[...]... of their practice, it is useful for them to have some understanding of social, cultural and educational concepts The principal aim of this book is to highlight some of these concepts and to link them directly to the practice of coaching, as we believe that they fundamentally inform it Hence, a tentative framework is placed on a field which has been accused of theoretical imprecision, speculation and. .. done, and the exercise of practical judgement’ (1992: 12) The role of observation in the action research process is to document the effects of the action and to provide data upon which to reflect in the next stage of the process Not only is the overt action observed but so are the effects of action (intended and unintended), the circumstances of and constraints on action, [and] the way circumstances and. .. evaluate and rationalize their actions They think about, and are aware of, their practice before, during and after the event: reflecting in some depth about plans, actions and consequences Taking our lead from such findings, we believe that if coaches are to understand why they are doing what they are doing and the consequences of their actions, and if they are to appreciate the limits and possibilities of. .. coaching school sports teams For undergraduate students of coaching, it can serve as an introductory manual to illustrate the social, cultural and educational nature of coaching, and how interacting educational and sociological philosophies can inform professional practice Additionally, for beginning postgraduate students, the book may assist them to make links between theory and practice, and further... on theory and the emphasis is on the technical teaching skills and the ‘expert’ teacher According to Hoffman (1971: 100) the hallmark and rationale of craft pedagogies ‘has its basis not in science or even theory, but in the unglamorous realities of life’ There continues to be plenty of support for ‘on the job’ teaching practice experience ‘by school and college or university supervisors The school practice. .. before beginning the act of teaching itself The concepts attest to a lack of understanding of how students learn and why, of the micro and macro variables that impinge on this learning, and how teachers can best manage their complex and dynamic working environment to achieve desired results Equally, coaches are guilty of giving little if any attention to understanding the teaching and learning process,... the emphasis is on the development of cognitive skills (Lyle 1998) When judging sports coaching against numerous criteria of professionalism, Lyle (2002: 310) argues that the realisation of the professionalisation of sports coaching is yet some way off’ Having said that, he did note that sports coaching had recently been classed as an ‘associated profession’ (2002: 200) in the Standard Occupational... POSTSCRIPT We began the project of writing this book united in the belief that linking sociological and educational concepts to the coaching practice would assist coaches to make some sense of the messy realities of the coaching process We also agreed to problematize taken-for-granted practices in coaching and advocate for more recognition to be given to the social aspect of the coaching process What... experience of being coached or of being a coach, hence, could better relate to the subject and the linked conceptual matter It was also much easier to engage with contemporary issues using a sports coaching context, given the coverage of sport by the media and its omnipresence in modern-day society To hook the students in the first lecture, I asked them to list the characteristics of the person they considered... ‘stimulated by surprise’ Here, in the process of dealing with the unexpected phenomenon, the practitioner reflects on his or her understandings that are implicit in the action and then critiques, restructures and embodies the practice in future action In other words, when something unexpected happens ‘they turn thought back on action’ (1983: 50) and then try and deal with it The second pattern prevalent . Lecturer in Sports Coaching, at the University of Otago, New Zealand. UNDERSTANDING SPORTS COACHING THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF COACHING. introduction to the theory and practice of sports coaching, highlighting the social, cultural and pedagogical concepts underpinning good practice. The book aims