S4 Episode 1: Transformational Coaching With Jean and Luc

Jean Côté and Luc Martin are sports psychologists, and happen to be colleagues at Queens University. What brings them together is the belief that involvement in sport goes beyond performance; an interest in how sports can support the development of individuals. Jean’s work focuses on legitimate research without an emphasis on just elite athletes. He speaks about how in the last 30 years, he’s witnessed a positive shift in the world of sports psychology, from one with a BIG emphasis on performance, to one where sports are a tool to springboard personal development! Having put forth an entire framework relating to this, Jean takes us through the breakthrough term of “Transformational coaching”, and how studies have shown that on a  scale of coaches, it is only interpersonal skills that sets apart a bad coach and a phenomenal one. Luc, on the other hand, takes a keen focus on the team dynamics side of sports, and how team dynamics can give way to a kid's developing a sense of identity. Luc gives us insight into the story based programming that pushed forward a 5-week pilot program, in which youth hockey teams watched videos of pro players introducing growth-related topics. The feedback was overwhelmingly strong, even as a pilot program, with parents saying they saw a common language forming between them and their children. Videos like one of Andrew Ladd recounting troubles with an injury, gave kids a feeling of relatability, pointing towards a change that sports psychology is seen as a necessary mental health piece in sports, and no longer something that needs to be swept under the rug. Lots of interesting dialogue will have you thinking in this episode!