Overview

Behaviour coaching was developed as an extension of the role of the therapist in helping the individual to think within the confines of the consulting room into the educational space of the classroom. The idea came about due to the success of the Sport and Thought football based behaviour programme fusing practical football coaching underpinned with psychodynamic theory to bring about behavioural change in adolescents who would otherwise not of engaged with a therapist within the traditional consulting room environment. Within the Sport and Thought programme the ball is seen as the prism between all that is said and acts as the buffer between the coaches words and the adolescents interpretation of what is or isn’t being said, thus removing the persecution that may be felt in more “normal” therapeutic interactions. In Behaviour Coaching, the individual coach becomes the ball and thus the prism between the child and the environment.
Coaches act as an additional mind on the shoulder of the individual for whom thinking and decision making of a positive nature is a difficult task. The role of the behaviour coach is to contain the anxiety of the individual(s) to prevent external leaking of internal difficulties into the wider environment and the subsequent negative outcomes aligned to this. For example if a student is feeling uncomfortable inside themselves (internally), and not in the position to hold the difficult feeling, they expel the feeling externally via an action or behaviour that would not be considered appropriate within the working environment i.e. the class room.

Key Responsibilities

To use the symbolism of the football/sports coach to help young people make behavioural change

To work directly in class rooms with children and young people expressing behavioural difficulties. Supporting them to make more thoughtful choices

To work in a football coaching capacity to work with childern and young people

Desired Requirements

Desired requirements would be an interest or experience in using sport for change, and working with children or young people expressing emotional or behvaioural difficulty.

Clean DBS, although this can be aquired if not aready in place

Ability to communicate thoughtfully at all times

Commited to working with and trying to understand the young people who enagage with the project

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