge and enjoying the engagement process of accreditation courses. The challenge for the sport is to look at how to continually improve the experience for the learner and also challenge the current process of recruitment/support for coach educators. NA and MO s to develop a coach educator strategy designed to better recruit and educate coach educators as well as putting a defined culture around what it means to be a coach educator 44% Good - I enjoyed the course and learnt quite a few things 44% Excellent - The learning experience 20% Average - The course was ok and I picked up a couple of new ideas 17% I haven t attended an accreditation 16% Poor - I didn t pick up anything new 3% Very poor - I wasn t engaged and didn t learn anything 1% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 16

Question 15 Do you hold a coaching qualification in another sport? 17% The vast majority of coaches do not hold an accreditation in another sport, with only 16% having been accredited as a coach in a sport other than netball. This result isn t surprising necessarily with a number of people only having the time/money/inclination to be accredited and coach in one sport. There is no doubt that gaining accreditation and going through the learning and coaching experience in another sport would develop netball coaches to a higher level, allowing them to understand practices and processes that would transfer across to their coaching in netball. At this stage netball does not have a relationship with any other sport in regards to joint training or accreditation however this remains something that should be considered for the above reasons. NA to investigate potential partners and models of joint training and accreditation. 83% No 83% Yes 17% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 17

Question 16 How does your education and coach development experience in netball compare to your involvement in other sports? 10% 1% 12% Of those coaches who hold an accreditation in another sport it would appear that their responses closely mirror the results from question 14. It shows that our coaches believe we are doing things ok in regards to coach education and development when compared to other sports, although we are striving for excellence and challenging the system and results we are currently attaining. NA needs to be vigilant in its ongoing approach to developing and supporting coach educators. The goal would be to improve on these results if the survey is conducted again in 3 4 years. Actions already indicated in the report thus far will lead to a more robust and progressive structure and ultimately a more engaging and successful coach development and education system. 31% 45% Pretty good - Netball provides great learning opportunities 45% OK - Netball is on a par with other sports I coach 31% Awesome - Netball does it the best 12% Poor - Other sports provide me with more opportunity 10% Awful - Other sports I coach are way ahead 1% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 18

Question 17 Do you actively seek coach development opportunities? 39% Although encouraging that roughly 6 in every 10 coaches currently seek development opportunities, it is a long term goal of Netball Australia to develop an ongoing learning culture within its coaching community. Ideally this figure would be significantly higher in 2-3 years after a dedicated strategic approach from NA and its Member Organisations. The purpose of building this culture will ensure a long term approach to coach development and result in a more highly skilled and dedicated workforce responsible for their own learning. It would be ideal that coaches develop a passion for learning and understand that their development will not only allow them to develop players in a more sophisticated manner but also support their own personal development to utilise outside of the coaching arena (Recommendation 6 - Profiling the Australian Coach Workforce, Dawson et al 2013) NA to develop a dedicated long term strategy to encourage the coaching community to become invested in their development. NA to articulate the benefits of coaching and ongoing learning outside of the coaching arena as part of the learning and development plan. NA and MO s to formalise a structure to support this vision and its implementation at the grassroots. 61% Yes 61% No 39% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 19

Question 18 Respondents who answered NO to do you actively seek coach development opportunities? 16% 21% 10% 4% 25% 22% 21% 71% It is clear and not surprising that respondents feel that a lack of time is the main reason they do not seek coach development opportunities. This is potentially a reflection on the community itself in 2014 and the fast paced life style that many people lead. The shift in priorities for community members and stresses placed on time for them means sport must change with these needs and offer opportunities for its coaches not previously in place. For NA this means developing a system online that will allow coaches to learn at their own pace in their own time, hopefully negating the time poor factor as being a reason for not seeking coach development opportunities. Another 5 reasons chosen by respondents all hovered around the low to mid 20% mark. There is potential for all of these reasons to be addressed with the development of an online learning program. NA to develop an online suite of resources that will offer ongoing learning opportunities for its coaches and deliver a clearly defined and visible learning hub which will be affordable for its coaches. Lack of time 71% Don t know where to look 25% Didn t know there was opportunities outside accreditation 22% Too expensive 21% Nothing offered in my community 21% No appropriate online learning opportunities 16% Don t want to 10% Nothing offered that will benefit me 4% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 20

Respondents who answered YES to do you actively seek coach development opportunities? Question 19 That s great! Have these experiences had a positive effect on changing your coaching behaviour? 7% 30% Over 90% of coaches indicated some form (definitely/somewhat) of positive change in their coaching behaviour from their involvement in their chosen coach development activities (Question 20 articulates what coaches chose to do). This is an extremely positive result and demonstrates that a dedicated approach between NA and MO s in developing these opportunities will further enhance and improve coaches learning and development. NA & MO s to agree on what delivery actions they will implement and how they will align. 62% Definitley 62% Somewhat 30% A little 7% Not at all 1% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 21

Respondents who answered YES to do you actively seek coach development opportunities? Question 20 What did you do? (you can choose more than 1) 32% 26% 29% 30% 46% 15% 26% 32% 44% 47% 55% As expected results varied for what activities coaches chose to engage in to develop their coaching competency. This reflects the personal nature of self-development and what coaches feel they need/want to improve in. It also raises the question of how they go about this process and how they decide what they want to work on. Standing head and shoulders above all activities was watching other coaches as the most popular means of coach development. This is a great result as it can be encouraged at all levels and be done for free but also has the capacity to be turned into an online learning activity. The only activity that attracted less than 20% of respondents was coach development activities conducted by another sport. Again the evenness of responses demonstrates there are ample opportunities to develop resourcing for and NA must utilise this info to develop a suite of learning opportunities that will engage all sections of the coaching community. NA to develop appropriate learning opportunities based on what experiences coaches have already found useful in their development experiences. 81% Watching other coaches 81% Reading (journals, articles, blogs etc.) 55% Web searches 47% Self directed learning 46% State Association activity 44% Mentoring 32% Netball Australia activity 32% Subscriptions (websites, newsletters, magazines) 30% Video analysis 29% Online course/program 26% Generic professional development that assisted my coaching knowledge (leadership etc.) 26% Coach development activity conducted by another sport 15% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 22

Respondents who answered YES to do you actively seek coach development opportunities? Question 21 When was the last time you completed a coach development activity? 600 500 400 These results demonstrate there is a genuine want and need for appropriate coach development opportunities being provided to the netball coaching community. Almost 63% of respondents have completed a coach development activity within the last year, showing that by and large coaches are remaining committed to their learning and eager to engage in new and exciting opportunities. Taking into account those who have completed an activity within the last 2 years (24%), it is clear that a large portion of the coaching workforce understand the importance of up-skilling and wish to remain contemporary to provide excellent coaching practice for their players and athletes. NA remain committed to providing contemporary coaching resources and leadership in the coach development space. 300 200 100 0 Within the last year 1-2 years ago 3-5 years ago More than 5 years ago Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 23

Question 22 Would you utilise online learning, development and re-accreditation opportunities? 2% 17% Less than 3% of coaches surveyed did not believe that online learning is something they would engage with. The overwhelming majority of coaches (81%) responded that they would use an online learning, development and re-accreditation process should it be made available to them. These results speak for themselves and NA need to embrace this request from coaches and look to develop a system which provides these opportunities. This is consistent with contemporary research (Result 6 - Profiling the Australian Coach Workforce, Dawson et al 2013) which suggests informal learning opportunities such as websites are the most popular way coaches learn. NA & MO s to agree on what delivery actions they will implement and how they will align.na to invest in an online coach development strategy and system which incorporates learning opportunities, resources and allows coaches to gain points towards their re-accreditation through engagement with the learning resources. 81% Yes 81% Maybe 17% No 2% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 24

Respondents who answered NO to would you utilise online learning, development and accreditation opportunities? Question 23 Ok! Why not? 20 15 Although only analysing a small percentage (2.4%) of respondents it does indicate that coaches enjoy face to face learning, as well as highlight the time issue for coaches. Although resourcing will be placed into developing an online coach development system there is no intention to offer less face to face learning opportunities for coaches and MO s will continue to implement face to face learning in all communities around the country. Coaches will also be able to access some hard copy resources from the online system by downloading and printing templates etc. N/A. 10 5 0 Too complicated No time Prefer face to face I like hard copy resources Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 25

Respondents who answered YES or MAYBE to would you utilise online learning, development and accreditation opportunities? Question 24 Fantastic! What would be your main reasons for engaging in online learning? 77% 37% 21% 4% 44% 88% 57% Not surprisingly the most popular response to this question was to improve my coaching (88%). The second most popular response (78%) was understand new trends, techniques and philosophies and this demonstrates coaches want contemporary and innovative learning opportunities. The NA Coaching Blueprint will be an excellent resource for these coaches. All other responses were well supported, showing that respondents have diverse reasons for wanting to utilise an online learning system. These responses will help shape the content that is developed and delivered for the online system. NA to develop and implement the Netball Coaching Blueprint framework in 2015. NA to use results of question 24 to support the development of appropriate learning resources. Improve my coaching 88% Understand new trends, techniques and philosophies 77% Develop a more engaging environment for my players 57% Support my progression through the netball coaching pathway 44% Support other coaches at my club 37% Develop my coaching understanding for other sports 21% Other (please specify) 4% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 26

Question 25 What resources would you like to see online? 3.5 Most coaches are looking for on court strategies and activities to implement into their training schedules. This should not be an issue and can be delivered both in static and visual resourcing, with video 3.0 content 3rd on the list of resources coaches would like to see. It is important that the delivery method and coaching philosophy is also part of any coach development system so coaches are aware of the appropriate manner and timing with which to deliver specific technical and tactical coaching. The top 3 2.5 responses were reasonably clear whilst the next 10 were only separated by just over.5 rating average overall, suggesting that coaches will find value in and amongst all of these learning opportunities. This reinforces that any coach development system online needs a great deal of variety and to cater for coaches with all matter of learning needs and expectations. 2.0 1.5 NA to utilise responses for question 25 to support the development of appropriate and engaging resources for an online coach development system. 1.0 0.5 0.0 Video Content Games, Activities and Drills Coaching Philosophies Best Practices & Strategies from other sports Training Templates Coach Development Plans Strength and Conditioning Blogs Injury Prevention Season Planning Individual Player Plan Interviews/Stories On Court Strategies Online Mentoring Interactive Coach Forum Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 27

Question 26 Would you utilise online learning, development and re-accreditation opportunities? 3% This response overwhelmingly suggests that coaches would welcome the opportunity to complete accreditation online (97%). This would be an innovation for the sport and allow face to face courses to place greater focus on practical netball coaching, whilst other content that does not necessitate face to face delivery can be delivered online. As coaches have indicated, dedicating time to coach development and learning is an issue for many. Delivering some aspects of coach accreditation online may allow for a reduction in time for face to face courses, although this would be weighed against what content is delivered in this forum and the intended learning outcomes. Regardless the results demonstrate that investigation into this area is paramount. NA to investigate online delivery methods for coach accreditation. NA and MO s to collaborate on delivery of face to face courses to align with online content delivery. 97% Yes 97% No 3% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 28

Question 27 Would online learning encourage you to progress through the coaching pathway? 5% 27% The Toward a National Coach Development Strategy report identified some issues in the framework surrounding coach accreditation and allowing coaches the best opportunity to progress through it. NA understand it is important for coaches to progress through the coaching accreditation pathway to ensure a strong pool of coaches at each stage of the athlete pathway. However it is similarly important that development opportunities are provided for all coaches at all levels, regardless of their desire to progress through the coaching accreditation pathway. These results demonstrate a very high proportion of respondents feel that a learning structure outside of the accreditation framework will encourage them to progress through the pathway. By providing the online learning structure already discussed in this report it will allow for coaches to be in control of their learning. This will allow coaches to improve their craft relative to the players they coach as well as provide the skills necessary for them to feel confident in tackling the next accreditation level if they wish. Online learning already mentioned throughout report. NA to investigate establishing benchmarks and measures to determine what success looks like in regards to coach engagement, retention and pathway progression. 68% Yes 68% Maybe 27% No 4% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 29

Question 28 Would you be interested in connecting with other coaches through an online coaching community? 11% 40% The concept of a coaching community at this point is just that a concept. What this might look like, how it would be invested in and the purpose of creating it are at this stage all questions that need to be answered. There is no doubt that creating a community for netball coaches to feel connected to is imperative and will allow them to feel part of something bigger than the team they work with on an ongoing basis. Opening up opportunities for coaches to learn from and support each other as well as contribute to a network that supports their ongoing development is exciting and innovative. These results demonstrate there is genuine interest from respondents in this concept (only 11% of respondents answered no). What needs to be determined is the set-up, investment, maintenance and sustainability of such a system as well as its alignment to the online coach development structure that will be in place. NA to investigate the viability and structure of a coaching community allowing connection between coaches who engage with the system. 49% Yes 49% Maybe 40% No 11% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 30

Question 29 Do you feel you could contribute resources and ideas to an online learning community? 10% 38% Only 1 in 10 coaches were adamant they felt that they would not be able to contribute ideas to an online learning community. NA will lead the development of content and resources for the online learning structure as part of their investment and commitment to providing an innovative and engaging coach development system. It is important to acknowledge the experience of coaches on the ground and where appropriate develop opportunities for them to share their ideas with the coaching community. Further strategy needs to be applied to determine what coaching tools/ processes are appropriate for coaches to share and would add value to others, as well as how the request and implementation process would be structured. As part of the planning for the online coach development system thought will be applied to the appropriateness of offering opportunities for coaches to share their experience, what aspects of netball coaching could be shared and how this process can be conducted safely. 52% Maybe 52% Yes 38% No 10% Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 31

Question 30 What would help you most to be the best coach you can be? (1 being most important, 8 least important - you can drag boxes to form your order of preference if you like!) 6 4 2 Respondents made it clear that access to courses and resources in an online environment will definitely help them develop as coaches. This aligns with NA s strategic process and will be something that becomes available to coaches during 2015 and beyond. Mentoring is also seen as important amongst respondents and this is consistent with feedback from the Toward a National Coach Development Strategy report. More debate and focus needs to be applied to mentoring and the process of identifying, training and supporting these individuals. Face to face learning was not seen as something as vital as access to resources and technology, however NA and its partners understand the importance this type of learning plays and MO s will continue to deliver coach development in this environment. Respondents didn t feel as strongly that awareness of what is available was important, however NA must be vigilant in developing appropriate implementation and marketing processes so the coaching community understand and are aware of the vision, philosophy and resourcing available to support them in achieving these outcomes. NA to develop implementation and marketing plans to support the launch and ongoing promotion of coach development website. 0 NA and MO s to work on aligning delivery of web based and face to face delivery. Easier access to Netball Australia coaching courses (e.g. on-line, etc) Easy access to interactive coach development resources (not courses) via the NA website More accessible coach mentoring systems Access to technology which I could use to monitor my coaching skills over time More face to face learning in my community More face to face learning appropriate to who I coach Greater direction on where my learning should be focussed More awareness of what is available Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 32

Question 31 What are the biggest barriers for your development as a coach? 1200 1000 800 600 400 The only response that came back as a major barrier to coach development was time poor which has been addressed and discussed throughout this report and easier access to resources so coaches can learn at their own pace will help address this. There were a number of moderate barriers identified by coaches with 9 of the possible 14 options having this response as the most popular. It is clear that there are a number of areas that can be positively influenced by NA and MO s to remove these barriers or at worst lessen the impact these barriers have on coaches accessing development opportunities. Cost is only seen as a small barrier for respondents indicating most are prepared to pay for accessing high quality coach development opportunities. The moderate barriers identified by respondents will be taken into account when NA and MO s develop its overarching strategy for coach development. NA and MO s to develop strategies to remove or lessen the impact of barriers identified as major or moderate by survey respondents. 200 0 The need to travel on a regular basis for coach education courses, etc. Easy access to high quality, flexible and modern coach education courses and resources. Easy and free access to professional development resources which meet my needs as a coach Lack of flexible delivery mediums (e-learning, web chats/conference, Skype) Access to a skilled coach mentor/s. Opportunities to progress to higher coaching positions No or insufficient contact with or links to state or national level coaches Lack of hands on support at either training or matches to provide realtime feedback Not knowing who, or where to access coach development support from Overly theoretical coaching courses Time poor Too expensive I don t need it Nothing appropriate for the participants I coach Major barrier Moderate barrier Small barrier No barrier Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 33

Question 32 What knowledge and skills do you feel you need to develop as a coach? (1 being most important, 5 being least important - you can drag boxes to form your order of preference if you like!) 4 3 2 The overall average rating between the top 4 responses was very even (lowest 2.67 highest 2.97) indicating respondents felt that all knowledge and skill concepts were of reasonably equal value to their development as a coach. For planning and development purposes it will be integral to ensure all concepts are addressed and implemented as key learning objectives for coach development. The NA Player Pathway will be included in some documents and is more of a visual representation, it is not necessarily compulsory learning for coaches but certainly would be valuable for them to understand the pathway and where they fit as coaches. The Netball Coaching Blueprint will address aspects of the stages of player development and this learning objective will form an important part of resources developed for the coach development website. Understanding player characteristics at different stages of their development is crucial knowledge for coaches successful planning and interaction with their players. Results for question 32 will assist the development of appropriate resources for the coach development website. 1 0 Understanding the Netball Australia Player Development Pathway and what athletes need at each stage of development: physical, social, emotional and cognitive Coach self-awareness: increasing your understanding of who you are, what you know, what you are capable of doing and what you want to improve Player self-awareness: increasing your players understanding of who they are, what they know, what they are capable of doing and what they want to improve Player engagement: how to increase athlete s ownership, self-belief, commitment, motivation, etc Technical coaching knowledge: shooting, attack, defence, etc. Coaching Survey 2014 netball.com.au 34