Exploring taboo issues in professional sport through a fictional approach

Stories as Personal Coaching Philosophy

“…Through the storytelling process, the kinds of lived experiences upon which a coach's philosophy ought to be grounded can be recreated and made available for further reflection and discussion [9,10,14]. Without some kind of opportunity to re-present significant moments or events, it is difficult (or impossible) to personally or collaboratively explore and reconsider the meaning of those events or the lessons that may pertain.…”

“…More recently, Jenkins [5] discusses the potential usefulness of stories in the context of developing and articulating a personal coaching philosophy and suggests that storytelling has a potential role to play in "clarifying values, articulating a philosophy and aligning actions with values" (p. 237). Through our research [see [9][10][11], we have experienced the ways in which the narrative processes involved in storytelling can play a valuable and perhaps unique role in education and professional development. While we do not see stories as a panacea for every problem or challenge in coaching and education, we have been impressed by the ways in which stories seem to hold much potential in terms of: i) providing an explicit link between the theoretical/abstract level and the practical level of individual lived experience; ii) allowing coaches the opportunity to reflect on and learn from events or moments in their own and each other's histories [9].…”

Narrative research

“…Rather than providing a static 'snapshot' of a life at a fixed moment in time, narrative methods offer something akin to a 'movie' that follows a significant portion of the storyteller's lifespan (e.g., Douglas & Carless, 2009a, 2009b. This permits consideration of development over time, revealing the consequences of events that might otherwise appear unimportant.…”

“…These insights may challenge reductionist and mechanistic portrayals of human beings by providing holistic and emotionally rich perspectives. Using narrative forms (such as stories) to represent research allows participants' embodied presence and emotional richness to be preserved, engaging diverse audiences (e.g., Carless & Douglas, 2010b;Douglas & Carless, 2008, 2009b.…”

“…Because "stories as acts of telling are relationships" (Frank, 2000, p. 354), good narrative research requires an open, accepting, empathetic and trusting relationship between researcher and participant. This kind of relationship can usually be built only through relational engagement over time, when participants feel safe to express emotions and vulnerabilities that otherwise remain hidden (e.g., Douglas & Carless, 2009b, 2012b. The open interview approaches used in much 3 narrative research allow participants the freedom to raise issues that are meaningful to them.…”