9 . The important role of ‘ coach developers ’ is likely to grow
Those who are involved in the education and development of coaches need to understand the key processes of learning in order to help coaches learn . Broadly , coach developers have received researchers ’ attention for several years ( e . g . North , 2010 ), but recently there has been an eagerness to better understand who they are , their various roles in mediating quality learning , and how to train and support them ( Callary & Gearity , 2020 ). This is a rapidly expanding area of research focus , but more is not always better . What seems certain is that the demands on those who develop coaches and how they work with any dual role as mentors , tutors , educators , or assessors are progressing alongside ever more ‘ learner-centred ’ online and blended learning formats . Currently , there isn ’ t a clear training pathway for coach developers , nor a lot of pedagogical substance or evidence to guide their practice . This provides an opportunity for the coaching sector to learn from what we know about how coaches learn in creating a distinct training pathway to support coach developers , making the most of existing and new resources ( such as UK Coaching ’ s research-informed ‘ Influences on Coach Learning ’ articles , or the free Open University online ‘ Coaching others to Coach ’ resource ).
10 . Diverse perspectives matter
In 2010 , Taylor and Garratt remarked that reforms to coaching policy such as implementing UK-wide systems of certification and prescribed curricula had sought to ‘ gloss over cultural difference and diversity ’. More than a decade later , the array of coach development programmes and opportunities available seems more varied than ever , especially with the abundance of online resources , webinars and podcasts generated during the pandemic . Indeed , embracing the plurality of coaches , coach developers , contexts , perspectives and approaches is important . There is a danger that coaches merely reinforce their own ideas with ‘ people like me ’ in ‘ echo chambers ’ of like-minded discussion , filtering out anything that goes against the grain .
To illustrate this , consider these facts : the UK , Canada and Australia have produced 70 % of the research focused on informal coach learning ( Walker , Thomas & Driska , 2018 ), a quarter of studies on coach development programmes relate to football ( Campbell & Waller , 2020 ), and there is a lack of research on the learning of community ( grassroots ) and disability sports coaches . There is plenty of room to find out more about diverse contexts and cultures . Bringing together different ideas with open-mindedness can foster innovation , transformation , and move the field and the profession forwards .
This journey through a decade of insight about some of the key factors and processes of coach learning can help us attune us towards becoming more effective as coaches , coach developers and researchers . One significant piece of the jigsaw that is yet to be grasped relates to the impact of coaches ’ learning on the athletes they are coaching . More accurately , athletes and their outcomes have been treated like a separate puzzle
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