Jones, Colleen Jo-Ann
English: Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes and insights of swimming coaches in the Free State Aquatics region towards scientific coaching principles. A comparison between performance coaches and participant coaches’ scientific coaching principles to improve performance or participation levels in swimming were recorded. Methods: This study was done by sampling data via quantitative research (i.e. a questionnaire). All swimming coaches who were at least 18 years old, regardless of their level of qualification, affiliated or not with Free State Aquatics, were invited to participate in the study. A questionnaire was compiled using data from various research sources. All coaches were categorised into a participant or performance coach. The researcher captured data from the data forms to Microsoft Excel. A statistician conducted further analysis using SAS Version 9.1.3. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical data. For numerical data, where data were evenly distributed, means and standard deviations were calculated. Medians and percentiles were calculated where data were not normally distributed. The Student’s T-test was used to compare mean values between the two groups, whereas the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare median values. The appropriate p-values and/or confidence intervals were reported. For the dependent data, the mean or median differences were calculated within the groups. The Student’s T-test, or Wilcoxon signed rank test, was used to test for significant median differences. A Fischer Exact test was used to test for significant frequency differences. A significance level of p ≤ 0.05 was used throughout the research study. Results: Seventy one percent of the participant coaches and 29% of the performance coaches participated in the research study. Out of a total of 42 participants (coaches), 21% were male and 79% were female. An alarming result was that 36% of coaches had no qualifications in swimming coaching whatsoever, but are currently involved in coaching. Almost half (46.7%) of the participants have no swimming coaching qualification, while 41.7% of the performance coaches only have a ‘Learn to Swim’ qualification. Only 23.8% of all coaches (participant and performance coaches) are registered with SSA, which is compulsory. Therefore, 76.2% of all coaches are not compliant with SSA rules and regulations pertaining to a coach. As expected, performance coaches rated professional knowledge (50%) and interpersonal knowledge (58.4%) as very important. This differs from participant coaches who indicated that professional knowledge (50%) was important to them. Performance coaches preferred learning methods through internal learning (75%) and unmediated learning (58.4%). Participant coaches reported that internal learning (56.7%) and mediated learning (40%) were their preferred learning methods. Differences between performance and participant coaches’ characteristics are passion and enthusiasm and love for the sport, as demonstrated by performance coaches. This is contradictory to the main goal of participant coaches who would like to instil an element of fun in swimming, in order for the swimmers to gain passion and enthusiasm and ideally love for the sport so that they continue with swimming. In comparison, a participant coach’s role as a friend differed significantly from performance coaches (p = 0.0437). This coincides with their strategy of integrating professional and personal life while coaching. There was no significant difference between participant and performance coaches with regard to the multi-disciplinary involvement in performance improvement. Conclusions: It is alarming that almost half of the current swimming coaches have no qualifications at all. SSA and FSA must enforce stricter rules and regulations regarding coaching, so that all coaches have the minimum qualification in relation to their level of coaching. Various learning methods must be employed to develop numerous knowledge components to achieve optimal scientific coaching.
Afrikaans: Doelstelling: Die doel van die studie was om die ingesteldheid en insig van swemafrigters in die Vrystaat Aquatics-streek ten opsigte van wetenskaplike afrigtingbeginsels te bepaal . ’n Vergelyking tussen die prestasie-afrigter en die deelnemer-afrigter se wetenskaplike benadering tot swemafrigting om swemprestasie en -deelname te bevorder is getref en gedokumenteer. Metodes: In die studie is daar van kwantitatiewe navorsing (vraelys) gebruik gemaak om die data te versamel. Alle swemafrigters wat ten minste 18 jaar oud was, is genooi om aan die studie deel te neem, ongeag hul vlak van kwalifikasie en affiliasie by die Vrystaat Aquatics-streek. ’n Vraelys is saamgestel deur van dataversameling uit verskeie navorsingsbronne gebruik te maak. Alle afrigters is gekategoriseer óf as ’n deelnemer-, óf as ’n prestasie-swemafrigter. Data is op datavorms versamel en deur die navorser op Microsoft Excel gestoor. Verdere analises is deur ’n statistikus uitgevoer, deur van “SAS Version 9.1.3” gebruik te maak. Frekwensies en persentasies is vir kategoriese data bereken. Vir numeriese data is gemiddeldes en standaardafwykings bereken waar data gelykmatig versprei was. Die mediaan en persentiel is bereken waar data nie gelykmatig versprei was nie. Die Studente T-toets is gebruik om gemiddelde waardes tussen die twee groepe te vergelyk. Die Kruskal-Wallis-toets is gebruik om mediaanwaardes met mekaar te vergelyk. Die toepaslike p-waardes en/of betroubaarheidsintervalle is aangemeld. Die gemiddelde, of mediaan-verskille, is binne die groepe vir afhanklike data bereken. Die Studente T-toets, of Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, is gebruik om beduidende mediaan-verskille aan te dui. Die Fischer Exact Testis gebruik om beduidende frekwensieverskille aan te dui. ’n Beduidende vlak van p ≤ 0.05 is in die navorsingstudie toegepas. Bevindinge: Een-en-sewentig persent van die deelnemer-afrigters en 29% van die prestasie-afrigters het aan die studie deelgeneem. Uit ’n totaal van 42 deelnemers (afrigters) was 21% manlik en 79% vroulik. ’n Ontstellende bevinding is dat 36% van die afrigters oor geen kwalifikasie in swemafrigting beskik nie, maar wel by swemafrigting betrokke is. Ongeveer die helfte (46.7%), van die afrigters het geen swemafrigting-kwalifikasie nie, terwyl 41.7% van die prestasieafrigters oor slegs ’n “leer-om-te-swem”-kwalifikasie beskik. Slegs 23.8% van alle afrigters (deelnemer- of prestasieafrigters) is by Swem Suid- Afrika (SSA) geregistreer – ’n verpligte vereiste. Ses-en-sewentig persent van alle afrigters voldoen dus nie aan die minimumvereistes van SSA se reëls en regulasies nie. Komponente van kennisontwikkeling is belangrik vir die afrigter om sy atlete optimaal te laat presteer en sy afrigtingsvermoë te optimaliseer. Soos verwag, gradeer prestasieafrigters professionele kennis (50%) en interpersoonlike kennis (58.4%) as baie belangrik in swemafrigting. In teenstelling hiermee, gradeer slegs 50% van deelnemerafrigters professionele kennis as belangrik. Prestasieafrigters se voorkeur-leermetodes sluit in, interne leer (75%) en leer sonder bemiddeling deur ’n fasiliteerder (58.4%). Deelnemerafrigters meld weer dat interne leer (56.7%) en leer sonder bemiddeling (40%) hul voorkeur-leermetodes is. Die verskille in karaktereienskappe tussen prestasie- en deelnemerafrigters is passie, entoesiasme en liefde vir die sport wat prestasieafrigters openbaar. Dit is in teenstelling met die primêre doelstelling van die deelnemerafrigters wat daarvan hou om ’n mate van plesier in die afrigting in te voeg en daardeur passie, entoesiasme en liefde by die swemmers te kweek. Daardeur word swemmers gemotiveer om met die sport voort te gaan. Deelnemerafrigters se rol as ’n vriend van die swemmers verskil betekenisvol (p = 0.0437) van dié van ’n prestasieafrigter wat in hul strategieë die integrasie van persoonlike en privaatlewe tydens afrigting insluit. Dit was interessant om waar te neem dat geen betekenisvolle verskil (p < 0.05) gevind kon word tussen ’n deelnemer- en prestasieafrigter in die gebruik van ’n multidissiplinêre span in afrigting nie. Samevatting: Dit is ontstellend om te bevind dat byna die helfte van die swemafrigters oor geen kwalifikasie in swemafrigting beskik nie. Strenger toepassing van die reëls en regulasies van SSA en die Vrystaat Aquatics-streek moet toegepas word, sodat alle afrigters in die streek ’n professionele en veilige omgewing kan skep waar kinders kan leer, swem en presteer. Verskillende metodes om insig te verbreed, houdings te verander en gebiede van leer te ontwikkel is belangrik vir beide die deelnemer- en die professionele swemafrigter om as afrigter te groei.