ABSTRACT
Although tangential areas such as child protection and safeguarding have received more academic consideration, care in coaching is an area that researchers have recently begun to explore. To that end, a small but burgeoning corpus of research has provided case studies that describe and analyse how coaches care. This chapter, therefore, makes a significant contribution by synthesising these extant studies of care in sport. In doing so, it was apparent that Noddings’ care theory has predominantly informed the growing body of sport research that has explored care (Noddings, N. 2013. Caring; A relational approach to ethics and moral education (2nd ed.). London: University of California Press). Accordingly, the chapter not only introduces studies of care in coaching but also describes key arguments such as a relational notion of care. For Noddings, caring relationships are based upon engrossment, motivational displacement and reciprocity between ‘the carer’ and ‘cared for.’ Therefore, this chapter also introduces, defines and explores these concepts. Moreover, Noddings’ care theory is critically analysed. Indeed, research, which extends Nodding caring relationships by situating ‘carer-cared for’ dyads in wider climates is also introduced and related to sport coaching.
