ABSTRACT
Jane’s story is of a coach who cares for her athletes. She listens to their concerns and is engrossed in their needs. Much of this caring work occurs in hotels, and on transport away from the field of play. Jane is motivated by serving and caring for the needs of athletes. This caring servitude has consequences for Jane because her care for athletes and investment in her sport regularly prohibit her from enjoying time with her family or wider social life. Another frustration for Jane is that she feels nurturing care is underappreciated in elite adult sport. She argues that there is a ‘care ceiling,’ above which national governing bodies reward cold, detached and ruthless coaches. This is a novel observation that may have significant implications for coaches. These issues are problematic, and thus Jane’s story is analysed from pedagogical and feminist sociological perspectives. Questions are raised from these multidisciplinary analyses such as, “What skills do coaches need to ‘care for’ athletes.” These questions will prompt coaches, coach educators, coach employers and coaching researchers to learn from and improve their practice.
