Coaching journeys: longitudinal experiences from professional football in Great Britain

Abstract

The aim of this research was to consider the coaching journeys of eight experienced professional football coaches. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted over two data points, a decade apart, and analysed thematically. Findings explored the coaches' longitudinal professional playing and coaching experiences, including their learning and development and engagement with formal coach education over four decades. The coaches' narratives highlighted how their biographies had shaped their identities, learning and practice. Each coach emphasised the importance of experiential learning, learning from other coaches, practicing in diverse coaching domains, and the ongoing nature of learning. Data highlighted limitations in formal decontextualised coach education and 'fast-tracking'. Findings also illustrated something of the changing nature and demands of coaching and how the coaches have adjusted their practice in order to meet the contemporary demands and expectations of their athletes. The coaches reported they required greater education and support around this area. Coaches' journeys are an under-utilised resource and have implications for future coaching practice, coach learning and coach education development.

“I want to do well for myself as well!”: Constructing coaching careers in elite women’s football

“…Studying coaching careers is important for understanding how to support coaches' professional and personal development, well-being and motivation (Koh, Mallett, & Wang, 2011). Furthermore, researchers have argued that personal histories and career development trajectories play a significant role in shaping coaching philosophies and practices, often more so than formal coach education (Cushion, Armour, & Jones, 2003;Watts & Cushion, 2017).…”

“…Researchers critiquing the linear career models have studied alternative pathways to become an elite sport coach (Blackett, Evans, & Piggott, 2018;Christensen, 2013), whereas others have portrayed coaching careers as political life projects enmeshed with complex power dynamics, relationships and occupational structures where experiences of uncertainty and change are the norm (Potrac, Jones, Gilbourne, & Nelson, 2012;Purdy & Potrac, 2016;Purdy et al, 2017;Thompson, Potrac, & Jones, 2015;Watts & Cushion, 2017).…”

Dispositions and coaching theories: understanding the impact of coach education on novice coaches’ learning

“…However, coach education programmes have been subject to several critiques, presenting a somewhat sobering picture within the literature (Nelson et al, 2013). Principally, coach education provision is often delivered in a decontextualised manner, failing to recognise learners' unique coaching environment, whilst adopting a one-size-fits-all approach (Cope et al, 2021;Nash et al, 2017;Stodter & Cushion, 2019;Watts & Cushion, 2017). Furthermore, it is argued that coach education merely reproduces the agendas of Governing Bodies (GBs), with the assumption that delivered content will be seamlessly implemented in practice (Chapman et al, 2020;Cushion et al, 2019).…”

“…Problematically, relying solely on experience as the primary source of learning for novice coaches will 'reinforce certain ideological interpretations of knowledge and practice' (Cushion, 2019, p. 364). Through experience, coaches develop dispositions (attitudes, preferences) towards coaching which are shaped by a 'social press' (Cushion, 2011;Hassanin & Light, 2014;Watts & Cushion, 2017). Thus, a novice coaches' dispositions towards coaching are not benign, but instead influenced by the values of that coaching context (Lyle & Cushion, 2017), often underpinned by naturalised beliefs about both coaching and learning (Cushion, 2019).…”

Les sources de connaissance privilégiées par les entraineurs belges francophones

“…A partir du moment où il est admis que le développement des entraineurs se fait au travers de plusieurs sources de connaissance, le concept de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie prend tout son sens (Duarte & Culver, 2014;Lara-Bercial & Mallett, 2016;Watts & Cushion, eJRIEPS 47 Juillet 2020 67 2017). Pour les responsables des programmes de formation, cette manière de concevoir le processus par lequel les entraineurs apprennent à devenir entraineurs, n'est pas sans conséquence et amène son lot de défis (Trudel, Culver, & Richard, 2016).…”