Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal Volume 2 | Page 19

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2018, Vol. 2 one of The FA’s leading national coaches, Pete Sturgess, renowned for his work in what The FA terms the Foundation Phase (children from 5–11 years). The social nature of learning means that we often develop through our interactions with others, gaining insight from their experiences. This article brings together reflections on my conversation with Pete Sturgess and follows his progression from his early coaching days to his current position as a leading national coach, discussing his learning journey alongside coach development research. Applicable coach development research To help make sense of Pete’s learning, some coach development models are briefly described here so that they can be applied to aspects of his learning path. Werthner and Trudel (2006) define three main types of learning that coaches engage with: mediated learning (formal qualifications and courses), unmediated learning (independently driven, where the coach chooses the type of information to consult), and internal learning (time spent in reflection) 1 . Drawing on Moon’s (2004) work, the former can be understood by a ‘building a brick wall’ metaphor, during which the learner assimilates knowledge through an approved programme of content and is later assessed on the knowledge acquired 2 . This seemingly linear pathway towards expertise has been criticised for failing to prepare coaches for real-life contexts 3 . In contrast to a linear path, Moon (2004) promotes the idea of a network in which learning is flexible, unmediated and continuous, based on a learner’s ever-changing cognitive structure (ie their knowledge and emotions) 2 . This view supports models of experienced-based learning, such as Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle (Figure 1), which advocates a cyclical process in which the learner continuously reassesses their knowledge through experience, observation, conceptualisation and experimentation. 4 The success of experiential learning centres on the learner’s ability to invest time in ‘reflective practice’ in order to help convert experience into expertise 5 . As Gilbert and Trudel (2006) suggest, “10 years of coaching without reflection is simply one year of coaching repeated 10 times” 6 . Studies have shown that appropriate reflective practice has a positive impact on coaching development, equipping practitioners to build their knowledge, initiate change, link theory to practice and prepare for the ambiguity of the coaching environment 7 . Concrete Experience (doing/having an experience) Active Experimentation (planning/trying out what you have learned) Reflective Observation (reviewing/reflecting on the experience) Abstract Conceptualisation (concluding/learning from the experience) Figure 1 Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle Sturgess’ early coaching career As a talented young footballer, Pete Sturgess quickly rose through his local clubs, playing county standard for Staffordshire, then Football Combination league for Oxford, before joining several non-league teams such as Halesowen Town and twice playing in the first round of the FA Cup. At the age of 35 he began to transition into coaching at Rushall FC, recalling that “whilst still playing, I wanted to put on the kind of sessions that I wanted as a player, even though I was the coach”. This suggests that his experience as a participant influenced the decisions he made later in his coaching style and strategy. When reflecting on his strengths as a coach, Sturgess admits that, “if I’ve got a choice between technical detail and enjoyment, I still choose enjoyment”, suggesting that his overriding focus is on player engagement to underpin learning. Despite having played to a high level, Pete recognised that he was still a novice in his coaching pedagogy, demonstrating that the key element to coaching effectiveness is an openness to learning and a recognition that past experience as a participant does not qualify the coach as an expert in the game 8 . His use of reflective practice demonstrates that practitioners need to access their tacit knowledge (the type of knowledge, often from experience, that is difficult to verbalise). This helps develop a deeper understanding of their practice 5 . Pete’s experience of being told that his coaching session was boring, by Nathan, was a pivotal moment in his development. Instead of reacting negatively, he used the episode to stimulate deep reflection