ABSTRACT

Sociological research and theory have much to contribute to the understanding of coach education, and coach and athlete learning. This potential has, to date, been largely ignored, as current trends in coach learning, research and practice have been towards ‘what works’, seemingly content to fulfil instrumental ends. Despite Cassidy et al.’s (2009) emphasis on the ambiguous nature of coach learning, the tendency, then, has been to treat complex educational issues (knowledge, delivery, curriculum) as solvable by quick-fix data, with learning assumed as a generic, identifiable phenomenon. Much coach development is still restricted and designed by a ‘train and certify’ approach (Trudel & Gilbert, 2006; Gilbert et al., 2009), where coaches are assumed to ‘acquire’ concepts, skills and behaviours (Sfard, 1998; Fenwick, 2008) that are seamlessly assimilated and transferred (Gilbert et al., 2009). There is nothing to support the legitimacy of this approach (Cushion et al., 2010; Gilbert et al., 2009). What we have, then, is a paradox: a body of coaches not influenced to any significant degree by formal coach education and yet deemed ‘competent’ practitioners. Consequently, coaching, inclusive of values, beliefs and practice, remains largely unchanged as coach education remains utilitarian, technocratic, lacking a micro-political consciousness and a social criticality (Cushion et al., 2003; Fernandez-Balboa, 2000).