ABSTRACT
Some years ago, a tentative case was made by one of the authors and colleagues (Jones 2000; Potrac and Jones 1999) related to sociology’s relevance to coaches. Indeed, sociology was claimed to be the invisible ingredient in coaches’ knowledge, which built on an earlier article by Jarvie (1990a) arguing for the application of sociology to the real world of the sport practitioner. The case made was based on the premise that, as sport (and those who partake in it) happens within society as opposed to some social vacuum, it must be influenced by wider social factors. Consequently, it would be a very unwise coach who did not pay heed to the powerful shaping forces of class, ethnicity and gender (among others) on individual identities as he or she seeks to enhance the performances of athletes. Since then, the argument for sociology as being useful for coaches has been developed to include a more refined theoretical position (e.g. Jones et al. 2002), and by
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empirical studies directly supporting it (Cushion and Jones 2006; Jones et al. 2004). This includes an investigation into the power-ridden coach-athlete relationship, the interaction that both shapes and is shaped by it, and the subsequent context or climate created (Purdy 2006).
