Evidence-Based Coaching: Are You Building on Rock or on Sand?

A coach’s guide to spotting “incredible” (not credible) research

The Hype Cycle Coaches Face

• A device “proven” to boost decision-making by 30%.

• A “far-transfer” drill that turns an isolated skill into game-day magic.

• It sounds amazing. It also sounds… incredible.

As coaches, we’re flooded by claims. That means we have to have a reliable way to tell if it is science that’s incredible, or just not credible?

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Why Big Claims Spread (And Often Don’t Hold Up)

Sport and exercise science isn’t immune to the wider reproducibility crisis: when studies are re-tested, many fail to replicate.

Bold results get attention, funding, and headlines. Credibility—careful, transparent, repeatable work—gets less limelight because it’s often less sensational.

A common example: “far transfer of cognitive training.” The evidence that isolated cognitive tasks directly improve complex on-field performance is rare. One flashy study may get hundreds of citations until a follow-up finds no effect.

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Become a “21st-Century Skeptic”

You don’t need a PhD to filter claims. Start with these coach-friendly red flags:

• Low statistical power: Tiny samples (e.g., n = 10) reporting impressive or surprising effects should ring alarm bells.

• Conflicts of interest: Always check the disclosures. If the authors consult for, own, or are funded by the product’s company, be extra cautious.

• Lack of transparency: If methods, code, or raw data aren’t shared, it’s hard (or impossible) to verify results, and authors often know this.

• Too-good-to-be-true generalisation: Evidence from a narrow lab task doesn’t automatically apply to a complex, dynamic team sport.

• Selective reporting: Only the wins get shown. Look for pre-registration, protocols, or mention of null results.

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Rock vs Sand: Practical Checks You Can Use This Week to Find Evidence-Based Coaching Research

Use this quick filter before you change a program, buy tech, or adopt a drill:

1. Was the study done with athletes like yours, in conditions like yours?

2. Has another group repeated it with similar results?

3. Is the improvement meaningful for your level and sport?

4. What will you stop doing to make room for this? How certain are you this has a place in your practice over ANY other activity you could be doing.

5. Is there data that the drill/tech improves competition performance, not just lab scores?

Free Resource

We’ve packaged simple, coach-friendly online course in Spotting INcredible Research (available from 15/02/2026)

Bottom line: Don’t build your philosophy on sand. Learn to tell signal from noise so you can make confident, science-based coaching decisions.

Ready to make research work for you?

Explore our BUILD online education pathway to learn practical, science-based coaching methods—including checklists and live examples you can apply this week.