Conclusion

In order to allow for a better and more accurate study the athletes should be allowed more time. The self-discovery girls were a little more athletic however through their “just have fun” attitude were able to keep a level head and not suffer from the same amount of anxiety as the other girls. Their experience was much more fun however, the experience of the coached girls could allow them to grow and surpass the un-coached girls, in time, in skill and technique.

What I Learned:

From this experiment I was able to learn a few things that I had previously not known:
1) I was able to see first hand how coaching can generate an unrealistic expectation in the athlete. The coached girls felt as if they could win the match based on the coaching they had received. Coaching varies in quality and therefore cannot always be trusted entirely. Also, there are many variables that good, even Great, coaching cannot correct; strength of opponent, mental readiness and talent.
2) Good coaching is only part of the equation. Athletes carry a lot of weight in competition. A coach can prepare an athlete for competition in a variety of ways using countless methods but ultimately, the athlete gets to perform, without the coach's help.
3) Coaching can effect the mental preparedness of an athlete. A good coach will work on skills and drills and prepare an athlete for physical competition. A great coach will do all of that and then prepare his or her athlete(s) mentally for a situation. By not allowing the girls time to watch their competition, asses a game plan/strategy or practice a little longer, we greatly affected the outcome of the experiment.