ABSTRACT
We argue that coaches’ understanding of learner-centred coaching is largely dependent on the extent to which coach educators model the principles of a learner-centred environment through the way they educate coaches. The role of the coach educator and the way they structure the learning environment has been given relatively little attention. Consequently, while coach education curriculum may have advanced in its thinking about the knowledge and skills coaches require, it is not well understood how well enabled coach educators are in being able to deliver such a curriculum. Coach educators need to ‘practice what they preach’ by creating a coach education learning environment that is learner-centred. We will discuss what this environment looks like and the role coach educators need to play if a learner-centred environment is to be successful created. This will in part be achieved by drawing upon the experiences of the second author, who is an experienced coach and coach educator in football (soccer).
