APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2021 , Vol . 7
© Sport England athletes might make in competition and how as coaches we can manipulate and constrain the task or the environment to promote the achievement of particular skills .
The third article by Kelly Rodrigues reflects on a transition that will be familiar to many coach developers over the last year ; how to promote learning in a virtual environment . Kelly highlights a number of challenges around engagement in the online space for both learners and facilitators that emphasise important considerations for how we might continue to use these as part of a blended learning approach in the future . This article also explores how UK Coaching ’ s Learning Excellence Toolkit may offer a useful template for developing online learning , and offers some reflections about the application of this through a case study detailing the role of the virtual classroom in delivering safeguarding courses .
The fourth article presented by Dr Kathryn Leflay and Rus Smith explores the outcomes of The Benson Project ; a community sport project in the West Midlands designed to develop and support the young people of the area . The article recognises that positive development through sport is not an automatic outcome , but one that is leveraged and sustained by coaches who are able to recognise and respond to the needs of their context and the people they work with . Through the analysis of observations of sessions and interviews with volunteer coaching staff , the authors present a number of important themes that relate to the success of this project including safe space , freestyling , relationship strategy and alternative pathways .
The final article in this edition looks at the development of an online community of practice . The article , by Mark Scott and Dr Lisa Whitaker , follows the rationale for , planning , implementation and review of using an online community of practice with a group of coaches working with talented athletes . Using the voices of the coaches to explore their perceptions of the process , the authors provide some key recommendations for setting up and delivering coach education through an online community of practice .
We hope you enjoy this edition .
11