ABSTRACT
The above quote is taken from a book that examines the philosophies and practices of eight top-level coaches, who had enjoyed notable successes at both the international and national levels of sport. In reflecting upon what had made them ‘successful’, the respondent coaches highlighted the importance of understanding, and relating to, their athletes as social beings and not just performing bodies. In this respect, considerable emphasis was placed ‘on getting to know them [the athletes] and what makes them tick’ (Jones et al. 2004: 18) in the quest to optimize sporting performance.
