ABSTRACT
Coaching has a significant impact upon sports performance, and is about improving performance at all levels (Crisfi eld et al., 2003). A UK Sport survey during 2007 showed that “93% of athletes rated the coaching they had received was either very good or good and two thirds of the athletes surveyed wanted to stay with their current coach for the rest of their career, which was a desire more likely to be expressed by potential medal athletes” (SportsCoachUK, 2008n). This shows that coaching has a signifi cant impact on sports performance at the elite level. However, it must also be remembered that these athletes started their careers at the grass roots level and therefore the impact of coaching throughout their career and at each stage of their development cannot be understated.
