The number of studies seeking to understand the essence of coaching shows an increasing trend. The issue has been considered at different levels and under various aspects, still its combination with social media hasn‟t been de-scribed widely. This Section describes selected works dedicated to coaching itself. Then its‟ role and dissemination on fitness market is presented.
Personal adult development means that individuals are not unchanging, but are continually learning, developing and growing [6] and coaching aims to improve this process. It can be defined as a process of providing guidance, en-couragement and support through the establishment of relationships that make it easier to discover and to increase coachee abilities [20]. Main coaching features are presented in Figure 6.1.
101 Figure 6.1. Main coaching features
Source: own elaboration based on [27]
Relation between coach and coachee is emphasised as one of a crucial factor of successful coaching. Among others, relationship with a „human face‟
and agenda that do not focuses exclusively on goals and quick solutions are stated [36]. De Haan and colleagues [7] found that cochee‟s perception of the relationship with a coach is the key factor in determining how the whole process and its‟ outcomes were perceived by a client. Similar conclusions on correlation between coaching‟s success and a quality of working alliance were made by Baron and Morin [3]. Coaching based on strong relationship, where both parts are perceived as collaborating partners is inspired by third-generation coaching [36]. Due to the fact that a good alliance is essential for the success of coaching and because coach and coachee often judge the quality of this relation in a dif-ferent way, active monitoring of the alliance throughout the whole process is recommended. To establish such a strong relation couch must respond non-defensively to a client‟s hostility or negativity [13]. Another study on relation-ship between coach and coachee was held by Lambert and Barley [17]. It makes clear that working alliance is a factor that has the highest significance in regard to coaching success:
the relationship accounts for 30% of the variance in results,
40% of that variance is attributed to exterior or circumstantial factors,
15% to hope or expectancy effects,
15% to specific theory or techniques.
Coaching
•Is a mesurable process
•Improves competences in selected area
•Is a partnership relation between coach and coachee
•Concentrates on specific targets
•Coach knows the questions, coachee knows the answers
•Is a process planned and thought out
•Is a process that lasts and is positioned in time.
•Need individual approach
•Takes into account the "whole person" rather than single life roles
•Is an investment in permanent and long-term development.
102
Stelter [37] distinguish five dimensions of successful coaching, presented on Figure 6.2.
Figure 6.2. Five dimensions of successful coaching Source: own elaboration based on [37]
Coaching partner‟s attitude towards coach and the whole process plays crucial role. Essential features that coachee brings to training sessions, such as life experiences, strengths, competencies, knowledge and willingness to change, account for 87% coachee‟s development [43].
Despite coaching partner perception of the process, the role of coach in delivering training programs thanks to intelligent and thorough use of signifi-cant and best up to date knowledge integrated with specialized practitioner ex-pertise is also crucial and known as evidence-based coaching [10].
Connection that appears between coaching and sport seems to natural as even the word „coach‟ from was first used in sports as a trainer (leader) that creates incentive, inspiration and performance improvement through their action
•Coaching as a dialogue form that endorses coachee as a partner and collaboration by reflecting on core values that will give a sense of direction in relation to particular goals
The protreptic (value) dimension
•Presenting the relation as a way to enhance the individual awareness and attentiveness of coach and coachee in regard to their emotional processes
103
[8]. Still, fitness coaching is not the same as personal training. The aim of the first one is supporting changes that will lead to improvement in designated health categories thanks to motivational interviewing, goal setting, and educa-tion while the second one endeavours on helping individuals exercise [1]. Fit-ness coach should also help to break and prevent from entering the Vicious Cycle of Failure that is the set of wrong motivations that makes all coachee‟s effort ineffective [31]. The importance of fitness coaching was also underlined by Sforzo and colleagues [33], describing concept as a mix of mindfulness, empathy, optimistic emotions, autonomous motivation, appreciative inquiry, motivational interviewing, reflections, self-efficacy, visioning, and goal setting.
This significance was also emphasised by Smith and McEwan [34].
Fitness coaching is based on both: individual performance and teamwork.
The effectiveness of this process on personal self-efficacy during physical activ-ity programs was described by Seghers et al. [32], while Carr and Peters [5]
explain team coaching as an interactive dialogue over time to reflect upon, name, and maintain new ways of working together to achieve goals.
The strong bond between coaching and fitness was used by the author of that chapter as a background for analysis of social media dissemination in coaching process. In the following section some remarks on these tools usage in the context of motivational issues will be stated.