The ‘Lieutenants’ of Coaching: How Materiality Shapes Coach Developers’ Practices

Abstract

One might assume that sport coaches are experts in coaching relationally as they do, after all, have to consider how their lieutenants work together in any given practice. If true, then coach developers, who coach the coaches, might be thought of as superior experts in relational provision. If also true, then a relational inquiry into coach education programmes is necessary for conceptualising learning. But previous conceptualisations of learning have neither considered relational analyses nor viewed learning as something that is not derivative from the coach. In this article, I examine how materials participate in and the ways materiality shapes two coach developers’ practices. Methodologically, I draw inspiration from actor-network theory, which is a sociomaterial approach that focuses on the relations of humans and nonhumans in practices. Methods include the ‘interview to the double’ ( Nicolini 2009 ), followed by observations during two level one coach education programmes: children and youth. Two vignettes of cones and the CD-ROM describe how social and material relations come together and shape coach developers’ practices in surprising and unexpected ways. The coach developers grappled with their ‘educator’ role so that coaches were better prepared to articulate the materiality of practices. Based on my analysis, I conclude by making a case for a material engagement with coach development.

Coaching With Latour in the Sociomateriality of Sport: A Cartography for Practice

“…The word "network" derives from the French term "reseau", which translates to the many lines that converge in the form of a net (Latour, 1996a, p. 370). Cones dotted around the Field of Play were often delegated with authority by coaches for marking the boundaries of practice areas, most often in the place of white lines emblazoned on the Field of Play (Maclean, 2021). In this way, cones acted to discipline players to stay within the new practice arrangements.…”

“…There was a sense of rules from the ordering of spaces, bodies, and objects in the coaches' practices. Although it was not clear where these rules derived from, both coaches did attend coach education programmes where rules can come in the form of a CD-ROM and booklet (Maclean, 2021). But we recognise that even in a highly professionalised sport like football, engagement with coach education for community coaches can be limited.…”