Understanding and developing professional youth soccer coach behaviour
Creators: name: Rowlands, Sion
Publisher: name: Loughborough University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 420799
subject: Sports science and exercise not elsewhere classified

description: BackgroundCoach development, coach development programmes (CDPs)/coach education programmes (CEPs) and resources to support coach development and learning, have been a primary area of research (e.g. Campbell et al., 2022; Chapman et al., 2019; Dempsey et al., 2020; Cushion et al., 2010; Chesterfield et al., 2010; Jones &amp; Allison, 2016; Paquette &amp; Trudel, 2018; Sawiuk et al., 2018; Stodter &amp; Cushion, 2014, 2017, 2019). National governing bodies (NGBs) and national sporting organisations (NSOs) such as the English Football Association (The FA) have invested and continue to invest significant resource into the development and delivery of learning and development opportunities for coaches (Chapman et al., 2019; Dempsey et al., 2020). The FA has gone through considerable evolution/effort to progress the support they provide to meet the coaches where they are at in their development, in attempts to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to coaching (Sawiuk et al., 2018; Chapman et al., 2019; Dempsey et al., 2020). However, the work to date (Cushion et al., 2010; Chesterfield et al., 2010; Jones &amp; Allison, 2016; Paquette &amp; Trudel, 2018; Sawiuk et al., 2018; Chapman et al., 2019; Dempsey et al., 2020) has largely taken a retrospective approach to understanding the impact of coach education, often being based on coaches’ perceived feelings and thoughts towards their experience and development. This is a situation with questionable accuracy given coaches’ recognised lack of self-awareness (e.g. Mancini et al., 1987; Harvey et al. 2013; Partington &amp; Cushion 2013; Partington et al., 2014; Partington et al. 2015; Raya-Castellano et al., 2022). Systematic observation is a proven tool to measure coach behaviour. Its application to measure the impact of coach education on coach behaviour negates the issue of retrospective and perception-based methods to assess its impact (Cope et al., 2017). Furthermore, scholars have examined the impact of existing coach education provision, rather than develop and measure CDPs/CEPs (Campbell et al., 2024). This, highlights the need for a more holistic approach that develops, delivers, and measures the impact of CDPs on coach behaviour and practice. PurposeTherefore, the purpose of this study was to develop, deliver, and measure the impact of an in-situ CDP with professional youth soccer coaches, with impact and any change in coach behaviour understood through transformational learning theory. MethodsA CDP based on a collaborative action research approach (CAR) was carried out with 17 professional soccer coaches (at the same club), based in England, over three seasons. Systematic observation was used pre, during, and post the CDP to both measure and inform coach behaviour in the CDP. Reflective conversations (RC), which were supported by stimulated recall (SR) were used during the CDP between the coaches, a critical friend, and a knowledgeable other to aid reflection and support the construction of knowledge and behaviour. Semi-structured interviews were used on two occasions, pre and post CDP. This was to understand the coach’s biography and where they had developed their coaching behaviour and practice. The post CDP interviews were used to understand how the CDP process had impacted the coaches’ behaviour and practice, and what they believed could support future work if applying a similar CDP. Results and DiscussionThe pre-CDP interviews found that the coaches believed that their behaviour and practice were developed through multiple sources and these findings alongside research evidence were used to structure the CDP. The results showed that all the coaches were able to develop at least one of their selected behaviours as intended through the CDP process. The most notable change across all the coaches’ behaviour occurred during the CDP, which was when the coaches were most actively engaged and supported in a reflective process. The results also showed that for some of the coaches their behaviour changed in the Post stage of the CDP, suggesting behaviour change is not always instant. However, whilst there was notable behaviour change across the study, some of the coaches saw their behaviour developed in the During stage of the CDP, regress in the Post stage of the CDP. Moreover, some of the coaches were unable to develop some of their selected behaviour throughout the study. The results from the post – CDP interviews showed that the CDP was successful in providing structure to coach reflection, being grounded in the video and systematic observation data which provided a moment of shock and desire to change. The coaches reported high levels of autonomy and motivation when allowed the freedom within the CDP to select the behaviour they intended to change (rather than being told what to change) and engage with the CDP activities in a self-directed fashion.The data showed that this educational approach was valued by the coaches, with the reflective conversations with peers, a critical friend, and a knowledgeable other aiding their reflection, and supporting behaviour change. The CDP aligned with the stages of Transformational Learning Theory which provided an explanatory device for why the coaches may or may not have developed their behaviour and practice. Time to reflect and practice new behaviours, and the degree of engagement across all stages of the CDP were identified as constraining or enabling variables to coach learning. The findings also showed the importance and influence of a co-coach when working as a coaching dyad. With some of the coaches’ behaviour being heavily influenced by their co-coach and impacting the ability and opportunity to change.