ABSTRACT
In this book, we have introduced readers to the sport sciences that underpin coaching. No doubt it is somewhat at odds with previous introductory-type books, which have tended to portray coaching as a rather simplified, sequential activity. In this respect, it could be troublesome for many, with previously familiar concepts rendered strangely complex (Perkins 1999). We make no apology for this, as coaching is often problematic and hard to manage. To portray it otherwise would do the subject and those who study it an injustice. The book is also not meant as an ending but as a beginning; a first passport into the largely undefined field of coaching where numerous knowledges are constantly drawn upon by practitioners in attempts to improve the experience and performances of athletes. We have tried to make most of these knowledges explicit, in particular how they impact on coaching.
