Coach Education

Case study: Enhancing education and practice in sport coaching: Using novel sociological insights to develop coaches’ social, emotional and political astuteness

Staff: Dr Edward Hall, Professor Paul Potrac, Dr Zoë Avner, Dr Emma Boocock, Dr Phil Hayes

Coach education at all levels of sport has been underpinned by rational and dispassionate models of practice, which fail to provide coaches with the intra- and inter-personal skills required to navigate the complex social reality of coaching. Northumbria University’s novel research into the social, relational and emotional dimensions of coaching has enhanced learning and practice of coaches across the UK, most notably elite rugby union player development pathways in England and Ireland, as well as in other sports. Northumbria’s research informed new training approaches for UK-wide sporting bodies and supported mechanisms to cascade novel approaches across the community of practice, improving individual coach performance and the coaching experiences of athletes. Find out more

Underpinning research

Zoë Avner, Denison, J., Jones, L., Emma Boocock and Edward T. Hall (2020) ‘Beat the game: A Foucauldian exploration of coaching differently in an elite rugby academy’ Sport, Education and Society

Edward T. Hall and Gray, S. (2016) ‘Reflecting on reflective practice: A coach’s action research narratives’ Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 8 (4): 365-379

Gale, L. A., Ives, B. A., Paul Potrac and Nelson, L. J. (2019) ‘Trust and distrust in community sports work: Tales from the “shop floor’’’ Sociology of Sport Journal 36 (3): 244-253 https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2018-0156

Paul Potrac., Mallett, C., Greenough, K. and Nelson, L. (2017) ‘Passion and paranoia: An embodied tale of emotion, identity, and pathos in sports coaching’ Sports Coaching Review 6(2): 142-161

Allanson, A., Paul Potrac and Nelson, L. (2019) ‘The career experiences of Football Association (FA) coach educators: Lessons in micropolitical literacy and action’ Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health: 1-15

Nichol, A., Phil Hayes, Vickery, W., Emma Boocock, Paul Potrac and Edward T. Hall (2020, ahead of print) ‘Athletes as “sites of normative intersectionality”: Critically exploring the ontology of influence in sport coaching’ Sociology of Sport Journal: 1-10