Trenerių, rengiančių didelio meistriškumo baidarių ir kanojų irkluotojus, profesinių kompetencijų vertinimas jų auklėtinių požiūriu

ENThe aim of this work was to disclose expression of coaches’ professional competences needed for elite athletes’ development using analysis of elite athletes’ interrogation data. The selection of the research was critical. The participants of the research were Lithuanian Olympic kayak and canoe rowing team members and candidates (n=22; 20–35 years of age), champions and prize winners in junior, youth and adults World and Europe championships (in various boats classes). Questionnaire for professional competences evaluation was applied (Santos et al., 2010). The model of the questionnaire was made up of 23 statements, split into three groups of competences: competences related to annual and multiannual planning, competences related to practice and competition orientation, and personal and coaching education competences. The items were answered on a 5 point Likert type scale from 1 to 5. To establish homogeneity of professional competences evaluation scale content, test on questionnaire inner compatibility was performed (Cronbach α–0.973). Descriptive statistics methods were applied for data analysis. The results of the research showed that the athletes gave the highest evaluation for their coaches’ competences related to practice and competition orientation (3.98), as well as for competences related to annual and multiannual planning (3.88), while personal and coaching education competences received lower evaluation (3.65; p<0,05). Analysis on coaches’ annual and multiannual sport process planning competences indicated that, according to the athletes, the best coaches’ abilities are preparation and implementation of annual and multiannual sport preparation plan, as well as combination the preparation program with competitive strategy (4.05).Analysis on coaches’ competences related to practice and competition orientation showed that athletes gave the highest evaluation on coaches’ ability to prepare an athlete for competition (4.32); coaches’ organizational abilities, such as ability to organize training workouts and manage them, to flexibly adapt training workout content to changing situations, to lead the activity of athletes during the competitions, providing specific for certain sports directions were also evaluated on a high scale. It was also observed that the coaches’ ability to prepare and carry out annual and multiannual sport preparation program with regard to individual athlete’s abilities (3.77) and to plan training practices in respect to individual athlete’s possibilities was evaluated as not enough developed ability (3.68). Personal and coaching education competences analysis demonstrated that from all abilities in this group, athletes gave priority to coaches’ collaboration competence, i.e., discussing new ideas and searching for the ways to solve the problem together with an athlete (4.14). Rather high evaluation was given for coaches’ sense of responsibility in their work with athletes.