Coaching

Coaching is training or development in which a person called a coach supports a learner in achieving a specific personal or professional goal. The learner is sometimes called a coachee. Occasionally, coaching may mean an informal relationship between two people, of whom one has more experience and expertise than the other and offers advice and guidance as the latter learns; but coaching differs from mentoring in focusing on specific tasks or objectives, as opposed to general goals or overall development.

Origins

The first use of the term coaching to mean an instructor or trainer arose around 1830 in Oxford University slang for a tutor who "carries" a student through an exam. Coaching thus has been used in language to describe the process used to transport people from where they are to where they want to be. The first use of the term in relation to sports came in 1861.

Historically the evolution of coaching has been influenced by many fields of study including LGAT such as "est", personal development, adult education, the Human Potential Movement, psychology, and leadership studies. Since the mid-1990s, coaching has developed into a more independent discipline and professional associations such as the Association for Coaching, the International Association of Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the European Coaching and Mentoring Council have helped develop a set of training standards.