Understanding Sports Coaching

"The field of sports coaching is in need of more texts akin to Understanding Standing Sports Coaching, especially if it is to develop the critical, imaginative, caring and thoughtful practitioners that this 'profession' so desperately requires. For me, this book should be a core reading on any undergraduate programme that is seeking to develop graduates with these qualities." - Lee Nelson, Sports Coaching Review

Tania Cassidy is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She also holds an adjunct position at University College Cork, Ireland. Tania's research interests are informed by interpretive and critical perspectives and primarily focus on the pedagogy of sports coaching and coach development. She is on the editorial boards of eight international journals, including Sports Coaching Review, International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching and International Sport Coaching Journal. Robyn L. Jones is a Professor of Sport and Social Theory at the Cardiff School of Sport, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, a Visiting Professor (II) at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway, and a Visiting Associate Principal Lecturer (Research) at Hartpury College, UK. He has also been a Visiting Professor at the University of Malaysia. He has (co) published in excess of 60 peer reviewed articles and several books on sports coaching and pedagogy; the latter include Sports Coaching cultures, The Sports Coach as Educator and The Sociology of Sports Coaching. In addition to serving on the editorial board of Sport, Education and Society, Robyn is also the General Editor of the Taylor & Francis journal Sports Coaching Review. Paul Potrac is a Professor of Sports Coaching at the Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, UK, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Hull, UK. His research focuses on the political and emotional features of practice in coaching and coach education. He has (co) published several books on sports coaching, including Sports Coaching Cultures, the Routledge Handbook of Sports Coaching, Research Methods in Sports Coaching and The Sociology of Sports Coaching. Paul is also an Associate Editor of the Taylor & Francis journal Sports Coaching Review.

1. Introduction 2. Reflection Section 1: The Context of Coaching 3. Coaching Ethics 4. Coaching as a (Micro)political Activity 5. Professionalization of Sports Coaching Section 2: The Coach 6. Coaches' Selves 7. The Coach as a Pedagogical Performer Section 3: The Athletes 8. Athlete Learning 9. 'Developing' Athletes 10. Talent Identification and Development 11. Understanding Athletes' Identities Section 4: Knowledge 12. Content Knowledge 13. Discourse and the (Re)production of Coaching Knowledge 14. Assessing Knowledge and Ability