Understanding Sports Coaching

This innovative introduction to the theory and practice of sports coaching emphasizes the social context of training, developing, and managing athletes. The book argues that although coaches commonly employ techniques such as feedback, reflection, and a variety in instructional models and learning styles, most do so implicitly and without fully understanding the complex interplay between coach, player, content, and social context. By defining learning as a social practice rather than a simple transmission of facts, the book aims to deepen the coach's understanding of the coaching process, to help coaches systematically develop their programs and to get the best out of their athletes.