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Case study · UDA Glos

Insights into work with UDA coaches

How sport psychology support impacts staff and student-athlete performance at UDA Glos.

Insights into work with UDA coaches: title slide with the UDA Glos and Connect Sport Psychology logos

The story so far

1
Intro to Sport Psych
Discovering what the group needed via an initial workshop. Staff decided the content they wanted.
2
What do the group want and need?
Two-pronged: what do the staff need, and what will help them with their player-facing duties.
3
Seven follow-up sessions
Staff got five workshops throughout the season, and student-athletes got two. Being in the environment before and after allowed deeper insight.
4
Keeping the work alive
As the new season starts, another pre-season session has run for new and existing staff, and the work continues to develop.

Their hopes

Introduce Sport Psych
This was essentially a blank canvas. The programme director knew sport psychology would be useful. The coaches' own insight shaped what came next.
Try something different
Rather than prescribing workshops, after the intro session all staff said what they wanted, and the programme was curated from there.

The work, so far

Coach and athlete support
Student-athlete sessions covered "mistakes"; coaches covered resilience, relationships, roadmapping, motivation, and athletic identity.
Not just athlete-focused
Some topics help coaches understand what's going on for the groups and individuals they work with, but it's also about understanding themselves, and raising awareness so they can perform better.

The impact

Season-long support for coaches, medical staff and student-athletes.

Psych-informed coaching
Key takeaways are informing how coaches act: the Challenge/Support matrix, the "performance iceberg", and the creation of team and coaching roadmaps.
Trickle-down effect
Working with coaches and support staff has impacted their practices, and helped support staff better understand each other and how they work.

What they've said so far

"One of the biggest things I've taken away is that coaching isn't simply about delivering information or working towards performance outcomes. It's about understanding the individual athlete, understanding yourself as a coach, and developing a relationship where both sides can communicate, challenge and support each other effectively."
"Rather than always feeling I need to have the answers, there's real value in asking better questions, listening more carefully, and understanding what the athlete is actually thinking and feeling. It's given me a much deeper understanding of the human side of coaching."
"The work Louis has carried out with our staff has been fundamental in bringing the group together. I've seen the results through their relationships with our student-athletes. I don't think the label 'psychology workshop' does it justice, it's more far-reaching than that and explores the social landscape we're working in."
Steve Lilley, Programme Director, University Degrees Abroad

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